My last post was all about how to choose an exercise ball, so this time I’m going to show you my favorite lower ab exercises that you can try out with that ball:

Lower ab workout - half way there! (photo: picasaweb.google.com/brianteaguereynolds9)

Abdominal Roll
This is my personal favorite lower ab workout exercise.  Kneel down in front of the ball, put your hands out, arms parallel, and place your palms on top of the ball.  Start to gently push the ball outwards, away from you, tensing your abs as you do it.  Your body will gradually fall, and as it does so, just let your wrists and then your lower arms roll across the top of the ball.  Remember to keep those abs tensed.  Stretch out as far as you can, but don’t knock yourself out, OK!  Just take it easy, and don’t go so far that you can’t easily get back up, because that’s the next step: gently press your arms into the ball and pull it back towards you, allowing your body to rise up again as you go, until you get back to the starting position with your hands flat on the ball.  If this one is new to you, I reckon you will find it a little awkward at first, but believe me, it will become a favorite when you start to feel and see what it does for you.

Crunches
Now, if you’ve read anything about doing lower ab exercises, you will know that many lower ab workout routines incorporate abdominal crunches.  Done correctly, they are great at developing your abs into a washboard stomach.  Unfortunately, it’s only too easy for your crunch technique to deteriorate, so that maybe you are pulling up your head with your hands, which is a sure-fire way to injure your neck or back.  Using an exercise ball helps you to maintain a safe technique when you do crunches of any kind.

Here is a great crunch exercise for you to try – lie on top of the ball, with your body at a 45 degree angle, in a straight line down from your head to your knees, with head in the air, legs bent and feet flat on the floor.  Cross your arms and rest them gently over your chest – get comfortable and then we can begin.  Tense your abdominal muscles and lift your upper body without letting the ball move.  Go up about two feet, hold it there for a couple of seconds if you can, and then gently and slowly lower your body to the starting position, all in line again.  Listen, just take it easy with this one – take your time and go slowly and you will get the most out of your crunches.  Do as many repetitions as you are comfortable with.

Full Pike
OK for this one, the ball is in front of you, and you’re going to kneel down and lean over the top of it, then reach down and put your hands flat on the floor out in front of the ball,  Now walk yourself forward on your hands, rolling your stomach and then hips and finally upper legs across the ball until your knees are centered on top of it.  Now we are ready for a great lower ab workout exercise!  Tense your abs and using only those abs, lift up your buttocks, and roll your lower legs across the ball as you go, until you finish up with your butt in the air and your ankles on top of the ball – attractive huh – but listen, if you want that six pack, you need to lose a little self-consciousness sometimes!  OK, now gently, and I mean gently, allow your butt to come back down and roll the ball back too, until your knees are on top of it again.  This can be hard at first, but trust me, it’s fantastic for building a six pack.

Well, I hope you enjoy giving those exercies a go – they’re just a taster of what’s on offer.  You can take your workout to the next level today by clicking this: lower ab workout exercises.

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