Stomach and bottom toning

Average rating:

Make sure you've performed the 'Rec Check' before doing the following exercises.

Head and shoulder raises
These will help tone and strengthens your stomach.

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Knees and feet should be about hip distance apart.
Place your hands on your thighs. Breathe out and slowly raise your head and shoulders off the floor. As you raise push hour hands towards your knees.
Make sure your stomach muscles stay flat as you come up. When you start to feel your muscles tense, do not come up any further. Instead, lower yourself down gently.
Start with 2 sets of 12. As you get stronger, you can raise further up and increase the number of sets.

Reverse curls
These exercises will help strengthen and flatten your stomach.

Lie on your back with your legs in the air. Flex your feet. Place your hands on the floor by your sides, palms down.
Keep your head on the floor. Breathe out and push your feet up towards the ceiling. This will raise your pelvis off the floor.
Do not let your legs swing. Gently return to the start position.
Do 2 sets of 12.

Obliique curls
These are not beginner exercises and you should only try them when you can comfortably do head and shoulder raises and reverse curls without your muscles bulging. These will strengthen and tone the oblique muscles that run down your sides.

Lie on your back with your feet hip distance apart and flat on the floor. Knees should be bent and in line with your toes.
Put your fingertips on your temples. Breathe out and curl your upper body towards your knees.
As you do so, reach over with one hand towards the outside of your opposite knee twisting your torso as you do so.
Keep the elbow and shoulder of the other arm on the floor. Breathe in and come back down to start position.
Do 2 sets of 12 on each side.

Kick backs
This will help strengthen and tone the bottom and thighs.

Go down onto the floor on all fours. Breathe out and draw your tummy button back towards your spine.
Keep this tension in your stomach muscles but make sure you are able to breathe normally. Extend one leg out behind you.
Keeping the back flat raise the extended leg to hip height. Lower until the toe nearly touches the floor.
Repeat but don't let your back arch. Do 2 sets of 12 on each leg.

Body lift
This works your stomach muscles and bottom - a double bonus!

Lie down on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Breathe out and draw your tummy button back towards your spine.
Keep your stomach muscles tense but make sure you are able to breathe normally.
Using the muscles in your bottom, lift your bottom off the floor until it is only your feet, upper back, neck and head making contact with the floor.
Lower and repeat. Do 3 sets of 12.

By Liz Stuart