Lower Ab Workout for Women (10 Exercises in 10 Minutes)

How To Do Transverse Abdominal Breathing And Bent Knee Lifts

1. First, activate your transverse abdominis muscles. Lie flat on your back with your knees bent at 90 degrees and feet flat on the floor. Find your hip bones and move your fingers one inch inwards.
2. To find your transverse abdominis muscles, fake cough. The muscles you feel ‘pop’ when you cough are your transverse abdominis muscles.
3. To engage them, take a deep breath and allow your core and pelvic floor to relax. Imagine there is a string between your hip bones and as you exhale that string (or your TA muscles) is pulling your hip bones together. 
4. As you inhale, let the belly expand (let your back pop off the ground).
5. As you exhale, pull the belly in tight and think about tucking the tailbone underneath you to press your back into the mat or wall.
6. On the exhale, lift one or both knees up towards your chest; knees bent at 90 degrees.
7. With control, return both feet to the mat.

Modification: Option to omit the knee lifts, focusing instead on the TA breathing to activate your transverse abdominal muscles.

How To Do Lying Leg Extensions

1. Start with your low back pressing firmly into the mat and your abdominal wall wrapped as tightly as possible around your core. Bring your legs to a 90-degree bend.
2. Alternate extending one leg straight out. Option to extend both legs long at the same time to advance this exercise.
3. Return to the starting position and repeat. This movement is slow and controlled.
4. Note that the closer your knees are to your chest, the easier this ab exercise will be.

Modification: Option to place your hands on the mat at your side for support.

How To Do Butterfly Crunch Leg Lower And Heel Slide Out

1. Lie on your back with your arms extended by your sides and legs bent to 90 degrees (knees above hips). Bring the soles of your feet to touch, knees wide.
2. Keeping your low back pressed into the floor (pelvic tilt), brace your core and slowly lower your heels towards the mat.
3. Keeping your feet together, slide your heels out away from your body, ending with your legs extended.
4. Then “scoop” your heels up off the mat, pulling your knees back towards your chest to return to the starting position.

Modification: Omit the heel slide and leg lift. Rather, with the soles of your feet touching and knees wide, lower your heels to the mat. Then, lift your legs to return to the starting position.

How To Do Ballerina Dead Bug

1. Start lying on your back, core activated to press your lower back into the mat.
2. Lift your knees to form a 90-degree angle (knees stacked on top of hips), and extend your hands straight overhead. Bring the soles of your feet to touch, knees wide.
3. Contract your ab muscles as you extend your right arm overhead while simultaneously straightening your left leg. Return to the starting position.
4. Then extend your left arm overhead while simultaneously straightening your right leg. Return to the starting position.

Modification: Reduce range of motion of your legs and arms to reduce the intensity of this exercise.

How To Do A Single Leg Kick Out And Inner Thigh Press

1. Start lying on your back, low back pressing firmly into the mat and your abdominal wall wrapped as tightly as possible around your core.
2. Extend your right leg long, pressing the toes of your bent left leg into your right thigh.
3. Place your right hand on your left knee (opposite hand to opposite knee). Think about intentionally pressing your right hand into your left knee to create tension in your core.
4. Inhale, extending your left hand straight overhead.
5. Then exhale as you squeeze your core to crunch, bringing your left hand up to press into your right hand. Hold, creating tension in your core.
6. Inhale as you release, sending your left arm back overhead.

Modification: Keep your head resting on the floor throughout the movement. You can also reduce your range of motion (bending both legs to keep them closer to your body) to reduce the intensity.

How To Do V-Sit Alternating Leg Extensions

1. Start sitting on your mat on your “sit bones,” knees bent at 90 degrees and feet planted on the floor.
2. Place your hands on the mat underneath your shoulders, elbows bent and fingers facing towards your seat. Your body should form a “V” shape between your torso and knees.
3. Sit back towards your palms a few inches as you extend your left leg, sliding your left heel out away from your body.
4. Engage the top of your left thigh and lower abs to lift your left leg off the mat.
5. Then, slowly return your left heel to the mat and slide your heel back towards your seat; returning to the starting position.

Modification: Omit the leg lift and instead, alternate sliding your heels out away from your body and then sliding your heels back to the starting position.

How To Do Lying Knee Pulls

1. Start lying flat on the floor, lower back pressed into the mat with feet together and legs straight, extended long. Inhale, letting your belly expand.
2. Exhale, pulling your core together and pressing your low back firmly into the mat.
3. Then pull your right knee in to meet your chest, bending the right leg as you do so, feet are flexed and left leg remains straight out.
4. Hold the right knee to the chest for a moment, then kick the right leg back out so both legs are kicked straight out again.
5. Alternate the knee that pulls in throughout this movement.
6. To make this more advanced, float both legs, hovering them off the mat. Option to add a crunch by lifting your head and shoulders off the mat as you pull your knee towards your chest.

How To Do Bear Crawl Toe Taps

1. Start in table top position, shoulders over wrists, hips over knees, core engaged and back flat.
2. Curl your toes under, hovering your knees 1-2 inches off the mat. Hold this bear crawl position, palms pressing into the mat.
3. Press your left palm into the mat as you bring your right hand back to tap your left toes.
4. Return to the bear crawl position.
5. Then switch sides, pressing your right palm into the mat as you bring your left hand back to tap your right toes.

Modification: Option to hold the bear crawl position (omitting the toe taps). Or perform bird dog from a table top position.