Wheelbarrow Walk with Ball

Starting Position

Start behind the ball, place your midsection on the ball and roll forward until your hands reach the floor just below your shoulders.

Action

Slowly walk out with your hands until the ball moves towards your toes. Only walk out as far as you are comfortable (either to your hips, knees, or ankles). Once you've reached your point of comfort, slowly walk back to the starting position, breathing steadily throughout.

Special Instructions

Keep your core strong by not dropping your hips. Your body should be as straight as possible.

Muscles Worked: Abs, Shoulders

T Stand

Starting Position

Stand with feet together. Slowly bend from hips to lower torso, touching fintertips to ground.

Action

EXHALE: Lift right leg behind you to hip height, keeping hips level. Bend left knee slightly if needed. Hold for 5 counts.

INHALE: Return to start and repeat on other side for one rep.

Special Instructions

Try to keep weight on left leg and only slightly on hands (fingertips). Keep abs tight.

Muscles Worked: Abs, Lower back, Hamstrings

Side Plank

Starting Position

Start by lying on your side, legs straight, feet stacked. Straighten bottom arm, keeping it in line below shoulder, and place free hand on your hip. Flex feet and balance on sides of feet (feet are stacked).

Action

Use abs to keep hips lifted. Hold for 30 seconds. Work up to 1-3 minutes.

Special Instructions

Don't allow hips to drop to the ground. Keep breathing steady.

Muscles Worked: Obliques, Abs

Seated Knee Lifts with Chair

Starting Position

Sit on edge of chair, knees bent, feet flat. Grasp sides of chair, lean back slightly.

Action

EXHALE: Pull knees toward chest as you crunch upper body forward using abs, not arms.

INHALE: Lower feet almost to floor, but don't let them touch until the end of the set.

Special Instructions

This movement should be slow and controlled. Don't let the momentum of your legs do the work for you, and don't let gravity snap your legs down as you return to the starting position.

Muscles Worked: Abs

Reverse Crunch with Ball

Starting Position

Sit on a mat and place a stability ball between your legs (at your calves/ankles). Squeezing the ball in place, lie back onto the floor, keeping feet just off the ground, knees bent. Make sure lower back stays planted and your abs are tight.

Action

EXHALE: Slowly pull your knees in toward your chest without letting your hips come off the ground or momentum swing you.

INHALE: Slowly lower to start without letting your feet rest in between reps.

Special Instructions

You may want to place your arms flat on the ground or underneath your lower back for support.

Muscles Worked: Abs, Inner thigh

Pendulum

Starting Position

Lie on back, arms in a T, legs straight up, feet together, toes pointed or flexed.

Action

EXHALE: Slowly lower legs several inches to the left without touching the floor.

INHALE: Return to start.

Repeat to right for one rep.

Special Instructions

Keep lower back on floor.

Muscles Worked: Abs, Obliques, Hips

Lying Straight Leg Raises

Starting Position

Lie on the floor/mat on your back. Keep lower back in contact with the floor, feet and legs straight and together. Place hands to sides or under lower back for support.

Action

Keeping legs straight and together, back flat, lift legs upward until they are straight above hips. Lower down to starting position slowly and with control (but do not allow feet to touch the ground between reps) to complete one rep.

Special Instructions

Make sure back stays flat on floor and abs are tight (pull navel in towards spine).

Muscles Worked: Abs, hips

Low Mount Reverse Crunches with Band

Starting Position

Attach a resistance band to a low wall mount or wrap the center of a band around a bench or furniture leg. Either put both of your feet through the handles tightly, or tie the two ends of the band together and place the band over your toes. Lie on your back facing the fixed point. Keep your back flat, abs tight, and place your hands on the floor or under your hips. Scoot away from the wall, until legs are only slightly bent when raised up off the floor.

Action

EXHALE: keeping back flat and abs tight, bend knees in toward your shoulders. INHALE: Slowly lower to starting position to complete one rep.

