If you're comfortable using the fitness ball and want to try an advanced core exercise, consider the reverse crunch:
Lie on the ball on your stomach, with your feet touching the floor behind the ball. Lean forward until you touch the floor with your hands. Walk your hands away from the ball until you feel the ball reach your upper thighs. Keep your shoulders directly above your hands.
Tighten your abdominal muscles.
Press your knees into the ball, as shown. Then use your abdominal muscles to bring your knees toward your chest. Hold for three deep breaths.
This core exercise is called the abdominal ball raise:
Lie on your back and rest your legs on top of the ball with your legs about hip-width apart. Tighten your abdominal muscles and squeeze your legs together.
Raise the ball off the floor, as shown. To protect your lower back, focus on pulling your bellybutton in toward your spine and keeping your abdominal muscles contracted. Hold for three deep breaths.
Return to the start position and repeat.
For added challenge, raise the ball off the floor and let your legs slowly fall to the right. Stop before you reach the floor. Hold for three deep breaths, keeping your shoulders on the floor. Return to the start position and repeat on the left side.
Lie on the ball on your stomach, with your feet touching the floor behind the ball. Lean forward until you touch the floor with your hands.
Walk your hands away from the ball until you feel the ball reach your upper thighs, as shown. Your feet will be suspended above the floor, and you'll be balancing on your hands and the ball. Keep your shoulders directly above your hands.
Tighten your abdominal muscles. Hold for three deep breaths or as long as you can maintain your balance and form.
Core exercises strengthen abs and other core muscles
Core exercises strengthen your core muscles, including abs, back and pelvis. You can do many core exercises with a fitness ball, also called a stability ball.
Fitness balls come in various sizes. For most exercises, you'll want a ball that allows your knees to be at a right angle when you sit on the ball with your feet on the floor. The firmer the ball, the more difficult the exercise will be.
Do each core exercise five times. Breathe freely and deeply during each exercise. Focus on tightening your deepest abdominal muscle — the transversus abdominis — during each exercise. This is the muscle you feel contracting when you cough. As you get stronger, gradually increase to 10 to 15 repetitions.
Squat and reach
Squat and reach with the fitness ball:
Hold the ball in front of you and bend your knees. Keep your back straight and your arms parallel to the floor (A). Don't let your knees extend beyond your feet.
Tighten your abdominal muscles.
Rotate your trunk and reach with the ball toward your left (B). Hold for three deep breaths.
Return to the start position and repeat to the right.
Vary the exercise by holding the ball in a downward position (C) or an upward position (D).
Four great moves to regain your abs (FOR THE NEW MUM)
As a new mom, getting your pre-baby body back is a step-by-step process. “Even if you’re in great shape throughout your pregnancy, your abs take a beating,” says Michelle Dozois, co-owner of Breakthru Fitness Studio in Pasadena, Calif. A progressive exercise program like this one—meaning you start slowly and work your way up to more strenuous exercises—is the way to go. “When you do [these moves] in order, you progress gradually and continue to challenge yourself to get back in shape,” says Dozois. As you master each move, add the next exercise until you complete the series. It might take you three months or longer to work up to doing all four moves, but be patient; the payoff is great-looking abs. For best results, do these moves every other day; and always check with your doctor before starting this or any exercise program.
1a. Basic Ball Curl-Up
Sitting on an exercise ball, walk your feet in front of you, rolling the ball up your back until your torso is resting on it, knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Reaching your arms toward your knees, pull your navel in toward your spine and lift your head, neck and shoulders [A]. Inhale and extend your right arm overhead [B]. Exhale and lift your left arm overhead as you lower your right arm to your side. Switch arms 10 times, then rest. (This is one set.) Work up to 3 sets.
1b. Basic Ball Curl-Up
Sitting on an exercise ball, walk your feet in front of you, rolling the ball up your back until your torso is resting on it, knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Reaching your arms toward your knees, pull your navel in toward your spine and lift your head, neck and shoulders [A]. Inhale and extend your right arm overhead [B]. Exhale and lift your left arm overhead as you lower your right arm to your side. Switch arms 10 times, then rest. (This is one set.) Work up to 3 sets.
2a. Ball Bridge with Knee Lift
Lie face up on the floor, feet together on an exercise ball, knees bent. Contract your abs, pulling your navel toward your spine and lifting your hips until your upper body forms a straight line from shoulders to hips [A]. Using your abs to maintain the position, draw your right knee in toward your chest [B]. Hold for three breaths, lower and switch to your left knee. Work up to 3 times with each knee.
