A 2001 study commissioned by the American Council on Exercise found fitball crunches to be far more effective than traditional floor crunches. But crunches aren’t the only exercise a fitball improves upon.
Using the fitball as a bench for seated or lying exercises forces your core muscles to stabilize your body and the weights against the ball’s constant instability. You can also do body-weight exercises on the ball, using the resistance of your own weight against gravity to strengthen your muscles. But first you must prepare your fitball, which arrives as a bundle of deflated plastic.
Inflation
Step 1
Mark the fitball’s maximum circumference, measuring from the floor up, with a piece of masking tape on the wall. The maximum circumference should be noted on the ball’s packaging and, in most cases, on the ball itself.
Step 2
Insert the ball pump into the fitball’s air valve. Pump with your hands or feet to partially inflate the ball. If your fitball didn’t come with an air pump, you can purchase a small ball pump separately or use a bicycle pump with a needle adapter instead.
Step 3
Place the partially inflated ball next to the mark on the wall. Stop inflating when the ball reaches the mark. Either let the ball sit for 24 hours to adapt to the air pressure before using it, or inflate it slightly beyond the maximum circumference, then deflate it back to the proper circumference.
Step 4
Close the air valve with the plug that came with your fitball.
Use
Step 1
Position the fitball on a flat, level, smooth surface, away from sharp surfaces that might scratch or puncture it.
Step 2
Sit on the ball, holding any weights you intend to use close to your body. The wider apart you place your feet, the easier it is to balancing yourself. Perform seated weight-training exercises from this position, or slowly lie back, walking your feet forward until you’re in position to perform supine weight-training exercises.
Step 3
Perform body-weight exercises by positioning yourself on the ball so that your muscles lift or stabilize you against gravity. For fitball push-ups and planks, assume a push-up position with your hands or feet on the ball. To do fitball crunches, lie back on the ball as if it were a weight bench. For fitball glute bridges or leg curls, lie on the floor with your heels on top of the ball.
Things You'll Need
- Measuring tape
- Masking tape
- Pump with needle adapter
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