Special Instructions

Make it harder: Scoot farther away from the wall for more resistance.

Make it easier: Stay closer to the wall and decrease range of motion.

Muscles Worked: Abs

Low Mount Double Crunches with Band

Starting Position

Attach a resistance band to a low wall mount or wrap the center of a band around a bench or furniture leg. Either put both of your feet through the handles tightly, or tie the two ends of the band together and place the band over your toes. Lie on your back facing the fixed point. Keep your back flat, abs tight, and place across your chest or behind your ears. Scoot away from the wall, until legs are only slightly bent when raised up off the floor.

Action

EXHALE: Simultaneously lift your head, shoulders, and upper body into a crunch position while bending your knees in towards your shoulders. INHALE: Lower upper body back to the ground and extend your legs back to the starting position to complete one rep.

Special Instructions

Make it harder: Scoot farther away from the wall for more resistance.

Make it easier: Stay closer to the wall and decrease range of motion.

Muscles Worked: Abs, hips

Low Mount Crunches with Band

Starting Position

Loop band around a low wall mount or a bench no more than 1 foot off the floor. Lie with fixed point behind you, knees bent, feet flat. Bend arms to hold the end of the band above your shoulders.

Action

EXHALE: Keeping hands above shoulders, curl torso off the floor into a crunch.

INHALE: Slowly lower to start without resting to complete one rep.

Special Instructions

Make it harder: Scoot farther away from your mount and/or extend arms straight back near your ears.

Make it easer: Stay close to the mount.

Muscles Worked: Abs

Kneeling Rollout with Ball

Starting Position

Kneel in front of the ball. Place your hands atop the Swiss ball and bring your feet off the ground. Bring your navel in toward your spine. Walk your hands out on the ball, moving both the ball and your arms away from your body. Once you feel your abdominal muscles working, you are in the starting position.

Action

Your hands should stay stationary on the ball. Pivot from your knees, bringing your torso and hips forward as the ball rolls away from your knees. Keep moving until your chest drops down, keeping your chest as upright as possible, without hyper extending your lower back. Keep your spine in a neutral position. Hold the furthest position comfortably for a couple seconds and roll back to starting position. Try doing 2 sets with 10-12 repetitions.

Special Instructions

If you feel any strain in your lower back, return to the starting position and check your form. If you continue to feel any strain, stop the exercise.

Muscles Worked: Abs

Jackknife with Ball

Starting Position

Start behind the Swiss ball, place your midsection on the ball and roll forward until your hands reach the floor. Walk out with your hands until the ball is underneath your ankles. Have your hands just outside of shoulder width.

Action

Hold the push-up position and retain a strong core.

EXHALE: Bend at the knees and pull the ball up towards your torso, bringing your knees to your chest. Keep the movement smooth and don’t drop your hips or raise your lower back.

INHALE: Extend your legs back to the starting position. Try doing 2 sets with 10-12 repetitions.

Special Instructions

Keep your spine in a neutral position.

Muscles Worked: Abs

Elbow to Knee Crunch

Starting Position

Begin by lying on your back. Place hands behind your ears and stretch legs out so that they are parallel to the floor.

Action

EXHALE: Crunch your left knee, while bending it, and right elbow so that they meet at the center of your body.

INHALE: Return to starting position and crunch your right knee to your left elbow. Try to do 2 sets with 10-12 repetitions for each knee.

Special Instructions

Keep space in-between your chin and your chest.

Make it harder: Try to keep your heels from touching the floor.

Muscles Worked: Abs, Obliques

Dumbbell Crunches

Starting Position

Lie on the floor or a mat on your back, with knees bent. Grasp a lightweight dumbbell in two hands, palms facing out, arms extended straight into the air above your shoulders . Feet should be flat on the ground. Keep a space between your chin and chest (looking diagonal towards the ceiling)

Action

EXHALE: Slowly curl head, shoulders, and upper body off the ground, reaching the dumbbell towards the ceiling. Try to reach higher than your feet.

