Lower Ab Exercises That Get Results!
If you are an athlete, lower ab exercises are essential to your workout regimen. The lower ab area is responsible for stabilizing the spine. If you have strong abdominal muscles, they can help you avoid back injuries. The ab muscles are composed of two main muscle groups: the transverse abdominis are the muscles that go across the abdomen and are responsible for pulling the belly button up towards the spine, and the rectus abdominis which is lined up vertically on either side of the abdomen and is responsible for lifting the pelvis towards the navel.
People often find the lower ab muscles to be some of the most challenging to properly exercise. You need a good amount of muscle control and concentration to properly execute these exercises, as opposed to some exercises for other areas of the body. It is common to inadvertently perform exercises like crunches improperly, by using the hip flexor and lower back muscles. Most of us think of the sit-up as being one of the best types of lower ab exercises, but in reality there are other exercises that can produce better results than that exercise.
One of these kinds of lower ab exercises, is called a plank. In this exercise, a person assumes a push-up position, but the elbows are used to support the body. Like other lower ab exercises, planks work the ab muscles by using them to lift the upper body off the ground. The next step is to keep the position for a few seconds and then go back to the starting position. The more you practice this exercise, the longer you will be able to hold yourself in the position. These kind of lower ab exercises are very effective in igniting the stomach muscles into action.
The hanging leg exercise is a very effective example of lower ab exercises. In order to perform this exercise, hold onto a bar and, utilizing your ab muscles, lift your legs. Due to the strength required of your lower ab muscles, this can be a very effective exercise and also challenging for people just starting out.
Performing effective lower ab exercises can be as easy as lying on the ground and flattening out your back. To perform this maneuver, simply lie on the floor with your knees raised and your feet on the ground. There is a natural space that is created by your spine’s curve against the ground. Using the ab muscles, flatten the lower back to the ground and hold this position for several seconds. This is a very basic exercise. Lower ab exercises like these can be used by people who have injured their back because they are low impact.
When you perform these kinds of exercises, you will feel the abdominal muscles being used more than any of the other muscle groups. The reason for this is because lower ab exercises are meant to target the lower abs without aid from the other muscle groups. Pain should not be a part of the process of performing these exercises. Pain is an indicator that the exercise is either being performed improperly, or that the back muscles are not strong enough to handle the exercise.
Be careful when you are doing these exercises. Jerky or abrupt movements will not produce the results you want to see in your lower abs, but may injure your lower back. Performing lower ab exercises carefully will give you the best results from your workout.