Ab Coaster Helps Pittsburgh Steelers Win Super Bowl?

Hey, there! I'm Ashley, one of the editors from AOL Health. In an effort to stave off the inevitable (namely inheriting my grandmother's hips and thighs), I'm always on the hunt for the latest and greatest in diet and fitness news. I've had my fair share of exercise woes and fad diet missteps, including an embarrassing week in high school on the Cabbage Soup Diet. But I've also had moments of clarity. It may have taken me more than two decades, but I've finally learned that adding strength-training to my workouts positively correlates to squeezing into my skinny jeans.

I'm here to take the spin off those diet crazes and exercise machine miracles, give you the low-down on the latest diet and fitness news and help you get a better sense for what works, what doesn't and what may be worth a try.

Since I've been known to purchase all breeds of fitness equipment in fits of late-night infomercial delirium -- Chuck Norris, I'm looking at you -- I've decided to enlist the advice of a trained fitness expert for my first post about the latest in exercise machine news, the Ab Coaster.

Thanks to Pittsburgh's Super Bowl win, the Steelers use of the Ab Coaster has made it the latest exercise machine to receive its 15 minutes of fame.

Here's the skinny: Unlike traditional crunches, which work your abs from the "top down," the Ab Coaster works your abs from the "bottom up." Because you're kneeling on the machine, stress to your neck, back and shoulders is limited while the curved track guides you through a lower abdominal lift. Basically, it's like a glider for your abs.

We wondered whether the Ab Coaster could help whittle the middles of at-home exercisers, too, so we enlisted Pete McCall, exercise physiologist and member of the American Council on Exercise (ACE), to find out if it's worth its salt -- not to mention four installments of $99.99.

"It's not one of the worst exercises I've seen, but it's limiting," McCall says.

Because everyone has four layers of abdominal muscles that connect the spine, ribs and abs, it's important to have all muscles moving together instead of just one to strengthen the core, McCall explains. Due to the Ab Coaster's one path of front-to-back motion, that kind of synergistic muscle-use is limited.

"Compared to hanging leg raises, this would be a better way to go with less strain on the back, shoulders and neck," says McCall. "My concern is that for the average consumer it's not going to be the most effective use of their dollar," he adds.

Unless you have an extra $400 lying around, McCall suggests using more cost-effective options. "Four-hundred dollars will pay a year membership for a health club," he says. Or he suggests purchasing a stability ball or a medicine ball for a fraction of the cost. "It's just as effective, if not more effective."

Some examples of at-home exercises that can be done with a stability or medicine ball:

Prone Walkout
Pikes
Knee Tucks
Russian Twist
Reverse Extensions
Trunk Rotations

Bottom line: "It's not going to kill you, but you might want to keep looking if you're trying to get the best bang for your buck," says McCall.