Making Your Lower Ab Workout Work For You

Your lower ab workout is important for more reasons than just toning and looking fit. Healthy, strong lower abdominal muscles are vital in the prevention of lower back injuries and providing spinal stability. Regular lower ab workouts will lead to a stronger, healthier body. You should consider these factors when planning your exercise regimen and include lower ab exercises even if it is not an area of particular concern to you.

Pitfalls

The exercises designed to work the lower abdominal muscles are very easy to do wrong. They are the set of exercises for which you must concentrate the most in order to be sure you are doing them correctly. This is because any exercise in your lower ab workout can be done without ever using an abdominal muscle. When doing crunches or bicycles, be sure to focus on using your abdominal muscles, and not your back; otherwise, you will see no progress from your workout.

The Proper Equipment

You will be pleased to know that there is no equipment necessary to complete an effective lower ab workout. Retailers offer a vast array of rollers and rockers that presumably make your workout easier or more effective Lower ab exercises require no such products; with a mat to protect your back and a bottle of water to stay hydrated, you have everything you need to be successful in your lower ab workout.

Steps to a More Effective Workout

In order to ensure positive results from your lower ab workout, follow a few important steps when working through your exercise regimen. First of all, breathe. This may sound silly, but pay attention during your workout see how often you catch yourself holding your breath. Your muscles need a steady flow of oxygen in order to work properly. More isn't better. If you are doing 100 or more crunches per day, you are likely not seeing the results you are expecting. Thirty carefully controlled reps each day will give you much more of what you want. Don't rush your workout. Slow, deliberate movements work your muscles more effectively than quick, jerky ones.

Exercises that Work

A lower ab workout is done primarily lying on the floor. First, lie face down, and slowly, deliberately use your abdominal muscles to pull your navel toward your spine. Release and repeat. Then, on your back, push your lower back to the floor, then release. Abdominal leg lowering, again in slow, deliberate movements, should cause tension in your abdomen, not your back. After these, the plank, done on your elbows and toes, and bicycles are excellent exercises to include in your regular lower ab workout.