by David Colello

Created on: November 24, 2010

Doing lower abs exercises is an often overlooked part of workouts, even in the most dedicated people.  The abdominals are a large muscle group, stretching from the diaphragm down to the pelvis, and most exercises only utilize the upper abs.  However, lower abs are just as important to concentrate on when training.  They are essential for alleviating lower back pain and improving posture, and there are countless different techniques for training them.

You should find a mat or other comfortable surface such as carpet or grass when doing ground exercises.  Lie down flat on your back and, instead of lifting your torso upwards in a traditional crunch, lift your legs upwards.  Hold your legs together and raise them until your heels are over your hips.

From this position with your legs up, let your hips rock to the side as your legs come down to the ground on your side.  This will often feel good at first, like a long overdue stretch, but raising your legs back to vertical will soon teach you that there are muscles in your lower abs that you have neglected for too long.  Proceed to rock your legs side to side in a pendulum motion, briefly coming close to the ground before raising them back to vertical and then the other side.

Another variation is to have your legs above your hips in a tucked position, then extending them out from the waist in various directions.  After each extension, return to the tucked position and then extend again.  You could either do five repetitions to each direction in an arc from side to side, or randomly pick a direction each time until you complete a certain number of reps.  Yet another interesting variation is to have a partner hold a hand out to whatever spot that they want you to extend towards, with the aim of touching your feet to their hand.  They can mix it up and do a few in a row in the same direction, or challenge you to go lower to the ground than you normally would have done.

If you have a exercise/stability ball, simply putting your legs up on it while performing traditional crunches will also work your lower abs.  You can just as easily use a chair, a couch, a bed, or just hold your legs up while doing crunches for the same effect.

Try some of these moves and you’ll find yourself standing taller and experiencing less lower back pain.  The abs and back are linked, so when the abs are weak, the back has too much stress on it and you will pay the price.  So work those lower abs and soon you will be searching for more exercises to try.  Remember to keep working out interesting and fun by mixing up your routine whenever needed.

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