You may have seen those big, round plastic balls at your gym and wondered what they're good for. Stability balls are excellent for improving the difficulty of many exercises normally done standing, or lying on a weight bench. Performing exercises on a stability ball builds strength in the body's stabilizer muscles and makes it necessary to engage the core--the abdominal, lower back and oblique muscles. Stability balls also offer variety to a core workout, making it challenging, fun and interesting.
Plank Pike-Up
This is a challenging exercise that tones and tightens the abdominal muscles as well as the hip flexors. It takes some skill and coordination, so work on each step until you feel comfortable before advancing to the next part of the exercise. To perform the plank pike-up, get into push-up position on the stability ball with your hands on the floor directly beneath your shoulders. The tops of your feet or ankles should be on the top of the ball about hip-distance apart. This will require you to automatically engage your abdominal muscles and your leg muscles to keep yourself stable. If balance is challenging for you here, practice this part of the exercise until you can stay on the ball without losing your balance. Using your abdominal muscles, lift your hips up toward the ceiling, allowing the ball to roll in toward your hands. Stop when your body is in a v-shape and then roll back out to your starting position with control. Perform two to three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions.
Bridge
The bridge is a yoga posture that tones and tightens the abdominal muscles as well as the gluteal and hamstring muscles. To do the bridge, lie on the floor with your legs resting on top of the ball, which should be underneath your calf muscles. Then engage your abdominal muscles and lift your hips off the floor, pressing your legs into the ball for stability. Lift your hips as high as you can, and then return your hips to the floor. To make this exercise more challenging, hold for three breaths at the top of the movement before returning your hips to the ground. Complete two to three sets of 15 repetitions.
Abdominal Ball Raise
The abdominal ball raise is a variation on a classic leg lift. It focuses on the lower abdominal muscles and the hip flexors. To execute an abdominal ball raise, lie on your back on the floor with the ball resting underneath your calf muscles. From that position, engage your abdominal muscles and squeeze the ball between your calves and your hamstrings--in the crook of your knees--so that you can lift the ball off the floor with your legs. Raise the ball off the floor until your thighs come slightly past perpendicular to the rest of your body, and hold for three breaths. Then return the ball to the floor with control. For added challenge, lift the ball off the floor and let your legs fall to the right with control until just before the ball touches the ground on your right side. Then bring your legs back through center to the left side. Repeat for two to three sets of 12 to 15 repetitions.
Ball Pass
The ball pass is kind of like a relay race for your arms and legs. It tones the upper, middle and lower abs and works on coordination. To perform the ball pass, lie on the floor with your arms stretched out above your head and squeeze the ball between your ankles. Then lift your arms and legs together so that your body comes up into a v-shape and just your bottom is on the floor. At the top of the movement, pass the ball from your feet to your hands and lower your body down with control, extending your arms overhead. Lift your arms and legs back up into a v-shape and pass the ball from your hands to your feet again. Then lower down with control. Repeat two to three sets of 15 repetitions. One repetition is equal to one pass.
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