- With Mayo Clinic physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist
Edward R. Laskowski, M.D.
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Edward R. Laskowski, M.D.
Edward R. Laskowski, M.D.
Dr. Edward Laskowski is certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine. He is co-director of the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center and a professor at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
He has been on the staff of Mayo Clinic since 1990 and specializes in sports medicine, fitness, strength training and stability training. He works with a multidisciplinary team of physical medicine, rehabilitation and orthopedic specialists, physical therapists and sports psychologists.
Dr. Laskowski is an elite-level skier and approaches sports medicine from the perspective of a physician and an athlete. In addition to skiing, he is an avid hiker, cyclist and climber.
In 2006, President George W. Bush appointed Dr. Laskowski to a two-year term on the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.
Dr. Laskowski was a member of the medical staff of the Olympic Polyclinic at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and was involved in medical coverage for the Chicago Marathon. He serves as a consulting physician to the National Hockey League Players' Association and is a featured lecturer at the American College of Sports Medicine's Team Physician Course.
Dr. Laskowski, a Cary, Ill., native, has contributed to Mayo Clinic's CD-ROM on sports, health and fitness, a Web site guide to self-care, and hundreds of Mayo Clinic articles and booklets in print and online. He is a contributing editor to Mayo Clinic's "Fitness for EveryBody" book.
"There are many myths and misconceptions about exercise and fitness in general, and also many traditions that don't stand up to scientific scrutiny," he says. "My goal is to provide the most up-to-date and accurate information on sports medicine and fitness topics in a way that you can practically incorporate into your life."
Fitness basics (4)
- Exercise and illness: Should you exercise when you're sick?
- Body fat analyzers: How accurate are they?
- Heart rate: What's normal?
- see all in Fitness basics
Aerobic exercise (10)
- Weighted hula hoops: Exercise gimmick or good idea?
- Elliptical machines: Better than treadmills?
- Air pollution and exercise: Is outdoor exercise risky?
- see all in Aerobic exercise
Strength training (8)
- Sit-ups: Is it OK to stabilize my feet?
- Weightlifting belt: Do I need one?
- Superslow strength training: Does it work?
- see all in Strength training
Sports nutrition (4)
- Energy drinks: OK for athletes?
- 'Natural' steroids: Are they safe?
- Insulin: Can it boost athletic performance?
- see all in Sports nutrition
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Question
Fitness ball exercises: Good for my abs?
Can I use a fitness ball to tone my abs?
Answer
from Edward R. Laskowski, M.D.
A fitness ball can be a great tool for toning your abdominal muscles (abs), as well as other core muscles.
Fitness balls — also known as stability balls — come in various sizes. Choose a fitness ball that allows your knees to be at a right angle when you sit on the ball with your feet on the floor. The firmer the fitness ball, the more difficult the exercise will be.
To tone your abdominal muscles with a fitness ball, try the abdominal crunch:
- Sit on the fitness ball with your feet resting on the floor, about hip-width apart.
- Keeping your back straight, cross your arms on your chest and tighten your abdominal muscles.
- Lean back until you feel your abdominal muscles tighten.
- Hold for three deep breaths.
- Return to the start position and repeat.
Start with up to five repetitions, as long as you're able to maintain good form. As you get stronger, gradually increase to 10 to 15 repetitions. Remember to breathe freely and deeply during the exercise.
Next questionEnergy drinks: OK for athletes?
- Laskowski ER (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. April 21, 2009.
- Selecting and effectively using stability balls. American College of Sports Medicine. Accessed March 25, 2009.
- Jakubek MD. Stability balls: Reviewing the literature regarding their use and effectiveness. Strength and Conditioning Journal. 2007;29:58.
- Willardson JM. Core stability training: Applications to sports conditioning programs. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2007;21:979.
