Abdominal home exercise equipment manufacturers are persistent. They inundate your spam folder with emails advertising their products, and interrupt your favorite television shows with long infomercials. While some of these machines safely, effectively and efficiently work the abdominal muscles, the American Council on Exercise and the Federal Trade Commission take issue with manufacturers who make false claims about their products. In fact, American Council on Exercise and Federal Trade Commission research suggests an inverse relationship between abdominal exercise equipment price and effectiveness.
Stability Balls
The American Council on Exercise sponsored a San Diego State University study, which compared various home abdominal exercise devices. The stability ball earned high marks. The ball imposes a balance challenge, which requires deep core muscle activation. It increases range of motion on some exercises, and provides a comfortable solution for anyone whose knee or blood pressure issues make it difficult to perform abdominal exercise on the floor. Use the ball for crunches, torso rotation exercise for the internal obliques, and side bends for the external obliques, which support your waist.
Adjustable Aerobic Step
The step serves two purposes. It provides aerobic exercise, which is the only way to burn abdominal fat. Performing exercises on a flat bench, incline or decline works different muscle groups, and, in some cases, disengages muscles that tend to compensate for the abdominal muscles. If you tend toward a sway back when lying supine, performing crunches on an exercise mat with your feet on the bench presses your lower back into the floor. Remove a riser from one end and place it on the opposite end to create a slant board. Performing full sit-ups with your head on the high end provides gravity assistance, which may alleviate neck tension. Sit-ups with your feet on the high end are more challenging. The reverse curl, when performed with the head on the high end, forces the lower abdominal fibers to work uphill against gravity, thereby adding challenge to the exercise.
The Ab Slide
The Ab Slide differs from traditional abdominal exercise equipment, in that it does not involve abdominal flexion. This is actually an important variation. The Ab Slide, performed on the knees in a prone position, requires you to hold the device, roll it forward while maintaining a straight back. This engages the deep core muscle known as the transverse abdominus muscle, which supports your spine's upright alignment. While the Ab Slide is not as versatile as the other devices, it's possible to vary the movement by rolling it on a diagonal.
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