Being off balance during exercise causes you to contract multiple muscle fibers. This is the science behind a stability ball. The more muscles you activate, the more progress you will make. Stability balls, also known as fitness or Swiss balls, range in size from 18 to 34 inches. The right size ball for you will cause your knees to form a right angle to the floor when you sit on it, according to MayoClinic.com. Exercises can be performed with the ball alone or added equipment.
Pushups
A pushup is a basic body weight exercise that can be transferred over to the stability ball for an unbalanced variation. You have two options with this exercise: decline or incline pushups. Decline pushups focus more on the upper chest and incline pushups focus on the lower chest. The main difference between the two is your body position. To perform decline pushups, position your lower shins on top of the ball and place your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart on the floor. Your body should be perfectly straight at this point. Keep your abs tight as you bend your elbows and lower your body down. Once your chest is close to the floor, push back up and repeat. To perform incline pushups, place your hands on the ball slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and place your feet together on the floor. Lower yourself down until your chest is close to the ball, push yourself back up and repeat.
Abdominal Crunch
The abdominal crunch works the midsection from a face-up position. Begin with your feet flat on the floor, lower back touching the ball, and head and shoulders slightly elevated. After placing your hands on the sides of your head or across your chest, move your trunk forward and squeeze your abs forcefully. Hold this position for a full second, slowly lower yourself back down and repeat. When doing crunches, be sure you do not move your lower body.
Squat
Regular squats work the glutes, quadriceps and hamstrings. The ball works these same muscles, but you have the convenience of back support. To begin, brace the ball against a wall with your mid back and space your feet about shoulder-width apart and slightly forward. Keeping your abs tight and back straight, lower yourself down by bending your knees. Once your thighs parallel the floor, stand back up and repeat. To increase the resistance, hold dumbbells at your sides. You can turn this into a combination exercise by performing biceps curls as you rise up.
Bench Press
Regular bench presses work the chest, shoulders and triceps, and they are performed on a flat weight bench. For a variation, you can use the stability with a set of dumbbells. Assume a face-up starting position with your shoulders and head resting comfortably on the ball, and hold the weights straight above you with your palms facing forward. Your butt should be lifted at this point and you should have a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Slowly lower the weights to your sides by bending your elbows and stop when you feel a good stretch in your chest. Push the dumbbells back up until they are close together and repeat. Be sure you do not let the weights hit each other.
Frog Hop
A frog hop, or frog jump, is an explosive exercise that quickly increases your heart rate, leading to a high-caloric expenditure as you build muscle. To start, stand behind the ball with your feet about shoulder-width apart and turn your toes out to your sides at an angle. Bend down and grab the ball firmly with both hands and quickly raise it above your head as you jump off the floor as high as possible. Land softly on the balls of your feet, lower yourself and the ball back down and repeat.
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