An ab roller is a low-cost, effective exercise tool for improving muscular strength and stability in the core area. Using a simple wheel-on-a-stick design, an ab roller uses your body's weight as the resistance to help create targeted abdominal exercises. As with most types of exercise, it is best to start slowly before progressing to the most advanced forms.
Step 1
Start from a kneeling position for most ab roller exercises. An ab roller will let you roll, using gravity, until you are completely prone on the floor; however, you may not have the muscle strength to manually roll yourself back into your starting position. For beginners, you will want to stretch only as far forward as will allow you to come back up.
For anyone using an ab roller, the key to working your abdominals is to use your abs to lower and raise yourself, not your arms or back muscles. As you fatigue, you may notice yourself twisting and turning to help keep yourself up. Maintain a straight spine and torso position during ab roller exercises. Keep your abs contracted during your workouts to maximize the benefit of the exercises.
Step 2
Start on your knees to reduce stress on your back. Kneeling creates less stress because you will be supporting less weight. Start with the ab roller in front of you and slowly roll forward as far as you can without touching the floor with your face or stomach. Pause for one second, then, contracting your abs, move yourself up and your arms back toward you to get back to your starting position. Inhale on the way down, then exhale as you bring yourself back up. For beginners, only go halfway forward as you gauge your strength.
Step 3
Begin from a standing position, bending forward and grasping the ab roller handles. Roll forward as far as you can, then roll back and return to your starting, standing position, with hands still on the ab roller.
Step 4
Place the ab roller between your feet, and place your hands on the floor, in a push-up position. Using your abs, pull your butt and hips straight up into air, with the roller moving forward to your hips. Return to your original "push-up" position.
Step 5
Work your obliques with side-to-side movements. The obliques are located in your core toward the front side of your stomach area. To work the obliques, simply roll to the left or the right. Beginning with your kneeling position, knees on the floor about hip width apart, begin rolling the ab roller forward, but immediately turn to the left. Perform the outward ab roll as far as you can go, hold for one second, then return back to your starting position. Next, roll to the right, contracting your abs in each time you perform the exercise.
Things You'll Need
- Ab roller
- Loose-fitting workout clothes
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