10 Lower Ab Exercises to Add to Your Fitness Routine

While performing the exercises, focus on engaging your lower abs and challenging yourself without overdoing it. If you have chronic conditions, speak with your doctor before starting any new exercise program.

Practice these exercises safely by using smooth, controlled movements. Always use proper form.

You may want to do a few gentle stretches between the exercises.

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2. Press your back into the ground, and draw your navel into your spine using a tiny movement, tightening your core.
3. Engage your abdominal muscles like this for 30 seconds, and then relax.
4. Rest for a few moments and repeat 1 to 3 times.

Tips: Take slow, deep breaths during the exercise. If 30 seconds is too long, start with 10 to 15 seconds and slowly increase your time.

Share on Pinterest

1. Lie on your back with your legs straight up and your arms alongside your body.
2. Slowly lower your legs toward the floor before raising them back up again just before touching the floor.
3. Make sure your lower back stays pressed into the floor.
4. Do 1 to 3 sets of 10 to 16 repetitions.

Tips: If your lower back starts to lift up from the floor, stop there and raise your legs back to the starting position. Try making a triangle with your hands and placing them under your sitting bones for extra support. These bones are at the point where the glutes meet the lower back.

For variations, try leg half-drops (lower your legs to a 45-degree angle and raise them again) or single-leg drops (lower one leg, bring it back up, and then switch legs).

Share on Pinterest

1. Lie on your back with your arms extended alongside your body.
2. Lift your legs up into a vertical position.
3. Press your feet up toward the ceiling to raise your hips off the ground.
4. Lower your hips back to the floor and repeat.
5. Do 1 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions.

Tips: For this movement, it is essential to engage and use your lower ab muscles, not momentum. Control your hips when lowering to the floor, and exhale with each lift.

1. Sit with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2. Roll back onto your sitting bones and extend your legs to 45 degrees, creating a “V” shape.
3. Extend your arms parallel to the floor with palms facing up.
4. Hold this position for up to 1 minute.
5. Rest and repeat 1 to 2 times.

Tips: Draw your lower belly into your spine. Lift your chest. For variation, you can try only raising your feet to knee height, keeping your knees bent, or placing your hands on the floor behind you for support.

1. Come into a high plank position with your hands under your shoulders.
2. Bend your right knee and bring it forward toward your chest.
3. Bring your right knee back to the starting position, and bring your left leg forward.
4. Continue this movement for up to 1 minute.
5. Rest and repeat 1 to 2 times.

Tips: It’s not a race! Do these movements in a slow and controlled manner. Keep your hips and shoulders level by bracing your core.

How to perform

1. Come into a low (forearm) plank position with your elbows under your shoulders.
2. Shift your body forward and backward, rocking back and forth on your toes.
3. Continue this movement for 1 minute.
4. Rest and repeat 1 to 2 times.

Tips: Keep your neck, spine, and hips in one line. Focus on engaging your lower abs.

1. Lie on your back with your arms alongside your body and your legs lifted straight up to the ceiling, forming a 90-degree angle with your torso.
2. Slowly lower your right leg down, keeping your left leg raised.
3. As you raise your right leg back up, slowly lower your left leg.
4. Continue alternating lowering and raising your legs.
5. Do 1 to 3 sets of 10 to 16 repetitions.

Tips: If your lower back starts to lift, don’t lower your leg so far down (aim for 45 degrees).

1. Lie on your back with your knees up toward your chest.
2. Curl up your head, neck, and shoulders.
3. Hover your arms alongside your body.
4. Extend your legs straight out to 45 degrees.
5. Pump your arms up and down, inhaling for 5 pumps and exhaling for 5 pumps.
6. Do 10 sets of 10 repetitions of breath (100 pumps).

Tips: Inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth. For variation, bend your knees to 90 degrees and bring them closer to your chest.

1. Lie on your back with your fingers interlaced to support the base of your skull.
2. Bend your knees in 90 degrees.
3. Extend your right leg straight out, and twist the right shoulder and elbow toward your left knee.
4. As you bring your right leg back to 90 degrees, extend your left leg and twist your left shoulder and elbow toward your right knee.
5. Continue this movement, alternating sides.
6. Do 1 to 3 sets of 12 to 18 repetitions total.

Tips: Keep your core braced by drawing your navel into your spine. If you need a quick break, hold both knees at 90 degrees for a few seconds.

1. Lie on your back with your arms alongside your body.
2. Lift your legs so that your feet are about 6 inches off the floor.
3. Slowly lower your right leg a few inches while simultaneously lifting your left leg a few inches.
4. Slowly reverse course, lifting your right leg a few inches while also lowering your left leg a few inches.
5. Continue this movement for up to 1 minute.
6. Rest and repeat 1 to 2 times.

Tips: Keep your lower back against the floor. To aid in this, place your hands beneath the sitting bones for support.

When performing any workout program, there are always safety tips to remember. Lower ab exercises are no different. Before starting a lower abdominal workout, you may want to consider these safety tips:

1. Speak with your doctor before starting a new workout program if you’re managing any health conditions.
2. Warm up before starting a workout.
3. Focus on form.
4. Only do as many reps as you can while maintaining proper form.
5. Stop if it hurts.

Below are frequently asked questions relating to lower ab workouts.

What exercise is best for lower abs?

Leg raises, scissor kicks, and mountain climbers are all good choices for engaging the lower abdominal muscles. However, the best exercise for you will depend on your mobility and exercise proficiency.

Are lower abs hard to get?

All people have abdominal muscles. To make them more visible for aesthetic reasons, focus on lowering your overall body percentage through sustainable lifestyle and dietary changes.

You should begin to see improvements in the strength and appearance of your lower abs by consistently practicing these exercises. Make sure your exercise plan includes aerobic activity and strength training.

Get plenty of rest, stay hydrated, and try to do some physical activity each day, even if it’s only for a few minutes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week and two days of resistance training per week.

Talk with your doctor before starting any new exercise program. This is especially important if you have any medical conditions or take any medications.