To melt that unwanted flab, you do not need a gym membership. There are some super simple abdomen exercises which do not even need equipment and can be done at home or outdoors. These exercises are not only good for weight-loss and getting rid of abdominal fat but good for health too. These are the building blocks of your fitness program. Keeping yourself fit would build your confidence as well.

The right workout routine-alongside a healthy diet-you get a beautiful belly. Here are five simple abdomen exercises to get you started.

Crunches: Crunches rank top in fat burning exercises. This abs exercise helps to tackle that extra fat around the tummy. Keep a check on your breathing pattern while performing its moves. This exercise will also help in building abs while melting belly fat.

How to do:

·         Lie on your back on a mat with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor and heels 12” to 18” from your tail bone.

·         Place your hands behind your head, squeezing your shoulder blades together and pulling your elbows back without arching your low back.

·         Exhale, contract your abdominal and core muscles and flex your chin slightly towards your chest while slowly curling your torso towards your thighs. Focus on pulling your ribcage towards your pelvis (the neck stays relaxed) while the chin is tucked towards the neck. Keep your feet, tail bone and lower back in contact with the mat throughout the exercise. Continue curling up until your upper back is lifted off the mat. Hold this position for a few seconds.

·         Gently inhale and slowly uncurl your torso back towards the mat.

·         Relax!

Side crunches: This exercise is similar to the twist crunch. The only difference is that you need to tilt your legs to the same side simultaneously with your shoulder. This exercise targets the fat on your side abs. Make your movements steady and slow. Twists in a hurried fashion may harm your midsection. Once you get used to the regular crunches, you can start this effective tummy exercise. You have to lift your upper torso while performing this exercise.

How to do:

·         Lie down on the floor with your hands behind your head.

·         Bend your knees as you would do in crunches keeping feet on the floor.

·         Tilt your one leg to the same side simultaneously with your shoulder breathing in and keeping the other side of your torso on the ground.

·         Relax breathing out.

·         Repeat the same with another leg.

Lying straight leg raises: Lying straight leg raises work the muscles in your abs, thighs and hips. You can perform this exercise anywhere for enough space for you to lie on your back. If you are suffering from backache or experiencing back pain after this exercise, do not perform it. The specific muscle that is being targeted is the rectus abdominus (lower abdominal area).

How to do:

·         Lie on your back on a mat.

·         Place your hands under your lower back for support.

·         Lift both your legs upward at 90 degrees keeping your legs straight and contracting your abdominals. Brace abs tight, inhale and raise legs about 90 degrees. As you exhale, bring legs back into the body on the mat.

Lying scissor kicks: This exercise is sure to reduce belly fat especially on lower abs while working on your legs too. It reshapes and tones your lower body helping you shed the extra fat from the belly, hips and thighs, thereby taking care of the problem areas of many people.

How to do:

·         Lie down on your back on a mat with your arms extended and palms facing down.

·         Slightly bend your knees and lift your legs so that they are six inches off the ground.

·         Scissor kick your legs alternating one up and one down at a time keeping your abs muscles tightened and making a 45-degree angle with the raised leg.

Knee bending leg raise: This exercise focuses on the muscles in the lower abdomen and on the sides. Keep your back straight while performing this exercise as arching can result in pain or injury.

How to do:

·         Lie down straight on your back on a mat.

·         Keep your hands below your hips.

·         Lift your legs so that they are six inches off the ground.

·         Bend your knees and pull them towards your chest breathing in. Keep your abdominal muscles tightened.

·         Push your legs back straight breathing out.

·         Repeat the same way. 

Beginners should start at two sets of 20 reps, and work their way to three sets of 30 repetitions. An advanced athlete does five sets of 50 to 100 repetitions in one session.

Using only your own body weight and strength, these versatile exercises can help you create a total-abdomen-at-home workout that fits your needs and abilities. To get and keep a flat stomach, continue increasing your number of repetitions as you become stronger. Accompany these exercises with short cardio of 15 to20 minutes before starting this schedule. It will help you achieve your goal better and faster. To boost the health benefits, add at least five minutes of easy stretch exercises at the end of the session. Besides this workout, you need to limit the calorie intake or consume only that much amount of calories which you can burn each day to help cut down belly fat more effectively.

With this abdomen workout, you will lose nothing and gain so much, so why not start your easy exercise program today. The consistency is the most crucial thing. Set a short term goal and do these exercises on most days of the week. These easy-to-do moves will help you stay on track, no matter where you find yourself.