Fitness
A Trainer on the 1 Trendy Piece of Fitness Equipment She’d Never Use
TODAY’s Never Have I Ever series offers guidance about procedures and practices our trusted health experts would never participate in. Discover why they should be avoided and which healthy practices you should turn to instead.
Maybe you saw it tucked away in the corner of your gym, or perhaps it caught your eye when an impressively toned influencer used it on social media.
The allure of this particular piece of fitness equipment isn’t new — but it also hasn’t gone away. In an age when people are rightly focused on building core strength, a tool that claims to work multiple muscles at once is certainly tempting.
But certified personal trainer and TODAY fitness contributor Stephanie Mansour is staying far away from this one, she says.
Never Have I Ever: Used an Ab Wheel
An ab wheel, sometimes called an ab roller, is a small, relatively inexpensive and deceptively simple piece of fitness equipment.
To use one, you’ll hold on to either side of a wheel, get into a plank position, and hold that position while you roll the wheel back and forth in front of you.
“It’s a positive in that it is meant to help you engage all of your ab muscles,” Mansour tells TODAY.com, including the rectus abdominus, internal and external obliques, as well as the deeper transverse abdominus muscles.
If that sounds challenging, it is, Mansour says. And that’s why she’ll never use one.
An ab wheel might be an appropriate challenge for someone who already has a “super, super strong core,” Mansour says, on top of expert balance and muscle control.
“If you’re an experienced exerciser, you could probably do this the right way,” she explains. “But for someone just starting out, or even someone like me who is experienced, this isn’t my first choice for how to work my abs.”
The problem is that many people who try to use ab wheels aren’t advanced enough in their fitness journey to use them correctly. And, as Mansour found out firsthand, using them incorrectly can put you at risk for injury.
Over a decade ago, Manosur tried using an ab wheel. “And I threw my back out trying to use this thing,” she says.
“You can easily do it incorrectly because you’re only using your hands to hold on to a very small surface area,” Mansour explains. “It’s very easy to go too far, to go too fast and to be kind of jerky with it,” she says.
If you don’t have the strength, control and balance to keep yourself up, you could find yourself in a tricky situation with your arms outstretched and no way to pull them back. “There’s really no checks and balances,” she adds.
What to Do Instead
For people who are interested in using an ab wheel but aren’t advanced enough, Mansour recommends working on other core exercises first — including those that engage multiple muscles at once, like the roller.
Start by working on core exercises that challenge you to hold yourself up with fewer points of contact on the ground, like holding a plank with one arm or one leg outstretched, Mansour suggests.
You could also work on shoulder taps in a high plank position, which similarly “mimic what you’ll be doing with the ab roller,” she says. Try alternating side planks as well, which challenge your balance and engage the obliques.
Consider using sliders under your hands or feet to add some additional balance work to your core moves.
If you are really intent on using an ab roller, Mansour suggests starting by just rolling it out and back an inch at a time to get used to the movements and to gauge your strength. She also recommends starting out on your knees in a modified plank rather than in a fully outstretched plank.
“If you’re really curious, don’t let me scare you,” she says. “But just know that you’ve got to be cautious as you’re starting off.”
Personally, though, with so many other effective ways to work your core, Mansour isn’t looking to get back to the ab wheel anytime soon.
For Hobart teacher Mary Holton, health means everything.
She started feeling the squeeze from cost-of-living pressures when fuel prices spiked again.
“Going out for just fitness alone was a bit much,”
she said.
Mary Holton says since joining the group, her fitness across the board has improved. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
Many Tasmanians are feeling cost-of-living pressures in a very physical way, with locals saying exercise routines are being dropped, health appointments delayed and wellbeing pushed to the bottom of the list as budgets tighten.
Ms Holton relies on multiple physiotherapy sessions each week, but says paid fitness classes simply are not an option.
“That costs … so to actually go to other classes as well, it’s out of my budget really.“
Ollie Mathewson conducts a free workout session. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
National data shows that almost half of Australians already fall short of minimum physical activity guidelines, and rising prices are making even basic care unaffordable for many.
Consultant clinical psychologist academic Kimberley Norris says this is exactly how unhealthy patterns begin.
“We tend to focus on the most stressful thing first … and health is one of those things we don’t think about until things go wrong,”
Professor Norris said.
Kimberley Norris says humans tend to focus on alleviating stress first and foremost, and warns de-prioritising health can become a cycle. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
For Ms Holton, going to a free workout group in her local community was a game-changer.
“Came down and absolutely loved it. It’s really nice to have a group and it just keeps growing,” she said.
Finding a free exercise group has drastically improved her health, as noted by her GP, and she is part of a growing trend.
Free exercise classes become a lifeline
At a community exercise class in South Arm, south-east of Hobart, the mood is upbeat, with laughter, movement, and a sense of relief.
Participation has more than doubled in the past year, with more than 100 Tasmanians now involved.
Trainer Ollie Mathewson said the surge was unmistakable.
“It’s free of charge for everybody … and over the last 12 months I’ve noticed a lot more people starting to come along,”
he said.
Ollie Mathewson says attendance at his classes has almost doubled over the past year. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
Across greater Hobart, free and low-cost alternatives are multiplying and include walking groups, community-run circuits, and morning and afternoon fitness meet-ups.
Tasmanians are increasingly organising their own solutions.
Mr Mathewson said connections drive outcomes.
