The Swiss ball is used for strengthening, stretching, balance and stability training. Exercising on the unstable surface of the sphere-shaped Swiss ball forces the user to balance himself. This incorporates proprioceptive training, the body's awareness of where it is at in nature and stresses the body, especially the core muscles, differently than standing and flat-surface exercises. The gym ball forces the user to sit with better posture, thus strengthening the postural and core muscles, the low back, the abdominals, the gluteal muscles and inner thighs.
Core Strengthening
Sit slightly forward of the highest point of the ball with your head and spine facing front and your shoulder blades pinched together. Perform a pelvic tilt by flexing your abdominal muscles, pulling the front of your pelvis toward your belly button and tucking your tailbone underneath you. Hold the pelvic tilt throughout the entire exercise while breathing in a comfortable fashion. Bounce very slightly, the ball moves only a little and you should never lose any contact with the ball, and slowly inch your hips to the left as far as possible. Then inch your hips to the right as far as possible. Repeat six to 10 times in each direction. Next perform circular motions with your hips in each direction followed by rectangular motions with your hips in each direction and finish by making figure eights wih your hips in both directions. Always remain in the starting proper posture position, maintain the pelvic tilt and move only your hips. This will strengthen, tone and develop stability in the core muscles. When you have mastered this exercise with both feet flat on the the floor, increase the difficulty by raising one heel or the front of the foot or the entire foot off the floor for a repetition then do the same with the opposite foot.
Ab Ball Crunches
Sit up straight and slightly forward of the highest point of the ball with your head and spine facing front. Walk your legs forward until you are lying face up and your lowback rests on the ab ball. Perform a pelvic tilt by flexing your abdominals, pulling the front of your pelvis upward toward the belly button and tucking the tailbone underneath you. Maintain the pelvic tilt throughout the entire exercise. Cross your arms over your chest and pull your upper body toward your lower body in a crunching maneuver. Perform 15 to 50 repetitions to strengthen the abdominal muscles.
Hip Flexor Stretch
Sit up straight and slightly forward of the highest point of the ball with your head and spine facing front. Walk your legs forward until you are lying face up and your lower back rests on the fit ball. Exhale and lie backward over the ball until you feel a comfortable stretch in the top of your thighs and front of your hips. Hold for 40 to 60 seconds then return to the starting position. This stretches the hip flexor muscles which originate in the upper thigh and attach to the front of the hip and vertebrae in the lower back, thus releasing tightness in those areas.
Back Stretch
Kneel behind the exercise ball, lie down on top of the ball, straighten your legs and maintain foot contact with the floor while slowly rolling forward. Place both hands on the floor and gently roll forward and backward until you find a comfortable stretch in your back and hold it for 40 to 60 seconds. This stretch targets the thick erector spinae muscles which run parallel to the spine and work to straighten the spine, thus releasing tension in the midback and low back.
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