Balance balls do just what the name suggests, forcing your core muscles to work overtime at stabilizing you against the ball's penchant for rolling in any direction. For such a simple piece of equipment, these inflated rubber spheres lend themselves to surprisingly difficult exercises, like body-weight pullovers and single-leg curls. But before you start on the hardest balance ball exercises, spend the time necessary to master simpler exercises.
Crunches
Balance ball crunches aren't just a simple way to get used to a new piece of equipment. They're also one of the best all-around ab exercises possible. A 2001 study commissioned by the American Council on Exercise found that balance ball crunches recruited significantly more activity in the rectus abdominus and obliques than ordinary crunches, but significantly less activity in the hip flexors than other top ab exercises.
Sit down on the ball and walk your feet slowly forward, lying back as you go. Stop once the ball supports you from hips to shoulders. Squeeze your abs, flexing your spine and lifting your head and shoulders slightly off the ball. Lower and repeat.
Wall Squats
Also called a wall slide, this exercise works your quads and glutes, with some help from your hamstrings and inner-thigh muscles. Lean back against a wall, with the balance ball positioned between your hips and the wall. Walk your feet out until you can squat down, knees bent to 90 degrees. Your torso should stay upright, supported by the ball, which rolls down the wall with you. Like any other balance ball exercise, wall squats also work your core muscles throughout the entire motion.
Squat And Reach
You can use the balance ball itself as a source of resistance, too. For example, hold the ball in front of you with both hands as you sink into a squatting position, standing away from the wall. Then shift the ball slowly to your right, hold briefly, and shift back to the left. Squeeze your abs tight the entire time to stabilize your spine, and breathe normally. Straighten back up between repetitions, then return immediately to the squat position. Like wall squats, these free-standing squats also work your glutes, quads, hamstrings and adductors.
Overhead Press
If you're struggling to keep stable with the other beginner ball exercises, start with just sitting on the balance ball, feet flat on the floor. Once you've mastered that, trying doing a simple exercise like the overhead press while sitting on the ball. Extend both arms straight overhead, palms facing forward and a dumbbell in each hand. Lower the weights down and out until your elbows are even with your shoulders, then press them back up to the starting position. The overhead press works your triceps and shoulders, and moving the weights overhead makes keeping stable on the ball more of a challenge.
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