Abdominal exercises give you flatter abs and a stronger core. Out of 13 abdominal exercises tested by the American Council on Exercise, traditional crunches and pulling on exercise tubing ranked in the bottom three for efficacy. The most effective abdominal exercise were the traditional bicycle maneuver and a working out on a Captain's Chair, commonly found in gyms. check with your doctor before trying new ab exercises.
Pelvic Tilt
This beginner abdominal exercise is similar to a dance move. Stand with your feet parallel and hip-width apart and your arms by your sides, and bend your knees slightly. Exhale and tilt your pelvis backward, stick out your booty. Inhale and tuck your tailbone in to tilt your pelvis forward, pushing your hips forward but not leaning in any direction. Contract your glutes. Release your glutes to tilt your pelvis back and stick out your booty to complete the repetition.
Squat and Jump
The squat and jump is another standing abdominal exercise beginners can do. Stand with your feet parallel and hip-width apart. Sit back into a squat by bending your knees up to 90 degrees, keeping your knees behind the tips of your toes and leaning slightly forward for balance. Raise your arms in front of you as you use the power of your legs to jump forward and land in the same position.
Plank with Dumbbells
Hold one lightweight dumbbell for this intermediate abdominal exercise you perform on the floor. Position your body in the upward phase of a pushup, with your hands directly under your shoulders -- one is holding a dumbbell with fingers pointing forward. This called plank position. Look at the floor and slowly swing the arm holding the dumbbell out to the side at shoulder height and then back down. Keep your elbows straight, and move nothing except your arm. Repeat on the other side.
Cobra
Use the cobra pose from yoga to exercise your abs. Lie facedown on your mat with your forehead on the floor, your hands underneath your shoulders, your fingers pointing forward and your toes pointing behind you. Inhale and roll up into cobra by lifting first your head, then your shoulders, then your ribcage. Keep your pubic bone on the floor and your elbows bent. Look up. Relax your shoulders, your legs and your glutes. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds, and roll down to the floo. Turn your head to lay your cheek on the mat, and rest for 30 seconds before you go up again.
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