Toned abdominal muscles improve your posture and help you keep your spine straight. Good posture and strong abdominal muscles keep your internal organs properly aligned. TV infomercials would have you believe that the only way to banish belly bulges and get six-pack abs is to invest in expensive machines designed for only one function -- abdominal workouts. Professional athletes, dancers and casual fitness buffs have kept their abs firm and toned without machines for thousands of years. The best exercises for your abs are not a secret; you can use them to target and tone all of your abdominal muscles or specific problem areas.
Abdominal Muscle Groups
Your abdominal muscles support your internal organs and connect your trunk or core to other major muscle groups. The deepest muscle group is the transverse abdominus, which regulates internal abdomen pressure and keeps your trunk stable. The rectus abdominus is the visible top layer of muscles, often referred to as the six-pack. The obliques run down the left and right sides of your torso. Both support the trunk when it's twisting. The internal obliques flex on the same side of your body as the direction that you turn your trunk. Your external obliques flex on the opposite side of your torso when you turn.
Floor Exercise
The bicycle is a simple floor exercise for toning your abdominals without machines. Lie on your on your back, then bring your knees into a position that's perpendicular to the floor. Start bicycling by extending each leg out and returning it to the original position. Alternate the leg extensions as if riding a bicycle. Ace Fitness says this exercise tones your rectus abdominus, transverse abdominus and obliques. Lower your legs to the floor or mat between sets. You can modify this exercise by placing your hands under your head and bringing your elbows up to meet your knees.
Chair Exercise
A sturdy chair gives you support for a deceptively effective firming abdominal exercise. The abdominal hold featured in Fitness magazine starts from a sitting position in your chair. Place your feet flat on the floor, and position each of your hands on the edge of the chairs. Raise your feet two inches off the floor and bring your knees up. Lift your buttocks off the chair and hold the position for 10 seconds before lowering your feet back to the floor. Repeat the sequence for one minute.
Ball Exercise
Stability balls and medicine balls increase your abdominal training options. Ace Fitness recommends adding these balls to your workout to intensify the toning of abdominal muscles. The medicine ball tones all four abdominal muscle groups when you position it under one hand while doing pushups. Use a stability ball to execute pikes, walkouts, twists and crunches to tone all four abdominal muscle groups. Modify your stability ball routine by adding dumbbells. Position yourself on the stability ball and complete triceps extensions, flyes or presses to tone your upper body and abdomen.
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