Low Impact Ab Workouts

For me, abdominal workouts are the bane of my existence. It's not that I find my ab workouts particularly difficult, but that they are the single greatest contributor to injury for me. I recognize the importance to core strength to overall progress with a fitness program, but crunches, sit-ups, and the like would often leave me with pain in my back and neck for days. Eventually, I chose to eliminate abdominal workouts completely. This is not a good solution. I recently spent some time researching lower-impact ab workouts, and turned up a few that work the heck out of my abs without causing me any pain at all. If you have trouble with back and neck pain, try these low-impact alternatives:

Lying Leg Raises - Lie on your back with your arms placed wherever they are comfortable. Keeping your legs straight, lift them slowly from the floor up to a 90 degree angle, and lower them back to resting. Start with 3 sets of 5 or so, and increase as you are able.

Hanging Leg Raises - I love this workout, and it does wonders for the lower abs. It can be done using either a rack that allows you to rest on your elbows, or hanging from an overhead bar like a chin-up bar. Either way, the exercise is the same. Get into hanging position, and raise your legs up to a 90 degree angle or beyond. For beginners, it's fine to bend at the knees, lifting only the thighs to horizontal, but as you get stronger, you'll want to work on keeping the legs straight. You'll really feel this one.

Leg Lifts/floats - Similar to lying leg raises, I like this one more. This is an impressively effective exercise with no impact on the back or neck. Simply lay on the floor on your back with your arms placed wherever they are comfortable. I find it helpful to put my hands under the small of my back. Keeping your legs straight, slowly lift them up off of the floor to about a 45 degree angle. Once there, lower your legs to as close to the floor as possible without touching. Hold this position for as long as you can. When you can't hold it anymore, raise your legs back up to 45 degrees before resting.

Reverse Crunch - It's important to do this exercise correctly. Being sloppy about it can significantly reduce its effectiveness. As with the other exercises, start by lying on your back on the floor. For this move, you'll be bending your legs and raising your knees up to your chest. At the top of the arc, try to lift your butt up off of the floor just a bit, as well - this should b one smooth motion, done slowly and without jerking. Hold this position for a couple seconds, then smoothly lower yourself back into a lying position. Repeat this for the desired number of reps.

Plank Pose - The lazy-man's ab workout, the plank pose is simple, but it's not easy! Position yourself as though you were at the top of a push-up, feet about shoulder-width apart, hands flat on the floor, with your back and legs forming a straight line. Make sure you're not sagging - pulling your tummy in toward your spine can help you to remain rigid. That's all there is to this exercise. Hold this position until you can't hold it any longer, rest for a few moments, and repeat. Keep your neck straight and look at the floor to reduce any possible neck strain.

Ball Work - Ball work - working out with one of those big inflatable exercise balls, can reduce the impact of standard crunches, and provide a more complete range of motion. I may be more prone to neck strain than most, but I find that even with the ball, crunches and sit-ups cause me some pain. If you want to give the ball a try, most of them come with some clear instructions for core exercises. You should be able to pick one up for fifteen bucks or so at Wal-Mart, Target, or any sports store like Dick's.

You can use any or all of these exercises as a part of your workout, and including core work in your exercise program will help you to reach your goals more quickly. The key to success is to challenge yourself with every workout. Core muscles recover quickly, and can be worked out three, four, or even five days a week without overwork issues. With these exercises, you can work your abdominals as effectively as with crunches, without the resultant strains and pains.