The swiss ball, also called a stability or fitness ball, is an effective exercise tool that can add variety and dimension to your ab routine. No matter what your fitness level, the ball allows you to safely perform various exercises for the rectus abdominus, obliques and transverse abdominus, while protecting your neck and supporting your spine.
Swiss Ball Size
Make sure you have the right ball for you height. Take a seat on the ball with both feet planted on the floor, legs positioned hip-width apart. If the ball is the right fit, your knees should form a right angle in the seated position. Make sure the ball is properly inflated and feels firm when you sit on it. The firmer the ball, the more challenging your ab workout will be.
Ab Crunch
To perform basic ab crunches, sit on the ball. Slowly walk your feet out until your shoulders and back rest comfortably on the ball. Place your hands behind your head or fold them across your chest. Your thighs should be parallel with the floor, with your knees and feet placed hip-distance apart. Contract your abs and slowly curl your upper body up and forward off the ball. Exhale as you perform the upward motion. Pause for a moment at the peak of the contraction, then inhale as you slowly return to the start position.
Oblique Twist
To tone your obliques -- the muscles that make up your waist -- assume the same starting position as the crunch. Place your hands behind your head, but don't interlace your fingers. Keep your elbows back in alignment with your ears. Slowly curl up and twist your upper body to the left. While still lifted, return your body to the middle position before lowering back to the ball. Repeat the exercise, twisting to the right. A helpful tip is to visualize touching your lowest rib to your hip bone as you deeply contract your obliques.
Floor Ball Curl-ups
To target your lower belly, lie on a mat with your legs resting on top of the ball. Bend your knees to form a 90-degree angle. Wedge the ball tightly between your buttocks, hamstrings and calves. Place your hands behind your head and press your elbows back while squeezing your shoulder blades together. Slowly curl your shoulder blades up off the mat as you simultaneously squeeze the ball and raise your tailbone about an inch off the mat. Picture an open clam shell slowly closing. Remember to keep your abs contracted, exhaling on the exertion and inhaling on the return to the starting position.
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