6 Best Exercises for Women to Target Lower Abs

It's no secret women have a different body type than men. Even the nature of exercises done by women varies.

Women have wider hips, narrower shoulders and shorter torsos, which is why you'll see more variety in their workouts than men. Did you know that targeting the lower abs can help improve your posture? Better posture means fewer aches and pains in your back and joints.

To target your lower abs effectively and get rid of those pesky love handles, there are exercises that can build strength without bulking up muscles elsewhere.

Lower Abs Exercises for Women

Here's a look at six lower abs exercises for women:

#1 Plank Tap

It's done as follows:

Start in a high plank position with your hands under your shoulders and feet together.
Lift one hand off of the ground, and bring it toward your shoulder.
Return to the starting position by lowering your hand back down and placing it on the ground.
Repeat for 10-15 reps per side before switching sides (you can do more if you want).
To increase difficulty, you can make this exercise harder by moving closer to your hand or by just holding yourself in plank longer between each tap.
You can also increase the difficulty by doing the taps faster.

#2 V-Ups

If you're ready to ramp up your ab routine, V-Ups are a great option. To do them, lie on your back with your legs straight and arms at your sides. Squeeze your abs, and lift both legs off the ground till they're perpendicular to the floor - a 90-degree angle from torso to thigh. Lower yourself back down to the starting position, and repeat for 8–12 reps (or more if you'd like).

If that feels too easy for you, try this variation: instead of lifting both legs at once, raise one leg at a time as high as possible before lowering it again. Repeat on both sides before moving on to the next exercise in our list!

You can also make this exercise harder by doing V-Ups while holding weights on either side of your pelvis or using medicine balls under each hand instead of lifting both legs simultaneously.

The key is finding something challenging but not so complex that it becomes discouraging. Consistency is always better than intensity when it comes to working out.

#3 Mountain Climber

Mountain climbers are a great exercise to do if you want an intense ab workout. To perform this move, start in a push-up position with your hands on the ground and your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart.

The key here is to keep your lower back straight throughout the entire movement. Bring one knee up towards your chest, and extend it back down as fast as possible while simultaneously bringing the other knee up in unison with it.

Once both knees are fully extended, and you’re back at a plank position (with shoulders over wrists), bring them down again on one side as quickly as possible before switching sides for another set of mountain climbers.

Mountain climbers can be modified by adding weights or changing up the exercise equipment used, such as using dumbbells instead of a medicine ball or even using bands instead of dumbbells.

#4 Leg Drop

It's done as follows:

Lie on your back, with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
Lift both legs off the ground, and straighten them out in front of you, keeping them straight as long as possible.
Lower each leg to meet the opposite knee, creating a 90-degree angle between your thighs and torso.
Return to the starting position by raising both legs at once, keeping them straight as long as possible before lowering them to meet the knee.

#5 Bicycle Crunch

To do this exercise, lie down with your hands beneath your shoulders and feet slightly wider than hip-width apart. Make sure you keep your core tight. and don't let it sag as you perform each crunch.

Crunch upwards till your upper body is at a 45-degree angle to the floor, and lower back down slowly to complete one rep. While remaining in crunch position, raise your legs, and bend your knees. Begin pushing them forward and back as many times as you can before your core begins to burn.

Perform ten reps per set with no rest between repetitions, and rest 60 seconds between sets.

#6 Scissors

Here's how it's done:

Lie on your back with your legs extended and arms by your sides.
Put your hands on the floor, shoulder-width apart, and lift both feet off the floor so that you're balancing on your tailbone and palms of hands (but don't let them touch).
Bring one knee in toward your chest.
Return it to the starting position before switching legs and repeating with the other side for 30 seconds (or as long as it feels comfortable).

Takeaway

Abs are not just for men. The best thing women can do is to be healthy and fit, but that doesn’t just mean swimming or running on a treadmill every day.

You need strength and endurance as well. So get started with the aforementioned lower ab exercises that can give you results quickly.

Edited by Bhargav