2b. Ball Bridge with Knee Lift
Lie face up on the floor, feet together on an exercise ball, knees bent. Contract your abs, pulling your navel toward your spine and lifting your hips until your upper body forms a straight line from shoulders to hips [A]. Using your abs to maintain the position, draw your right knee in toward your chest [B]. Hold for three breaths, lower and switch to your left knee. Work up to 3 times with each knee.
Twisting Bench Crunch video exercise guide. On this page you'll learn how to do a twisting bench crunch using the correct technique. Below you'll find the twisting bench crunch video, pictures, exercise instructions, and tips on how to get the most out of the exercise. Click the play button below to start the video!
Learn more about how to build muscle, burn fat and build the solid body you want right here on Muscle and Strength! Check out our articles, supplements, and diet sections to learn more about nutrition. See our workouts section for a huge range of workout routines, and for the motivation you need to keep going check out the Muscle and Strength forum.
Exercise Instructions:
The twisting bench crunch works both the abs and obliques. Setup the floor crunch by laying a mat down on the floor and getting a flat bench and positioning it at the end of the mat to form a T shape. Lay down on the mat and put your legs up on the bench. Your calves should be resting on the top of the bench and your legs should be bent at right angles. Touch the side of your head with your fingertips (do not put your arms behind your neck!). Lift your shoulder blades slightly off the mat to start the exercise, then crunch your abs bringing your right elbow up towards the left side of your waist. Pause for 1 second at the top, and slowly lower back down to the start position. Repeat for the left elbow.
Tips & Advice:
Always keep your shoulder blades off the floor throughout the set. Always use controlled form, it's a slow movement not a quick jerk. Jerking can result in strains and injuries. Pause longer at the top for added intensity.
Setup the floor crunch by laying a mat down on the floor and getting a flat bench and positioning it at the end of the mat to form a T shape. Lay down on the mat and put your legs up on the bench. Your calves should be resting on the top of the bench and your legs should be bent at right angles. Touch the side of your head with your fingertips (do not put your arms behind your neck!). Lift your shoulder blades slightly off the mat to start the exercise, then crunch your abs bringing your elbows in towards your waist. Pause for 1 second at the top, and slowly lower back down to the start position.
Tips & Advice:
Keep your shoulder blades just off the mat for the entire set. Pause for longer at the top of the movement to add extra intensity.
Floor Crunch (legs on bench) video exercise guide. On this page you'll learn how to do a floor crunch (legs on bench) using the correct technique. Below you'll find the floor crunch (legs on bench) video, pictures, exercise instructions, and tips on how to get the most out of the exercise. Click the play button below to start the video!
Learn more about how to build muscle, burn fat and build the solid body you want right here on Muscle and Strength! Check out our articles, supplements, and diet sections to learn more about nutrition. See our workouts section for a huge range of workout routines, and for the motivation you need to keep going check out the Muscle and Strength forum.
Setup for the exercise ball hip roll by placing a mat on the floor and placing the exercise ball at one end. Lay down on your back on the mat and put your legs over the top of the exercise ball. Your calves should be on top of the ball. For stability, put your arms out flat on the floor with your palms facing down. This is the start position for the exercise. Using your core muscles, roll the exercise ball over to the left as far as possible. Repeat this movement for the right side. This is one rep, repeat for desired reps.
Tips & Advice:
The further you move the ball the harder you core has to work. Move the ball as far as possible for the best results.
How can you do this at home? Many of us don't have a weight bench in which to tuck our legs, so you can get your partner or roommate to hold your legs.
Another alternative would be to not use the Swiss ball and lie on your back with the weight in the same position and your legs bent.
Either way, don't use too heavy of a weight or do too many crunches, unless you want to get the belly pooch.
Exercise Instructions:
Setup your the weighted exercise ball sit up by getting a exercise ball and something to rest your feet against. This could be a wall, or as shown in the video a flat bench placed at 90 degrees. Get the desired wight plate and sit on the exercise ball. Place your feet under, or up against, your support. Hold the weight above your head. Keep it close to your head. Slowly lower yourself down until your shoulder blades start to touch the exercise ball. Pause, then raise yourself back to the starting position. Repeat for desired reps.
Tips & Advice:
Keep the weight in place throughout the exercise, don't move it forward/back.
This one is fun, too. I like the Swiss balls to be well-aired up, which forces my core to work extra in order to stay balanced. Good luck.
Exercise Instructions:
The exercise ball crunch is a great all round ab exercise. Lower back support makes it ideal for those with lower back problems/injuries. Sit on the exercise ball with your feet flat on the floor wider than shoulder with apart. Step forward with your feet allowing the exercise ball to roll back to your lower back. Touch the side of your head with the tips of your fingers. This is the start position. Crunching your abs, pull your torso up so your elbows are aiming for your knees. Squeeze the abs tight and pause, lower back to the start position. Repeat for desired reps.
