• Skip to content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Shop ModernMom
  • Become An Insider

ModernMom

The premiere destination for moms

  • Parenting
    • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Kids
    • Tweens and Teens
    • ModernMom Monday Videos
  • Cooking
  • Living Healthy
    • Breast Cancer
    • Health & Fitness
    • Body after Baby
    • Beauty
    • Relationships
    • Love
  • Lifestyle
    • Crafts
    • At Home
    • Education
    • Travel
    • Pets
    • Decorate
    • Money
    • Brooke Burke
  • Celebrate
    • Holidays
      • Easter
      • Valentine’s Day
      • New Year’s
      • Christmas
      • Hanukah
      • Halloween
      • Thanksgiving
    • Birthdays
    • Parties
  • Must Have
  • Contests
  • Entertainment

Exercises to Tone Lower Abs

October 11, 2009 by ModernMom Staff Leave a Comment

You can be a weight lifter or a power stepper and still not be targeting those lower abdominal muscles. The fact is, the lower abs comprise one of the most difficult areas of the body to tone. Try a few of the following exercises in tandem to burn away the excess fat that likes to reside in the lower abs while toning the muscles.

Special Abdominal Crunches

Your regular abdominal crunches are excellent for the overall abdominal area, but it is going to take some special crunches to get to the area below the belly button. Exercise-ball crunches are perfect for toning the lower abs. Lie on the ball with your feet flat against the floor. Make sure your lower back rests at the top of the ball. With your hands supporting your upper neck, exhale, contract your muscles and roll your shoulders until your chest lifts toward your knees. Slowly return to the starting position. Aim for 15 to 20 crunches, and build from there.

Crossover Crunches

Strengthen the lower abdominal and oblique muscles with a crossover version of the crunch. Lie down on a towel or a mat. Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor. Place your hands at the lower neck for support. Bend the right leg and place the right ankle on your left knee. Contract your abdominal muscles, exhale and slowly raise your left elbow toward your right knee. Make sure it is your abdominals, and not your neck, doing the work. Inhale and slowly return to the starting position. Repeat 10 to 15 times, and then switch sides.

Cardiovascular Exercise

Targeting a specific body area to tone will not work unless you also burn the extra fat that covers the muscles. If you are already doing cardio workouts, try stepping it up a level or doing a cross-training routine that combines different fat-burning activities. Interval training, in which you work the body to its limit for a short burst, take a brief rest and then repeat the cycle a few times, is another technique for burning fat quickly.

Comments

comments

Filed Under: Health/Fitness

About ModernMom Staff

Reader Interactions

Primary Sidebar

Search

Tell a friend

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
ModernMom Boutique

ModernMom TV

Featured

Six Reasons to Have Six Kids

When people hear that I have six kids, the reaction is … [Read More...] about Six Reasons to Have Six Kids

Must Have

STEM-related Toys to Include in Your Child’s Easter Basket This Year 

April has arrived which means it’s time to pull out the food … [Read More...] about STEM-related Toys to Include in Your Child’s Easter Basket This Year 

Did you know?

Mild Cramping During Early Stages of Pregnancy

Functions of Flour in Baking

What Are the Functions of Flour in Baking?

Tell If You Are Pregnant While Breastfeeding

How to Tell If You Are Pregnant While Breastfeeding

tricks to get pen stains out of light clothes

Tricks to Get Pen Stains Out of Light Clothes

signs of pregnancy

How Long Does It Take to Show Signs of Pregnancy?

Child Too Big for a Toddler Bed

When Is a Child Too Big for a Toddler Bed?

Signs You're Having a Miscarriage

Signs You’re Having a Miscarriage

Footer

  • About Us
  • Contact ModernMom
  • Advertise With Us
  • Press
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contributors

Copyright © 2022 Modern Mom. All Rights Reserved.

Reproduction of any portion of this website only at the express permission of Mom, Inc.

The information provided on ModernMom is for educational use only. It should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.