Swiss Ball Exercise Programs

Swiss balls often are part of different fitness programs. The shape of the ball creates an unstable environment on which to do core training and strength training programs that strengthen the stabilizer muscles of the body. Swiss balls also make for usual stretching tools as well as rehabilitation tools to assist in physical therapy programs.

Core Strengthening Program

The Swiss ball is most frequently used in gyms, homes and studios for abdominal training. Doing a core program on a Swiss ball instead of the floor lets you work in a larger range of motion. For example, if performing a sit up on the floor, your torso starts in a flat 180 degree or 0 degree angle and then sits up to near 90 degrees. When lying on a ball, your shoulders and head drop below your hips and must come up to reach the 0 degree point and then continue to a 90 degree sit up. Exercises included in a core strengthening program are ball crunches, ball back extensions and ball bridges.

Strength Training Program

Swiss balls also incorporate well into strength training workouts. Exercises you may do seated on a bench or lying on a bench are instead performed on a Swiss ball. For example, instead of sitting on a bench to do dumbbell shoulder presses you sit on a Swiss ball. This recruits more core work as you train your other muscle groups such as the back, shoulders, chest, arms and even legs. Other exercise examples in a Swiss ball strength training program include bent-over rows kneeling on a ball, chest presses lying on a ball or ball squats leaning against a ball that is resting on a wall.

Stretching Programs

Swiss balls are for stretching exercises, too. Instead of placing your arm bent to a 90-degree angle against a wall for a chest press, you can instead kneel next to a ball and place your bent arm on that to stretch your pecs. Sitting on a ball and leaning forward with your legs straight stretches the hamstrings. You can even drape your body over the ball to stretch your back.

Rehabiliation Programs

The Swiss ball began as a rehabilitation tool and was first introduce to the world by Swiss physical therapists. Today, the ball is also a popular tool for physical therapists. An example program for back pain from Spine-Health is to do pelvic isolation exercises on the ball such as the rock back-and-forth, rock side-to-side and circles exercises as part of an introductory program for new physical therapy clients.