Tips & Advice:
The longer you hold the crunch the harder your ab muscles have to work. Increase the effectiveness of this exercise by holding the crunch for a slow count of 2.
This one is really fun, and you'll feel the burn quite easily.
Exercise Instructions:
The exercise ball leg tuck hits the lower abs. Grab a exercise ball and set it down on the floor. About a body length front the ball, position yourself with your palms on the floor as if you were going to do a push up. Point your toes and pit put your lower legs across the top of the exercise ball. Straighten your body. This is the starting position. Keeping your body dead straight, pull your knees up towards your chest. Extend your legs back to starting position. Repeat for desired reps.
Tips & Advice:
Increase the difficulty of this exercise by only letting the tips of your toes touch the exercise ball. This makes stability harder, increasing the work needed for your core.
Another avenue of belly slimming involves dancing, especially the kind that keeps the hips moving and that core engaged. One such exercise to lose belly fat that a lot of e find extremely effective is a hybrid of Pilates and belly dancing, and it only takes 15 minutes.
Apart from the aesthetically-minded goal here is the fact that any core strengthening work you do is going to help you avoid lower back pain and help with posture too. The abdominals are used in just about every movement you make to some degree which brings me to my next point. Engage your abs as much as possible in all of your daily mundane activities above and beyond what you do during your specific exercises geared toward them.
Engage them when you’re at the sink, when you bend down to pick up or do something, and even when you’re walking around. Every muscle, every cell for that matter has a brain, so send the message down there that it’s time to think and look like a washboard. The thought is always, without fail, the ancestor to the deed. Make use of the power of visualization in creating the vision you want and your commitment of bringing that to fruition by suiting up and showing up for your workout routines. And don’t forget to thank your body for all that it does for you when you’re done.
Stick with these exercises and you'll slim down your belly in no time.
Good nutrition will keep the fat off your belly, combined with the correct exercises.
Study after study shows that the people with the most belly fat have the most risk of life-threatening disease. The evidence couldn't be more convincing.
According to the National Institutes of Health, a waistline larger than 40 inches for men signals significant risk of heart disease and diabetes.
The Canadian Heart Health Surveys, published in 2001, looked at 9,913 people ages 18 to 74 and concluded that for maximum health, a guy needs to keep his waist size at no more than 35 inches (a little less for younger guys, a little more for older ones). When your waist grows larger than 35 inches, you're at higher risk of developing two or more risk factors for heart disease.
And when researchers examined data from the Physicians' Health Study that has tracked 22,701 male physicians since 1982, they found that men whose waists measured more than 36.8 inches had a significantly elevated risk for myocardial infarction, or heart attack, in which an area of the heart muscle dies or is permanently damaged by a lack of bloodflow. Men with the biggest bellies were at 60 percent higher risk.
Now the real scary part: The average American man's waist size is a ponderous 38.8 inches, up from 37.5 in 1988, according to the journal Obesity Research. The same sad truth holds for women, too: A woman with a flabby midsection is at increased risk for the same health problems. And American women have seen their weight rise just as men have.
Of course, abs don't guarantee you a get-out-of-the-hospital-free card, but studies show that by developing a strong abdominal section, you'll reduce body fat and significantly cut the risk factors associated with many diseases, not just heart disease.
For example, the incidence of cancer among obese patients is 33 percent higher than among lean ones, according to a Swedish study. The World Health Organization estimates that up to one-third of cancers of the colon, kidney, and digestive tract are caused by being overweight and inactive.
And having an excess of belly fat around your gut is especially dangerous. See, cancer is caused by mutations that occur in cells as they divide. Fat tissue in your abdomen spurs your body to produce hormones that prompt your cells to divide. More cell division means more opportunities for cell mutations, which means more cancer risk.
A lean waistline also heads off another of our most pressing health problems-diabetes. Currently, 13 million Americans have been diagnosed with adult-onset diabetes, and many more go undiagnosed. Fat, especially belly fat, bears the blame.
There's a misconception that diabetes comes only from eating too much refined sugar, like the kind in chocolate and ice cream. But people contract diabetes after years of eating high-carbohydrate foods that are easily converted into sugar-foods like white bread, pasta, and mashed potatoes.
Scarfing down a basket of bread and a bowl of pasta can do the same thing to your body that a carton of ice cream does: flood it with sugar calories. The calories you can't burn are what converts into fat cells that pad your gut and leaves you with a disease that, if untreated, can lead to impotence, blindness, heart attacks, strokes, amputation, and death. And that, my friend, can really ruin your day.
