Supine ab exercises, which you perform on your back, are ideal for developing a strong midsection, but they can be rather uncomfortable to do on a hard floor, even with an exercise mat. You can do ab exercises on your bed, unless you have a super soft mattress that you sink deep into. A regular mattress provides ample support for supine ab exercises and is a viable alternative if your exercise mat does not have enough padding for you to comfortably do them on the floor.
Abdominal Crunch
Abdominal crunches are a classic exercise that targets your rectus abdominis, the muscle people are actually referring to when they use the term abs. Start by lying flat on your back with your knees bent. Cross your arms over your chest and tighten your stomach. Slowly crunch forward while exhaling until your shoulders come off the mattress. Hold for a few seconds, then slowly lower your shoulders back down while inhaling.
Bicycle Crunch
A study commissioned by the American Council on Exercise compared many of the most popular ab exercises to find out which ones were the most effective. They discovered that bicycle crunches are one of the most effective exercises at activating both the rectus abdominis and obliques. Start in the same position you would begin a normal crunch in but lift your feet off the mattress so your knees are bent at a right angle. Put your arms behind your head and as you crunch forward bring your left knee in and extend your right elbow forward until the meet. Alternate sides after each repetition.
Leg Lift
Leg lifts will strengthen the lower portion of your rectus abdominis, as well as your obliques and transverse abdominis. Lie flat on your back with your arms at your sides and your legs straight out. Stiffen your torso and lift your legs straight up while exhaling until your toes are pointed at the ceiling. Slowly lower your legs back down to the mattress while inhaling. Do not arch your back while performing this exercise. If your back arches as you lower your legs, it means you have gone past your range of motion and you need to keep practicing until your transverse abdominis is strong enough to keep your back flat on the mattress.
Exercise Ball
One other option you might want to consider is investing in an exercise ball, also known as a stability ball or Swiss ball. Exercise balls are cushy and elastic, so they're as comfortable to lie your back on as a mattress but they actually improve the effectiveness of your ab workouts because they challenge your stability more. The same study that concluded bicycle crunches are one of the most effective ab exercises also discovered that crunches on a stability ball are much more effective at activating the rectus abdominis and obliques than crunches done on the floor.
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