Lower Back & Ab Exercises

The lower back and abdominal muscles, or abs, encircle your midsection, serving to move your torso in various directions, protect your internal organs and support your spine while you sit or stand upright. Exercising these muscles, which helps keep them healthy and strong, involves moving through the ranges of motion they produce on a regular basis. Consult with your doctor before starting an exercise program.

Good Morning Exercise

The good morning exercise targets the erector spinae muscle group and deep spinal muscles, which extend your spine. Stand upright with your feet about hip-width apart and hold a barbell across your shoulders and upper back. Flex your knees slightly and move your buttocks backward as you bend forward at the waist until your torso is parallel to the floor. Reverse back to the starting position and repeat. Keep your spine straight and head up throughout the movement. Slide weighted plates on the ends of the barbell to increase the resistance. Avoid this exercise if performing it causes lower back pain.

Situp and Twist

The situp and twist exercise consists of two phases. Performing the situp phase strengthens the abs, which act to compress your belly and flex your spine forward; and performing the twist phase works the lower back and oblique muscles, which rotate your torso to the left and right. Lie on your back with your hands behind your head, knees bent and toes under a stable object. Curl up until your elbows nearly touch your thighs, then turn your torso 90 degrees to the left. Reverse back to the starting position, then sit up again and twist 90 degrees to the right. Continue alternating sides for your desired number of repetitions. Hold a medicine ball in front of your chest to make the exercise more challenging.

Ab Roller Exercise

The ab roller exercise targets all of the abdominal muscles, which contract to control the speed of movement during the lengthening phase of the exercise and to flex your torso forward during the shortening phase. Use a device that includes a small wheel with handlebars protruding from each side to execute the movements. Sit on your knees and lean forward, grasping the handlebars. Roll the wheel forward, lengthening your body until your torso nearly touches the floor, then roll it back to the starting position and repeat. Move the wheel slowly in both directions.

Crunches

Performing crunches involves lying on your back and repeatedly lifting your shoulders forward and upward 6 to 12 inches to "crunch," or squeeze, your abdomen. The exercise targets all of the abdominal muscles. There are several variations you can try. Lie on your back with your knees flexed and feet flat on the floor to perform the traditional crunch. You can also elevate your feet so your lower legs are parallel to the floor or extended above your waist. Hold a weighted object near your chest as you perform crunches to make them more challenging.