Lower Ab Workout: Have You Got The Ball For It?

There is one piece of equipment that is a real gift when it comes to getting a six pack through lower ab workout exercises. I am talking about the exercise ball. It will make your exercises more effective and could even save you from injuring your back and neck. Let me explain:

First of all let’s consider that popular ab exercise, the crunch. Normal crunches are recommended all over the place as a great way to get a washboard stomach. The problem is that it is very easy to slip into bad habits and do crunches in such a way that you are at risk of injuring your back or neck. For example, after a while you can get into the habit of pulling your neck up with your hands, because this is easier than letting your abs do the work. Doing crunches with an exercise ball eliminates this risk, and keeps you on track to that hot six pack that you crave. Here are a few crunches and other lower ab workout exercises that you can do with the exercise ball:

Crunches

Lie on top of the ball, but with your body half way to upright and your feet flat on the floor and your knees bent at right angles. Cross your arms and rest them on your chest so you are comfortable. Now, tense those abs and lift your body upwards but don’t let the ball roll. Go up as far as you can, hold for a second, and lower your body back down. Take your time, there is no rush. Repeat these until you feel you want to stop.

Ab Roll

This is a great lower ab workout exercise – one of my favorites. Kneel in front of the exercise ball and place your palms on it with your arms parallel. Now, tense those stomach muscles and start to push that ball away from you, rolling it outwards away from your body. As your body lowers, let your wrists and then your lower arms come into contact with the ball. Keep those abs under control and tensed. When you have stretched out as far as you can comfortably go, dig your elbows into that ball and pull it back towards your body, raising your body back up as you go. If you have never done this abs exercise before, it will take a bit of getting into, but believe me, it’s worth it because it’s a very effective exercise.

Full Pike

Stand with the ball in front of you and then lean over it, placing your hands flat on the floor about two feet apart. Walk your hands forward until your feet are in the air and your knees are resting on top of the ball. Now, tense your abs and use them to lift your buttocks up, rolling your lower legs across the top of the ball as you do so, until you end up with your ankles on top of the ball, and your butt pushed up into the air. Now gently roll the ball back to where it was, with your knees on top of it and your buttocks back down almost in line with your body. This is a real killer ab workout but you will get amazing results with it.

Well, those are three examples of great lower ab exercises that you can do with an exercise ball. Please click the link for more great lower ab workout tips and advice.