One of the ways you can get great abs is by doing exercises for abs with a ball. This is a good prop to have to strengthen and tone your ab muscles and is very reasonably priced as well.

There are exercises for abs you can do with an ab exercises ball that even help strengthen hard to get to muscles such as the erector spinae and traverse abdominals. If you are new to the exercise ball it is recommended to start with a beginner ball workout. If you are not sure how to do an exercise correctly or experience any pain, consider skipping that exercise and moving on to something else.

Before working with an ab exercises ball, there are some things to remember that can help in your workouts.

1. Tighten your stomach muscles by drawing in your belly button to your spine. This can help stabilize your lower back, pelvis and hips.
2. Keep a space between your chin and chest to help avoid lifting with your neck muscles.
3. While you should consult a physician before starting any workout program, this is especially important for ab workouts if you have osteoporosis as some exercises can do more harm than good to your lower back.
4. Be sure to use good form for each exercise. If you can’t achieve this right away with a certain exercise, try it at a later time after you become stronger and you can hold form. Work your abs like you would any other workout, three to four times a week.

Now that you have some background on working with a ball for exercises for abs, let’s take a look at some exercises you can do. Here is a great abs ball exercise you can incorporate into your routine right away that can help in your goal to build your abs.

Exercise Ball Crunch.

1. Rest the ball under your lower/mid back while lying face up.
2. Place your arms either behind your head or across your chest.
3. Pulling the bottom of your ribcage toward your hips, contract your abs to lift your torso off the ball.
4. Make sure the ball doesn’t roll, keep it stable as you curl up.
5. Lower back down stretching your abs. Repeat for 12-16 repetitions.

Here are a couple of more advanced exercises you can try if you already have experience working out with ball exercises for abs.

Ball Balance
1. Position the ball beneath your abs and hips, with hands on the floor and your legs in the raised position.
2. Pull your abs in and hold the position for 20-30 seconds, keeping your body straight.
3. Keep your balance and slowly raise your right arm out to the side. Make sure the ball doesn’t roll and don’t collapse any part of your body.
4. Hold for 8 to 10 seconds and then switch arms. Do this for about 10-16 reps, for 1 to 3 sets.

Hip Extension

1. Lie down with heels propped up on the ball.
2. Slowly lift your hips off the floor, tightening your abs, until you have formed a straight line.
3. Hold for 8 to 10 seconds and lower. Repeat for 10-16 reps, for 1-3 sets.

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We see them all the time – ads on TV, magazines or on billboards trying to convince us to buy the next magical product that will create those six pack abs you’ve been dreaming of, or your money back. The problem is these products tend to be over-hyped, overpriced and not particularly effective. Many products encourage bad form which can lead to injuries and frustration when that promised six pack never shows up. The good news is that you have another option. Core workouts are just as, if not more, effective than all those fancy machines, at minimal cost to you. In fact, these core workouts require nothing more than some floor space, a couple minutes a day, and a desire to finally feel confident with your stomach.

Crunches vs. sit-ups
More and more experts are choosing crunches over sit-ups these days. Sit-ups tend to lead to neck and back strain, where the just as effective crunch can protect from back strain a little more. The crunch is your most effective and easy tool for getting great abs. The important thing to remember is that in order to get a well defined six pack you must make sure you work all parts of your abs – upper, lower and sides (obliques). The beauty of the crunch is that with a few simple variations and less than ten minutes per workout, you can easily obtain that washboard stomach you’ve been dreaming of for years.

Basic Crunch
To do an effective crunch, start lying out on your back, with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Contract your stomach muscles, bringing your chest and shoulders halfway up to your legs. Do not lift with your neck – keep your head facing the ceiling and your lower back pressed against the floor. Lower back to the ground slowly. Do not just drop back to the ground, but keep the movement slow and controlled.

Variations
There are many variations of the crunch which work various parts of your abdominals. To work your lower abs, do a normal crunch, but every time you crunch up, pull your knees in towards your chest, focusing on keeping your back straight.

What about those obliques? Easy, lay on your back, with your legs raised about an inch off the ground. With your hands behind your head, pull in one knee towards your chest and try to touch that knee with your opposite side elbow. Make sure your motions are controlled, slowly twisting and contracting with your abs, not bending your back or neck. In fact, you may find it’s better to focus on touching your knee to your shoulder to prevent undue stress to your neck and back.

It’s not hard to get your stomach in shape with just a few moves and you’ll be surprised to find that after just a few of these core workouts, just how quickly you will start to see a difference.

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