10 Stability Ball Exercises For A Full Body Workout
The secret to making your core stronger, protecting your joints, and building muscle during any workout routine is stability! No, I’m not talking about your relationship, silly, but focusing on creating a balance, which enables the body to move as one unit. This is where a stability ball comes to good use!
A stability ball (aka balance ball, Swiss ball, fitness ball or exercise ball) is definitely more than just a fun thing to bounce around on. It works out the entire muscle group that makes up the core along with the hips and shoulder muscles.
Here are 10 exercises that you can do using a stability ball. The reps and sets depend on your fitness level, but you can start off with 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 20 reps each.
P.S. This will definitely make you break a sweat!
1. Hamstring Curls
Use your arms on the floor for stability, and engage your entire body during this workout. That Kim K-esque butt will be knocking on your doorstep.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cE7kvC99G1A
2. Push Ups
The farther you go away from the ball, the harder it gets. So take baby steps (literally) and work your way up.
3. Ab Crunches
This will engage your entire your core, since you have to try to balance on the ball as you’re coming up.
4. Wall Squats
It may look easy to squat with this ball between the wall and your back, but not really. Amp it up a notch by holding some weights in your hands.
5. Back Extensions
Your lower back will definitely be screaming in pain after this! You are half way there, don’t give up just yet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bj6Ztf2c6c8
6. Ball Pass
Challenge yourself with this full body exercise while engaging your entire core.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOEirIkAIRY
7. Hip Thrusts
Build your glutes and hamstrings by raising one leg in the air at a time, in order to make it a little more advanced.
8. Reverse Crunches
Surprisingly your shoulder muscles will be more sore than your abs here, since your entire body weight will be on them!
9. Ball Squeezes
You might not want to do this in public – at a gym. But if you’re at home, dive right into this one, you will thank me later.
10. Plank
There is no workout routine that doesn’t end with doing planks. Engage your entire body with this one, and get ready for the next set!