Feel like working your lower abs [1]? Great choice. Beyond the aesthetic pros of sculpting that region of your abdominals, there are real physical benefits that can make a difference in your day-to-day life.
For one thing, strong lower abs can help you "will reduce lower back pain and help functionality and posture," said Nicci Robinson, an ACE-certified trainer for Fit Body [2]. You can especially feel the difference on moves like the "good morning [3]," Robinson told POPSUGAR, which require strength in the lumbar (or lower) region of your back. These kinds of exercises "can cause strenuous lower back pain [4] if the lower lumbar and lower abdominal region is weak," she explained. "Strengthening the lower abdominal region will minimize the risk for pain and injury."
And good news: you don't need a ton of equipment to strengthen this crucial area of your core, and Robinson created this five-move lower ab workout to prove it! Check out all the details ahead, including step-by-step instructions for how to do each move. Then lay down your mat or find some comfy floor and get ready to fire up your lower abs!
Bodyweight Lower Ab Workout
Equipment needed: none.
Directions: Do 20 reps of each exercise, moving from each move to the next with no rest in between. After the fifth move, rest for 90 seconds, then go back to the first exercise and repeat the set for three rounds total. You don't need to warm up for this workout, Robinson said, but she recommended cooling down afterward with oblique [6] and abdominal stretches [7].
- Flutter kick
- Leg raise on back
- Reverse crunch
- Scissors
- Bicycle kick
Flutter Kick
- Lie on your back with your hands under your butt and your legs together. Tuck your tailbone and make sure your back is completely flat against the floor.
- Lift both legs a few inches off the floor, making sure to keep your lower back flat and core braced.
- Keep your right leg straight as you lift it up higher, forming a 90-degree angle with the rest of your body (or about as close as you can get).
- Lower your right leg as you simultaneously lift your left, switching positions in a kicking motion. Keep your shoulders as relaxed as you can, holding all the tension in your core.
- This counts as one rep. Repeat for 20 reps.
Leg Raise on Back
- Lie on your back with your hands under your butt and your legs together. Tuck your tailbone and make sure your back is completely flat against the floor.
- Brace your core as you lift your legs up toward the ceiling, keeping them straight and pressed together. Make sure to keep your lower back flat against the floor.
- Stop when your legs form about a 90-degree angle with your body, or as close as you can get. Keep your upper body relaxed.
- Slowly lower your legs until they're hovering about an inch off the floor.
- This counts as one rep. Repeat for 20 reps.
Scissors
- Lie on your back with your hands under your butt and your legs together. Tuck your tailbone and make sure your back is completely flat against the floor.
- Lift both legs a few inches off the floor, making sure to keep your lower back flat and core braced.
- Criss-cross your right leg over your left.
- Repeat the movement in the other direction, crossing
- This counts as one rep. Repeat for 20 reps.
Bicycle Kick
- Lie on your back with your legs together and your hands behind your head. Tuck your tailbone and make sure your back is completely flat against the floor.
- Lift both legs a few inches off the floor, making sure to keep your lower back flat and core braced.
- Bend your left leg and bring it toward your chest slowly and with control. Rotate your torso slightly to bring your right elbow near your left knee, making sure not to pull on your neck as you do; the movement should initiate from your torso, not your neck or arm.
- Straighten your left leg while simultaneously bending your right leg toward your chest. Repeat the movement on the other side, crunching your left elbow toward your right knee.
- This counts as one rep. Repeat for 20 reps.
Reverse Crunch
- Lie on your back with your legs bent and knees together, hands under your butt. Tuck your tailbone and make sure your back is completely flat against the floor.
- Lift your feet off the floor, raising them until your thighs are vertical and perpendicular to the ground. Keep your core braced and your knees bent at 90 degrees throughout the movement.
- Bring your knees as close to your face as you can comfortably go without lifting your mid-back off the ground. Your hips and lower back should lift slightly off the ground.
- Hold for a second, then lower your feet back to the ground with control, keeping your knees bent the whole time.
- This counts as one rep. Repeat for 20 reps.