Do you have a small bulge in your lower abdomen? Don’t panic, it’s normal. In women, from the menopause (around 45-50 years), the distribution of fat mass changes: fat is stored more around the belly, and less at the level of the saddlebags.
To lose this small bead, it is important to work on two axes: food (by taking a break from sugar, in particular, since a diet that is too sweet encourages the storage of fat in the adipocytes) and sports activity ( because sport is almost essential for healthy and lasting weight loss!).
What are the best sports to sculpt the lower belly?
“To sculpt the lower abdomen, it is necessary to work in particular the transverse muscleexplains Blanche Von Engelbrechten, sports coach at Fitness Park. This is the deepest muscle of the abdominal strap: its role is to maintain the organs located inside the abdomen (liver, kidneys, bladder…). When it is not toned enough, you can see the development of back pain, or even suffer organ descent!“
The most effective sport for working the transverse muscle is Pilates – “a very accessible sport, even for absolute beginners, which allows in-depth muscular work” underlines the sports coach. We are also thinking of core training, a new sport (also called “core ability”) which strengthens the deep muscles through balance exercises, among other things. If it is possible to practice at home, independently, the ideal remains of course to practice with a sports coach!
Sheathing exercises to firm the lower abdomen
Here are the best sheathing exercises to strengthen the transverse muscle and therefore lose weight in the lower abdomen:
Lie on your stomach on a yoga mat, then support yourself on your forearms and tiptoes. Look for the top of the head / shoulders / pelvis / knees / ankles alignment. Your legs are glued to each other, you look at the ground between your forearms. Tuck in your belly, lift your navel and contract your perineum. Breathe normally and calmly.
Do this every day for 30 seconds, 45 seconds then 1 minute. The objective: to achieve 4 sequences of 1 minute with 30 seconds of recovery (without forgetting to drink) between each sequence.
Lie down on the ground on your left side. Support yourself on your elbow, your forearm and your two feet together. Then take your hip off the ground so that you get a shoulder / pelvis / ankle alignment. Be careful not to arch your back. Contract the abdominal strap. Breathe normally and calmly.
To be done every day for 15 to 30 seconds, 3 times in a row with a few seconds of recovery between each repetition.
Starting position: place yourself in a plank, that is to say lying on your stomach, resting on your hands shoulder-width apart, arms stretched vertically, back well aligned with the neck, buttocks and heels. Bring one knee under the chest and then bring your leg back to the starting position. Repeat with the other knee and alternate. Attention, the exercise must be rhythmic! Do 30 seconds of effort, 15 seconds of recovery.
Standing, look for alignment of the shoulders, pelvis, knees and ankles. Raise one leg backwards, letting your chest go forward as a counterweight. Tuck in the belly and raise the navel; contract the perineum. Extend the opposite arm to the extended leg. Breathe calmly.
Hold for 30 seconds per side first, then 1 min per side.
Lie on your back with your head and shoulders firmly planted on the floor, your lower back firmly in contact with the floor. On an inhale, raise your left arm and right leg straight up. Hold for a few seconds while breathing calmly and normally, then reverse by raising the right arm and left leg. Keep your gaze directed towards the ceiling. Do about ten alternations without stopping.
To know. “If you want to make things a bit more difficult, you can do these exercises with weights: for example, a full 1.5 L water bottle or a small dumbbell.”
And also… Other sheathing exercises can be proposed when trying to lose weight from the lower abdomen; the Hollow body posture for example!
Thanks to Blanche Von Engelbrechten, sports coach at fitness-park.
Read also :
⋙ Standing abs: 5 super effective exercises for a flat stomach
⋙ Flat stomach: 5 mistakes to avoid to get thinner, according to a sports coach
⋙ Abdominoplasty: what does this cosmetic surgery consist of to have a flatter stomach?