Ab Crunch on Ball

The crunch is quite possibly the most well known abdominal exercise routine, second maybe only to its tougher cousin, the sit up. Yet some individuals may not know that people have modified the crunch in a number of ways. One of those ways is to perform a crunch on a fitness ball, sometimes called a yoga or exercise ball. Performing an abdominal crunch on an exercise ball is considered by some to be rather effective for helping to flatten stomach muscles in the middle of the abdomen.

To do an ab crunch on a ball, the participant must sit on the inflated ball with his or her feet planted flat on the floor in front. Being careful not to fall, the individual can then let the ball roll backward a bit so that his or her thighs are laid out horizontally. With hands behind the head, the individual can then lean forward in a crunch motion, bending to no more than a 45 degree angle, contracting the abdominal muscles in the process. Again, this basic routine will flatten stomach muscles such as the rectus abdominis, which is in the middle of the abdomen. However, those people who want to work the oblique muscles on the sides can carefully bring their feet toward one another.