5 lower belly exercises that work

Most of us have gone through the experience of carrying around pesky belly fat that just wouldn’t go away no matter how many exercises we do or how far we run.

Out of all the fat that we store in our body, belly fat is the hardest to get rid of and it always sticks out like a sore thumb. There are several reasons why we gain belly fat and it isn’t just due to the fact that we’ve been keeping up an unhealthy diet (you can see everything you need to know about belly fat here).

Aging and heredity play a major role in the development of belly fat but that’s not all, our hormone fluctuations also induce belly fat to accumulate around the lower abdomen.

In order to help you lose weight and eliminate most of your belly fat, here are five effective lower-ab workouts that you can include into your post pregnancy exercise plan.

1. Elbow plank

• Get into a push up position.
• Lower your forearms to the floor and keep both hands in a grasp.
• Remember to keep your elbows lined up directly underneath your shoulders.
• Tighten your abdominal muscles and squeeze your butt together.
• Make sure your head, neck, back, and are kept in a straight, strong line.
• Hold for 20 seconds and release.
• Repeat for 5 times.

2. Full Plank Twist

• Start by getting into a full plank position (similar to a starting push up position).
• Slide your right knee across to the left.
• When it’s done right, you will feel your hips turning to the left and you will pivot slightly on the ball of your left foot.
• Bring your right knee back to the starting position and repeat the motion with your left leg.
• That’s considered as one rep. Complete a set by doing 10 full reps. Do 3 sets.

3. U-Boat

• Sit on the floor with your knees bent, feet flat on the ground
• Lean back and use your elbows to support your upper body.
• Make sure that you keep your upper body lifted throughout the entire exercise.
• With your knees kept together and toes pointed out, lift your legs into a 90 degree position.
• Tighten your abs and make sure both hips remain on the ground.
• Slowly move your knees towards your left.
• Then lower your legs while still keeping the 90 degree angle, and lift them to your right as if you’re spelling out the letter ‘U’.
• That’s one rep for you. Repeat for 20 reps.

4. 90 degree static press

• Lie down flat on your back and lift your hips and knees to a 90 degree angle while keeping your feet flexed.
• Extend your arms and press both thighs with your palms.
• Take a deep breath and when you exhale tighten your abs inwards as if you were pressing your lower back against the floor.
• Hold for 1 count and relax. Do 3 sets of 10 repetitions.

5. Frog press

• Lie down on the floor and lift your knees outwards while keeping your heels together.
• Lift your hand off the floor just slightly until you can feel some tension in your arms.
• Inhale and lift your head and shoulders up from the floor and curl your ribcage.
• When you exhale, slowly extend your legs at a 45 degree.
• Inhale and bring your knees back to your body.
• That counts as one rep. Repeat for another 10 reps. Do 3 sets.

Please note that these exercise are ONLY suitable if you are fully recovered from giving birth and do not have any muscle separation or back injuries

Results From Moms On 28 Day Weight Loss Challenges

Em Nicholson who has lost over 88 lbs* since starting her weight loss journey with The Healthy Mommy has already followed – and that worked!

She says: “I weighed 253 lbs and really had no idea how to start or even how unhealthy I was. Since joining The Healthy Mommy I have lost over 88 lbs* with the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenges. I am super proud of myself and what I have learned, achieved and what I am going to achieve in the future.”

Are you ready to become a Healthy Mommy?