The body ball, which is also commonly known as a Swiss ball, Swedish ball, exercise ball or fitness ball, is extremely versatile. There are a wide variety of possible body ball exercises that focus on strength training and cardiovascular fitness. Full body ball workouts involve the entire body and usually place extra emphasis on core muscles. The body ball requires you to use many little stabilizer muscles to maintain your balance.
Workout #1
Begin with 10 inner-thigh crunches by lying on your back with knees bent at 90 degrees and the ball tucked between your legs. Squeeze your abdominals and bring your legs with the ball in toward your torso. Exhale and lower your legs back to the starting position. Next, perform 10 repetitions of the bridge exercise. Lie flat on your back with legs extended and resting over the ball. Exhale and squeeze your abdominals to bring your buttocks toward the ceiling. Your body should be completely straight. Now, do 10 repetitions of push-ups with your hips and upper thighs resting on the ball. Keep your body stiff as you lower your upper body. Exhale as you push up and return to the starting position. Finish with 10 repetitions of back extensions. Position your midsection and hips on the ball. Place your hand behind your back and lift your upper body about 8 to 10 inches off the ball by squeezing your lower back muscles.
Workout #2
Begin by doing the squat and reach exercise for 45 seconds. Stand in a squat position and hold the ball with your arms out in front of you. Rotate your trunk to the left and hold for 3 counts, then rotate to the right side. Now sit on the ball and perform two to three sets of basic crunches. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart on the floor for balance. Next, form a plank position with your hands on the floor and your thighs resting on the ball. Use your core for balance and hold the position for 30 to 45 seconds, then repeat two times. Finish the workout with a reverse crunch. Begin as with the plank exercise. Contract your muscles and roll the ball forward by pressing your knees into the ball.
Workout #3
Perform three sets of 15 to 20 repetitions for each exercise in this routine. Begin with a reverse bridge with resting the back of your head and shoulders on the ball. With feet firmly planted on the floor, tighten your glutes and lower back to bring your body down into a straight line. Thighs should be parallel to the floor. Next, perform elevated push-ups and move straight into reverse crunches from that position. Now, do Russian twists with shoulder and upper back resting on the ball. Bring your hands together in front of you, arms stretched out and rotate from your trunk to the left. Then twist back up and to the right. Perform back extensions by pressing your pelvis into the ball and keeping your toes firmly planted on the floor. Next, do ball squats with the ball between your back and a wall. Lower down until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Finish with full sit-ups and hamstring rolls. Keep your shoulders on the floor and use your arms for stability while rolling the ball in with your feet toward your buttocks.
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