Anyone know good lower tummy exercises to tone?

Unforgotten13
Unforgotten13 Posts: 16 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I am 9 months postpartum, and it's high time I began toning my lower tummy. I just figured it would snap back to normal. The rest of my body did, even my upper stomach (above the bellybutton), but my lower stomach is just not progressing. Does anyone know any good exercises to tone that area? Nothing you have to pay for, so no P90X or Insanity please, unless you want to share a particular move from one of those. I can't afford those programs or else I would have bought them months ago. They also have to be exercises I can do inside, because our neighborhood has some pretty vicious dogs that run loose, and I don't want to be jumping around in front of them, shouting "BITE ME"!

Replies

  • susannahsutton1
    susannahsutton1 Posts: 372
    Reverse crunches. Lie down on the floor with your feet in the air, legs at right angles to the floor and then reach up with your feet, lifting your bottom off the floor.

    Google them on youtube for other techniques for it.
  • islandbeez
    islandbeez Posts: 162 Member
    Fitnessblender.com has a lot of different workouts and they are free. I haven't really used them yet, but I scrolled through it and it seems pretty good for those of us looking for frugal fitness.
  • JPal5
    JPal5 Posts: 178
    Here are some lower abdominal exercises you could try:

    http://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/lose-pooch-best-exercises-lower-abs
  • ipiddock
    ipiddock Posts: 97 Member
    Agree with above. There are many floor exercises and variations of the traditional 'sit-up' you can do. YouTube is probably a good source to see some of these exercises, I do a lot of these personally but I don't know what the names of each exercise. My routine consists mainly of 4 exercises each day:

    - Sit up (traditional)
    - Sit up but moving to the left as you come up and touch your toes and the down and up again but going to the right
    - Leg raises (lay on your back, straight legs, palms flat on floor, lift legs as straight as possible until bum comes off the floor, lower slowly until feet are 1cm away from floor, hold for 1 second then repeat
    - Plank to strengthen core. as long as you can

    I do reps of 12 with a 45 second pause between each set

    This is what I do, because I can feel the burn, that's what it's about, finding what works for you, the burn is the indication that it is working.

    Have fun
  • Unforgotten13
    Unforgotten13 Posts: 16 Member
    Another question I have is a lot of these exercise sites say to only do the abdominal exercises every other day. Is this really necessary, and if so, why?
  • DouMc
    DouMc Posts: 1,689 Member
    bump
  • missferoux
    missferoux Posts: 118 Member
    I had a C section just over two years ago. Within the last few months I have seen a mega improvement...obviously part of mine was needing the lose weight, but I now do:

    Normal crunches
    Vertical leg crunches
    Side crunches (legs bent, leaning to side on floor, but rest of body straight then swap sides - this works the sides)
    Straight flat leg crunches.

    I probably do more reps than normal people recommend, but I do them around 4-5 times a week and have seen a mega improvement - especially with the vertical leg crunches.
  • ipiddock
    ipiddock Posts: 97 Member
    Because muscles need time to repair. Over exercising a muscle can lead to injury. I apply this rule to all muscle groups, but not to my abs, I rarely get muscle ache(DOMS - Delayed onset muscle soreness) from my routine on my abs, although do on other groups, that's why I feel I can exercise my abs daily. If I worked them harder then I would skip a day.
  • JPal5
    JPal5 Posts: 178
    There is a debate about that here:
    http://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/7384/should-you-workout-abs-every-day-or-include-rest-days-like-other-body-parts

    Personally I prefer to have a rest day.
  • Unforgotten13
    Unforgotten13 Posts: 16 Member
    Thanks so much for the help. I'm off to start before my daughter wakes up. I'll check back in later if anyone else has some tips that could help me.
  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
    Lose body fat with a clean diet. Ab work of your choosing, 2-3 times a week, 10-15 mins a time. Ab's will show.

    No loss of body fat = no ab's.
  • notthatthis
    notthatthis Posts: 218
    Because muscles need time to repair. Over exercising a muscle can lead to injury. I apply this rule to all muscle groups, but not to my abs, I rarely get muscle ache(DOMS - Delayed onset muscle soreness) from my routine on my abs, although do on other groups, that's why I feel I can exercise my abs daily. If I worked them harder then I would skip a day.

    Isn't your statement more to do with the fact that your AB exercises aren't working and your other hypertrophy is working?

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/how-often-to-work-out-abs/ - add weight, not that I like any supine abdominal exercises. All pointless.
  • FullOfWin
    FullOfWin Posts: 1,414 Member
    Lose body fat

    with a calorie deficit.

    do a balanced full body resistance training routine rather than just focusing on one muscle group.
  • CoreAndMore
    CoreAndMore Posts: 3
    My wife had 2 C section's, so basicly your muscles where cut,,her chiropractor suggested starting one leg at a time to begin. If your trying to do lower crunches and can't, keep 1 leg bent on the floor and crunch with the other, just doing one side at a time on all your lower ab work...sooner or later you will get both sides strong enough to do exercises regular with both legs up and crunching.
    Hope this helps
  • Crankstr
    Crankstr Posts: 3,958 Member
    Lose body fat

    with a calorie deficit.

    do a balanced full body resistance training routine rather than just focusing on one muscle group.

    yep.
  • diodelcibo
    diodelcibo Posts: 2,564 Member
    Decrease your overall body fat, drink a decent amount of water without too much salts, and maybe do more exercises that focus on the lower region of your abdominals. (leg lifts, captain chairs)

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