Exercise balls can be a great way to mix things up for those who need a bit of variety in their workouts to stay motivated. They are especially useful for the abdominals, as exercise balls aren't loosely referred to as "ab exercise balls" for no reason. Experiment with different ab exercises using the ball to get the most variety out of your abdominal workout.
Ab Ball Pushups
Although it may not seem like pushups are the best workout for your abdomen, they engage the entire core, including the abdominals and the back. If you tuck your tummy in properly and engage your entire core in your pushup, you can round out your abdominal workout by doing pushups on an exercise ball.
Lie down flat with your abdomen on the exercise ball. Walk your hands forward so that the ball is underneath your hips. Tighten the abdominal muscles and the rest of the core to engage as many muscles as possible, pulling your belly button back toward your spinal cord. Lower the upper part of your body toward the floor and hold for three to five seconds. Then, push yourself back up. Don't let your elbows lock, but keep them as straight as possible. Make sure that your head and spine are in line, engaging your abdominals every step of the way.
Exercise Ball Crunches
Crunches are another way to incorporate the ball into your abdominal workout. These are traditional abdominal exercises with a twist, as the ball can add a bit of extra resistance.
Sit upright on the ball with your feet flat on the floor. Walk yourself forward until the ball is underneath your lower back. Raise your hips so that you are nearly lying down on the ball, with your hips parallel to the floor. Cross your hands across your chest or hold them behind your head, with your head in a neutral position. Contract your abdominal muscles and lift your shoulders up, then release. Return to the starting position and perform this action again. Do a couple of sets of eight to 12 of these, increasing your repetitions as you become stronger.
Squat-And-Reach
A simple squat-and-reach is another way to work the abdominal muscles while making use of the ball at the same time. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding your exercise ball out in front of you with your arms parallel to the ground. Bend at the knees, keeping your back straight. Tighten the abdomen and rotate your core to the right, holding the ball out in front of you. Pause and hold for five breaths. Then, return to neutral. Repeat this to the opposite side, holding for five breaths. Then, return to neutral.
You can put a variation on this workout by holding the ball upward or downward to change up your resistance.
The Bridge
The Bridge works the abs and other core muscles, and it can be done using a ball. Lie down flat on your back with your feet up on the ball. Have your legs outstretched. Tighten your abs and gluteal muscles and lift your body up, forming a bridge between your shoulders and feet. Squeeze in your buttocks and tighten your abs. Hold for three breaths, and then return to neutral. Do three to five of these in a set, increasing your number of sets as you become stronger.
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