Developing and maintaining a strong core is essential for a healthy body, to reduce back pain, boost your confidence, and achieve greater results with your overall fitness. Most people think a stability ball is just for strengthening their core, but training with a ball can tone muscles throughout the entire body. It also improves flexibility, balance, posture, and coordination. If you have just been doing crunches on the floor, then using a stability ball is a great way to intensify your core training. There are lots of different exercises you can do on a stability ball. Here are some of the best stability ball exercises you can do.
1. Stability Ball V-Pass
(a) Lie face up on the floor, holding a stability ball overhead with both hands, your legs together and extended straight on the floor.
(b) In one motion, brace your core and lift your arms and legs off the ground, placing the ball between your feet.
(c)Squeeze the ball with your legs and lower your arms and legs back to the floor. Repeat, passing the ball back to your hands. Do eight to 10.
2. Knee Tucks
This one is a little more demanding, but really effective for an all body workout.
(a)Lie down on the floor with the gym ball beneath you
(b)Walk outwards so the ball rolls down to your shins, and keep your hands underneath your shoulders
(c)Tighten up your abs and bend the knees, rolling with the ball until it’s under your torso. Hold for 3 – 5 seconds. Roll outward to the starting position, and repeat the exercise
3.The Wall Squat
The wall squat is a great exercise to implement into your weekly workout, no matter what your fitness level may be.
(a)Stand a few inches away, with your back towards the wall, and place the stability ball in between you and the wall.
(b)The ball should be pressed against the wall and your lower back. Maintain good posture, and with your feet shoulder width apart, slowly come down to a squat and hold your position for 30 seconds. Slowly lift yourself back up and repeat.
4. Plank Shoulder Taps
(a) Get into a push up position with your hands shoulder-width apart on the floor and your shins resting on top of the ball.
(b) Keeping your hips square to the floor, lift your right hand and tap your left shoulder.
(c)Return to start and repeat with the other arm. Continue alternating for a total of 26 reps.
(a) Lie face up on the floor, holding a stability ball overhead with both hands, your legs together and extended straight on the floor.
(b) In one motion, brace your core and lift your arms and legs off the ground, placing the ball between your feet.
(c)Squeeze the ball with your legs and lower your arms and legs back to the floor. Repeat, passing the ball back to your hands. Do eight to 10.
2. Knee Tucks
This one is a little more demanding, but really effective for an all body workout.
(a)Lie down on the floor with the gym ball beneath you
(b)Walk outwards so the ball rolls down to your shins, and keep your hands underneath your shoulders
(c)Tighten up your abs and bend the knees, rolling with the ball until it’s under your torso. Hold for 3 – 5 seconds. Roll outward to the starting position, and repeat the exercise
3.The Wall Squat
The wall squat is a great exercise to implement into your weekly workout, no matter what your fitness level may be.
(a)Stand a few inches away, with your back towards the wall, and place the stability ball in between you and the wall.
(b)The ball should be pressed against the wall and your lower back. Maintain good posture, and with your feet shoulder width apart, slowly come down to a squat and hold your position for 30 seconds. Slowly lift yourself back up and repeat.
4. Plank Shoulder Taps
(a) Get into a push up position with your hands shoulder-width apart on the floor and your shins resting on top of the ball.
(b) Keeping your hips square to the floor, lift your right hand and tap your left shoulder.
(c)Return to start and repeat with the other arm. Continue alternating for a total of 26 reps.
