Any exercise you do on the stability ball will force your core muscles to work, stabilizing you against the ball's tendency to roll in any direction. If you feel like your rectus abdominus--the long strap of muscle that runs down the front of your abdomen--is doing too much of the work, you can do exercises that specifically target your obliques, the ab muscles to either side of the rectus abdominus.
Crunches
When you do basic crunches on the stability ball, your rectus abdominus is responsible for the actual crunch movement. You can stress your obliques by adding a literal twist.
Start with a basic crunch: Sit on the ball, then lean back as you walk your hips forward until your shoulders and upper back rest on the ball. Adjust your lower body so that your thighs are parallel to the ground, knees bent at a 90-degree angle. Squeeze your abs to crunch your ribs down toward your pelvis. Your shoulders and upper back will rise up off the ball.
To add the twist, extend both arms directly over your chest, palms together. Crunch up and slightly to the right so that your palms trace a straight line from their starting position toward your right knee. Remember that this is only a slight movement; your hands won't actually get anywhere near your knee. Relax back to your starting position, then crunch up and to the left so that your hands move toward your left knee.
Side Lift
Side lifts target your obliques, giving you a chance to lift the ball instead of sitting on it. Lie down on your side with the ball between your legs. Support yourself on one bent elbow. Lift your legs slightly off the floor, raising the ball by a few inches. Hold for the space of three deep breaths, then release back to the floor.
Side Plank
The side plank is a challenging isometric variation on the side lift. Instead of lifting the ball you'll be challenging your obliques to keep your body steady on top of the unstable ball.
Lie down on your side, upper body supported by the stability ball. Stack your feet on the floor, one on top of the other, if you can. Just achieving this position may be a challenge. If you can't quite manage it, try putting your upper foot slightly forward of the lower foot so that they both contact the ground at once.
Once you're stable, squeeze your abs to keep your body in a straight line from head to feet. Remember to keep breathing throughout the exercise. Hold for as long as you can, then switch to the other side.



Member Comments