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Home Exercises After Dinner to Reduce Your Abdomen

Working out at home is ideal if you have a busy schedule or don't like exercising at the gym. Regular exercise is a healthy way to control your weight and drop excess weight all over your body, including in your abdomen. Evening exercise can interfere with your sleep, notes NBC News, so take that into account by fitting in your workout after dinner, but a couple of hours before you go to sleep.

  1. Cardio Exercise

    • Cardiovascular exercise is an important component of your routine because it burns calories, allowing you to drop weight. You can't spot reduce with cardio, but it will help you lose excess pounds all over, including in your stomach. Jumping rope, swinging kettlebells, running on a home treadmill and jumping on a trampoline are options you can do right in the comfort of your own home after you finish dinner. If you have a backyard pool, swimming also offers an ideal cardio workout in the evening.

    Strength-Training Exercises

    • While cardio burns fat and uncovers your muscles, strength training helps tone and define your abs. Do one set of 12 repetitions of each ab exercise in your routine, two or three times each week after dinner. At this rate, you'll see results in just a couple of weeks, according to MayoClinic.com. Situps, planks, crunches, bridges and trunk rotations are good choices that you can do while you watch your after-dinner television programs. Allow a day of rest between each ab session so the muscles in the area can recover and repair.

    Exercise After Dinner

    • Exercising after eating a huge meal can interfere with your performance. If your stomach is packed full, you might feel sluggish, which means you might skip your ab workout. A small dinner prior to your routine gives you the energy to finish without filling you up too much. "Fitness" magazine suggests a slice of whole-wheat toast with peanut butter and banana slices or a cup of yogurt with trail mix before you work your abs. Once your routine is finished, have a more substantial meal to help your body recover and ensure adequate calorie and nutrient intake. A small grilled chicken breast with steamed vegetables or eggs with vegetables and avocado are ideal, according to "Fitness" magazine.

    Exercise and Sleep

    • If you have trouble sleeping, doing ab exercises too close to bedtime can have a negative impact on your rest. Exercise raises your body temperature and stimulates your mind and body, which can make it hard to drop off to sleep soon afterward, according to NBC News. If you find your ab routine interfering with your sleep, try pushing your routine back an hour or two instead of squeezing it out next to your bed before falling into it. This way, you can still burn off stomach flab and get some shut eye.

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