Exercises To Lose Lower Ab Or Belly Fat

In addition to a healthy low-fat diet and a regular cardio workout, MayoClinic.com recommends daily moderate-intensity exercise to tone and tighten your tummy. As you strengthen and enhance your obliques and lower rectus abdominus, or lower belly, you relieve lower back pain, maintain your posture, trim your waistline and flatten flabby abs.

Chair Sit-Up

Sit-ups work to tone and tighten the lower abdominal muscles. People shy away from sit-ups, however, because they can irritate the spine or tailbone. If you find a floor sit-up hard on your back, try the beginner-level chair sit-up exercise. Sit on a sturdy wooden chair with your feet flat on the floor. Raise your heels while keeping your toes on the floor. With your feet together and your palms holding the back of your head, exhale, tighten your tummy and bend your head and torso toward your knees. Straighten back up to a sitting position. Do 10 repetitions. Each day that you perform chair sit-ups, add 10 more repetitions to your workout.

Pullover Crunch With Fitness Ball

Joan Pagano, certified fitness instructor and author of "15-Minute Abs Workout," reports that the classic crunch rates as one of the most effective ab exercises you can do to firm a flabby belly. Crunches work the obliques, the muscles located along the sides of your abdomen. They help shrink love handles and slim your waist. Performing the intermediate-level pullover crunch with a fitness ball can add even more resistance and energy to the traditional crunch. Lie on your back on an exercise mat. Bend your knees to about a 60-degree angle, keeping your feet flat on the mat. Place a fitness ball between the palms of your hands. Extend the ball straight over your head. Exhale, tighten your abs and lift your head and shoulders off the mat while reaching the ball to your knees. Do not arch your back off the mat. Keep your chin up and your head and neck aligned. Slowly lower your head and shoulders to the mat and extend the ball straight over your head again. Do not take a rest. Repeat 10 times.

Bicycle

According to the American Council on Exercise, the bicycle maneuver ranks as the most effective exercise to strengthen the rectus abdominus. ACE also rates it as the second most effective exercise to enhance the obliques. That makes the bicycle a must-do maneuver for flatter and leaner lower abs. Lie on your back on your mat. Bend your knees and lift your feet to a tabletop-like position. Your thighs should form a 90-degree angle with your shins. Place your fingers behind your head with your elbows extended to your sides. Lift your upper torso off the mat. Your shoulder blades should hover just above the mat. Exhale, bring your left shoulder and right knee toward one another. At the same time, extend your left leg. Inhale and lower your left shoulder and right knee. Exhale as you bring your right shoulder and left knee toward one another while extending your right leg. The leg movements resemble pedaling a bicycle. Perform 15 repetitions on each side.