One of the best things about core and abdominal exercises is that most require no equipment at all; however, if you want to enhance the movements, improve your balance and stability and encourage greater muscle activation, some basic equipment can help a lot. Depending on the exercises you're doing, try performing versions that use a stability ball, medicine ball or dumbbell.
Stability Ball
According to the American Council on Exercise, the stability ball traces its origins to the 1960s. Since then, it has been helping people more effectively perform exercises that target the abdominals, lower chest and back. A stability ball can make some traditional ab movements easier and some more challenging; in short, it's adaptable to your personal fitness level. According to ACE, you should get a stability ball that is 55 cm in diameter if you are between 5 feet 1 inch and 5 feet 7 inches tall, and one that is 65 cm in diameter if you are between 5 feet 8 inches and 6 feet 2 inches tall.
Medicine Ball
A medicine ball adds weighted resistance to abdominal exercises, making them more challenging and more effective. If you've never done weighted crunches or other weighted ab exercises, start with a light ball -- 1 or 2 lbs. -- and work up to using more weight. Medicine balls work well for Russian twists, torso twists, squats and elevated pushups, which challenge abs in addition to chest and back muscles throughout the core.
Dumbbell
You can use a light- to medium-weight dumbbell as a substitute for a medicine ball in many abdominal exercises. The purpose is the same: to add weighted resistance and make the movement harder, pushing your body to tone muscles faster. Try holding a medium-weight dumbbell over your head while you do crunches in a supine (reclined) position. You also can use a dumbbell for standing abdominal moves. For example, hold a single dumbbell over your head with both hands and perform a standing knee crunch by simultaneously lifting your right knee toward your chest and lowering the dumbbell until your elbows meet your knee. Repeat on the left side.
Considerations
Proper technique and form are crucial for abdominal exercises because doing moves incorrectly can result in serious injury or strain, especially when using weighted resistance. CNN.com offers a MayoClinic.com article that suggests breathing evenly during all ab exercises, focusing on quality of movements rather than repetitions and watching a demonstration of exercises from a fitness professional or personal trainer before trying them on your own.
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