There so many ways to exercise your arms, legs, abs and butt muscles, but what most of us want is to find a routine to exercise every body part in the most efficient way. One of the best pieces of equipment you can have in your home is a stability ball. Combined with dumbbells, the stability ball will help you isolate and strengthen your muscles from top to bottom and front to back. In addition to being a great exercise tool, use your ball as a chair and you can strengthen your core while you are just sitting around.
Push-Ups for Chest, Arms and Shoulders
Push-ups are one of the most efficient exercises you can do for you upper body. Push-ups using a stability ball not only target your chest, arms and shoulders, but also strengthen the muscles of your core, meaning your abs and back. To perform this exercise, place your arms shoulder width apart in front of the ball. Where your legs rest on the ball dictates the degree of difficulty for the exercise. For level I, you will want your thighs on the ball. Level II, you will have your shins on the ball, and for level III, just the feet will be left on the ball with your torso out in front, arms extended underneath your shoulders. Once in position, lower your chest toward the floor, maintaining a rigid torso and your head aligned with your spine. Be careful not to let your back sag or your butt protrude. Lower yourself until your chest or nose touches the floor. Exhale and push the floor away by extending your arms until they are straight again. Perform two sets of 15 to 20 push-ups with a 30 to 60-second rest in between.
Reverse Flys for Back Muscles
This exercise targets your trapezius, rhomboids, latissimus dorsi and posterior deltoid muscles. Take a seat on the ball with your knees in front of you, hip distance apart, feet flat on the floor. Hold a 5- to 8-lb. dumbbell in each hand. Bend from your hips and lower your chest toward your legs as you reach underneath your thighs with your forearms, elbows bent and palms facing inward. Exhale as you extend your arms out to the side, like a bird spreading its wings open, squeezing your shoulder blades together, with elbows slightly bent. Your chest should lift about half way back up to seated. Slowly lower back to arms reaching under thighs. Perform 10 to 12 repetitions of reverse flys, rest for 30 seconds and attempt a second set.
Abdominal Ball Crunches
This exercise targets all your abdominal muscles, including your external and internal obliques or waist area. Begin by sitting on your ball. Walk your feet out in front of the ball until just your mid-back and upper shoulder blades are resting on the ball. Place your hands behind your head or in an "X" position on your chest. Exhale as you lift your upper body up and forward off the ball. Return back to neutral spine position. Crunch or raise your torso, twisting your upper body toward your left side. Return to neutral position. Twist your upper body toward your right side and return. Then begin the whole sequence again. Raise up and return, twist left and return, twist right and return. Be sure and keep your abdominal muscles contracted throughout the exercise. Try not to pull on your head or jut your chin forward when you are doing abdominal crunches. Perform the series 15 to 20 times. After final crunch, contract your abdominals, lift to the highest peak of your contraction and finish off with 8 to 10 quick deep pulses.
Ball Butt and Thighs
Stay on your back on the ball, but walk your feet forward until only your upper shoulders, neck and head rest on the ball. Lift your torso by squeezing your buttock muscles and tilting your pelvis. Your feet should be flat on the floor and your knees need to be hip-distance apart. Relax your arms down to the floor or place your hands behind your head as you would to do an ab crunch. Slowly lower your butt toward the floor, squeeze your glutes and return to bridge or neutral spine position. Your range of motion should be about 8 to 10 inches down and up. Perform 15 to 20 repetitions. Walk your feet out so your knees are wider than your hips. Lower and raise your hips for 15 to 20 more repetitions. Finally, walk your legs back together until your knees and thighs are touching. Without letting your knees come apart, lower and lift, squeezing your knees together and contracting your buttock muscles throughout the duration of the exercise. Perform 15 to 20 repetitions.
Calf and Ankle Strengtheners With Arm Toners
Stand up tall with the stability ball held tight between your palms. Inhale and lift the ball directly over your head as you rise up onto your toes. Exhale as you lower your heels, but don't touch the floor. Perform 20 to 25 calf raises with your toes pointing straight ahead. Bring the ball back in front of your chest. Turn your toes out to the sides, as in duck-footed. Perform 20 to 25 calf raises from this position while squeezing the ball between your palms in front of you. Finally, turn your toes toward each other as in pigeon-toed. Bring the ball back up over your head as you lift up high on your turned in toes. Raise and lower your heels for a final set of 20 to 25 repetitions.
References
- AceFitness: Proper Push-up Form
- "Total Body Toning: The At Home Plan"; Joely Johnson; 2000
- "Stability Ball Training: A Guide For Fitness"; Christine Cunningham; 2003