INHALE: Slowly return to start to complete one rep.

Special Instructions

Use abdominals and hips (not your shoulders) to lift the weight. Keep abs contracted (pull navel towards spine) throughout entire movement.

Muscles Worked: Abs

Clamshell Crunch with Ball

Starting Position

Sit on a mat and place a stability ball between your legs (at your calves/ankles). Squeezing the ball in place, lie back onto the floor, keeping your feet just off the ground, knees bent. Make sure your lower back stays planted and your abs are tight. Place your hands lightly behind your ears in a crunch position.

Action

EXHALE: Simultaneously lift your shoulders off the ground and your knees into your chest to perfom a double crunch.

INHALE: Slowly return to start to complete one rep.

Special Instructions

Don't let momentum swing your knees up for you. Be sure your hands are not lifting your upper body-- concentrate on using abs.

Muscles Worked: Abs

Bicycle Crunches

Starting Position

Begin by lying on your back, placing your hands behind your ears. Do not put your hands clasped behind your head. Lift your legs in the air and bend your knees so that your legs form a 90 degree angle.

Action

Move your legs in a bicycle motion. When your left knee is closer to your body, reach your right elbow to it. When your right knee is closer to your body, reach your left elbow to it. Try performing the exercise for 60 seconds in 2 sets.

Special Instructions

None.

Muscles Worked: Abs, Obliques

Balanced Seated Twist with Medicine Ball

Starting Position

Sit on the floor with feet firmly planted, knees bent, back straight, and hands gripping a medicine ball or dumbbell (not pictured). Bend your elbows and tuck them in at your sides, holding the ball or dumbbell in front of your torso. Keeping a your back straight, lean back (hinging from the hips) until you feel your abs engage. From there, carefully lift your feet off of the floor to balance.

Action

EXHALE: Keeping a perfectly straight back with your abs pulled in tight, rotate your torso to the right as far as you can while maintaining good form (back straight, maintaining balance).

INHALE. Return to the center (start position).

Repeat on the opposite side to complete one rep.

Special Instructions

Do not round or arch your back. Focus on the movement coming from the waist, allowing your upper body and arms to follow the twisting motion of the waist.

Make it harder: Use a heavier weight and/or extend your arms straight out in front of you.

Make it easier: Perform this exercise without holding any weight.

Muscles Worked: Abs, Obliques, Hips

Modified Side Plank

Starting Position

Lie on left side, legs together, feet stacked. Wrap right arm around waist. Keep head and neck aligned with spine.

Action

Prop upper body on bent left forearm (be sure elbow is directly below shoulder). Press hips toward ceiling, using abs to stabilize torso. Hold for 30 seconds and work up to 1-3 minutes.

Special Instructions

Be sure not to hold breath. Exercise will be easier if feet are staggered instead of stacked.

Muscles Worked: Abs, Obliques

Modified Pendulum with Medicine Ball

Starting Position

Begin by lying on the floor with your arms out to your side. Place a medicine ball in-between your knees and hold it there by clenching your legs together. Lift your legs off the ground and bend your knees to a 90 degree angle. Make sure your lower back is flat on the ground.

Action

Slowly lower your knees to the right, making sure to keep your shoulders and back flat on the floor. Slowly move knees back across your body and down to your left side. Try doing 2 sets of 10-12 repetitions.

Special Instructions

You don’t want to touch the floor with the medicine ball or your knees. Remember to keep the lower back flat on the floor.

Muscles Worked: Abs, Obliques

Dolphin Pose

Starting Position

Start in an inverted V: forearms on floor, elbows wide, hands clasped, butt lifted, legs straight. Tip head between arms to look at feet.

Action

Looking up, press body forward until chin is above hands. Return to start to complete one rep.

Special Instructions

None.

Muscles Worked: Abs, Shoulders, Upper back