“A lot of people talk about weight and strength, which are obviously insanely important, having other people there to push you single every week makes it a hundred times easier.“
Professor Norris said one’s health can be prioritised for free.
“What we know about health is, it’s more about sustainable wellbeing, it’s about quality of life,” she said.
“So rather than focusing on how much you can deadlift, how far you can run, it’s about how your life has improved and how close your life is to the way you want to live it.”
She said free options were vital because once people stop moving, it becomes harder to start again.
“If we develop routines in which health is not a priority, then we almost get stuck in this cycle of health always being last.“
Health appointments being delayed or dropped
For some Tasmanians, the financial pressure is forcing even tougher choices.
Amy Dakin says she can’t even think about getting a gym membership with all the other costs of living on her mind. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
Amy Dakin, who lives with a compromised immune system, often has no choice but to delay essential care.
“My health needs to be prioritised, but your bills come first, really,” she said.
Jordyn Rowbottom says she’s not the only one changing her hobbies to save on costs. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
Jordyn Rowbottom has seen the same pattern around her.
“People are being forced to cut what they can access,”
she said.
Professor Norris warns that these short-term decisions can create long-term harm, not just for individuals, but for the broader health system.
She said the combination of financial pressure and reduced physical activity would create a public health challenge.
Trainers adapting to shrinking budgets
Personal trainer Nickola Orr works with clients across different income levels, ages and needs.
She said affordability now shapes almost every program she designs.
“You want to make sure they can get as much help as they can within their price range,”
she said.
Nickola Orr is concerned about access to fitness and health services in the face of rising cost pressures. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
With the median individual spend on fitness in Tasmania sitting at almost $600 last year, Ms Orr said the warning signs were already visible.
“We’re going to see more results of long-term neglect; higher injuries, more need for mental health assistance. It’s going to snowball.”
Her concerns echo Professor Norris’s academic findings that once healthy routines break down, the consequences ripple for years.
“The changes are very small … while they add up over time, there is no immediate impact,”
Ms Orr said.
Calls for more free and low-cost options
Mr Mathewson hopes the success of free community classes will inspire governments and private operators to expand accessible fitness programs.
“More free options would be a great thing. There are a few now, but there should be more,” he said.
The Tasmanian government has said it will release its 20-year preventive health strategy this month, titled The Health Revolution.
A Department of Health spokesperson said the strategy “will address the broader social, economic, and environmental factors that influence health and wellbeing”.
“Specific issues about access to health services and programs are being considered through the Access to Health Services project, a Commonwealth-State partnership.
“The Health Revolution will complement that project by addressing the root causes of poor health and the underlying conditions to make it easier for Tasmanians to live well.“
If you’ve been faithfully logging your 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week, you’re getting the recommended weekly about of cardio. But a new study1 suggests that for women in midlife, that standard benchmark may not be moving the needle on cardiovascular fitness as much as we’ve assumed. Here’s what you need to know.
EL MONTE, Calif. (KABC) — A boutique fitness gym in the San Gabriel Valley is focused on women’s empowerment, offering everything from dance fitness to pilates, yoga, zumba and circuit training. It’s called “Beastin Beauties” in El Monte.
“ Boutique fitness spaces here, it doesn’t exist here, so I needed to have this for the people in my community here, where I grew up,” said owner Jay Armada.
Members love working on their health and fitness alongside other women.
“You walk in and you feel like you’re able to let loose and inhibit it in a way that you don’t find in other places,” said member Esmeralda Cabral.
“It takes away the stresses of being in a space where you may feel judgment from others. And there’s a certain level of comfort as a woman that you wanna be able, especially if you’re starting a health journey or you’re reigniting it, you wanna have the comfort of being around under supportive women,” said member Ruby Rose Yepez, who also teaches yoga at the studio.
Women empowerment has been the theme all along, from Jay’s humble beginnings…
“ I want people to feel what I felt when I was going through my own journey. I had lost ninety-three pounds in a whole year and I just wanted everyone to feel that,” said Armada.
…to a huge setback in 2020 when the gym’s previous location burned down in a fire.
“ I thought I didn’t wanna do it anymore. Maybe it was a sign from God that you should just quit. But my community held me up and they just really made me believe in it again,” said Armada.
Now, her business is thriving, and she was just named the city’s Woman of the Year!
“ Community and connection here in this space is super, super important. Jay is not just about bringing people here for health. She brings people here to build the connections so that they feel that they’re part of a community,” said Yepez.
“You build a connection without even really trying. You’re all experiencing the same moments together. There’s always just so much fun happening,” said Cabral.
Copyright © 2026 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.
-
Lifestyle8 minutes agoWe’re having a main character summer. Are you? : It’s Been a Minute
-
Technology16 minutes agoMicrosoft AI chief Mustafa Suleyman says there are three labs that matter — and he wants Microsoft to be the fourth.
-
World23 minutes agoUS ally Kuwait condemns ‘brutal and ongoing Iranian attacks’ after airport was hit
-
Politics26 minutes agoSpencer Pratt surges to runoff in LA mayor’s race after angry voters send message to Karen Bass
-
Health31 minutes agoOne extra serving of processed meat a day linked to higher cancer risk
-
Sports38 minutes agoAJ Brown trade outcome: Dianna Russini paid a heavy price while Mike Vrabel emerged unscathed
-
Technology41 minutes agoCould your Samsung phone replace your passport?
-
Business46 minutes agoRent-hike ban to protect fire victims ends despite gouging concerns
