The wonderful thing about committing to developing your abs is that there is really nothing that you must buy to get started. If you are committed all you have to do is get down on the floor and do the exercises to get yourself started. Sometimes this is nearly impossible for people for one reason - lower back pain. There is one piece of equipment that is a must have if you experience lower back pain while working your abs - an exercise ball.

An exercise ball is simply a large inflatable ball you can use while doing exercises. They are excellent for balance training, can be used as a bench for free weights, and are the single best piece of equipment for people who have lower back pain who want to work on their abs. It is important that you get the right size of ball for your height. The general rule is: if you are 5'1" - 5'6" you need a 55cm ball; 5'7" - 6'1" you need a 65cm ball. This covers the majority of people, but there are smaller and larger balls available if you fall outside of this range.

The basic exercise for the abs using an exercise ball is the ball crunch. To do this exercise you lay on the ball with it positioned on the lower back. This provides support and helps alleviate any lower back pain you may experience. Once you are positioned with proper back support cross your arms over your chest and rock your shoulders forward. This should roll the ball under your rear end a little bit while isolating the abdominal muscles. Make sure you keep both feet firmly planted on the ground for stability and safety.

After you have mastered the basic ball crunch there are many exercises you can do to improve your core strenghth and expand your ab workout. The exercise ball is also an excellent stretching tool.

Exercise balls will expand your ab workout and they are very affordable, ranging in price from $12 - $32 depending on the size you need for your height. My preference is the Theraband brand as they seem to have thicker walls and hold up better over time, which is a big plus if you have children. Any fitness retailer or bix box sporting goods store will keep exercise balls in stock. Amazon.com also has a large selection.