Ab workouts are a crucial part of any workout program. With obesity in the United States hitting all-time highs, people are getting serious about workout routines, and finding that working out their abdominals is a major focus. This is because good ab exercises get rid of belly fat.

For one thing, studies have been conducted showing that excessive weight in the belly is dangerous, especially for men. Then when you consider that with summer just around the corner, people want to look and feel good without worrying about always covering up. The good news is that there are many great ab exercises that will get things moving in the right directly quickly. With determination, you can get your abs and entire body in great condition.

We wanted to provide you with some specific types of ab exercises to consider. Of course, since most of these exercises require using back muscles, we do recommend that people check in first with their doctor to make sure there are no reasons why exercises could not be done. Once the approval is given, the following exercises will get you on your way to a tones and healthy body.

Stability Ball Roll Outs

Of all ab exercises, this one is highly effective, working the abs, as well as the lower back and overall body. Start by kneeling on the floor, placing the elbows on a stability ball. As you slowly roll the ball in front of your body, take your arms out as far as possible in order to extend your body.

Keeping the spine straight is very important, not only for this one, but for all abdominal exercises. In addition to making ab exercises such as this more effective, it will also protect the spine from risk on injury. Then once stretched out, hold the position for two to five seconds, slowly pulling the body back into the starting position.

Ball Pikes

With this exercise, you start in a pushup position keeping your feet so they are firmly on the exercise ball. Pull the ball in to your body, keeping your legs and back straight and ending up in a pike position like a diver. Of all ab exercises mentioned in this article, this one is a bit challenging but for someone at intermediate or advanced level, the results will be amazing.

Planks

Another one of the great ab exercises, this starts by laying face down on the floor. Place your body in a pushup position, but rest on your elbows, not your hands. With the spine straight like a "plank", hold the position for 30 seconds. The goal for the plank is to gradually work your way up so you can hold the position for 70 seconds. Besides the great ab workout you get with this one, it's a great workout for the entire body as well.

Mountain Climbing

As the final mention for ab exercises, this one involves getting into the pushup position. From there, bend one of your legs so the knee comes up to you chest. Bring each leg up to your chest, alternating each leg, just like you are climbing a mountain. As mentioned with the other ab exercises, you need to make sure the back remains perfectly straight.