Workout Wednesday - Stability Ball

Workout Wednesday: Stability Ball

I call it a Stability ball but you may know it as a Swiss ball. Stability balls are simply large, vinyl balls on which you can perform a number of strengthening exercises. By learning to balance your weight on the ball, your back, stomach/ABS and buttocks areas all get a workout.

There’s nothing quite like a stability-ball workout. It's easy to learn basic moves, and you don't need a lot of space or special equipment.

Early last year, I took several fitness classes that incorporated the use of the stability ball. I will share 7 of my favorite (I could write about many, many more of them) that do not include the use of weights. Using weights with a stability ball will be posted in a different Workout Wednesday post.

If you have questions about these exercise, leave me a comment.

Crunches:
Lie on your back on top of the ball with your legs bent at a 90-degrees and feet firmly on the ground. (The stability ball should be between your hips and shoulders following the curvature of the spine.) You can pick where you put your arms - across your chest, behind your neck, or out in front of you. Do NOT pull on your neck, if you decide to place your hands behind your neck. Relax in this position to obtain a stretch of the abdominal wall. Now flex your midsection raising your shoulder blades off the stability ball. Squeeze the abs at the top of the motion and slowly lower yourself back to a fully relaxed and stretched position.

Pass the Ball:
Lie on your back on the floor with your arms over your head holding the stability ball and legs straight out. Don’t let it touch the floor. Begin to raise your arms up at the same time begin to raise your legs up until the two meet. Now pass the ball from your hands to your feet and lower your arms and legs back to the floor. Again, do not allow the ball to touch the floor. Continue passing the ball from feet to hands, lower, raise, hands to feet using your midsection. Repeat.

Crisscross:
Lie on your back with the ball in your hands, above your stomach. With your back against the floor, raise your legs to a 45 degree angle from your hips. Raise head, neck and shoulders off the floor. Bend your right knee and bring it towards your chest. As you do this, bring your hand and the ball down towards your left knee (which should still be straight at a 45 degree angle). Continue switching legs as the ball moves up and over toward the straight leg. Repeat.

Side Bend with Straight Leg Side Lift:
Begin on both knees. Hug the ball into one hip. Lean sideways over the ball (hip and side against the ball) with you hands behind your head. Straighten and lift the leg that’s away from the ball to hip-height while leaning into the ball. Don’t move away from the ball. Do 10 times before switching to the other side.

Diamond Hip Lifts:
Place your ball against the wall. Lie on your back, with your feet on top of the ball and soles of your feet together, knees open out to the side (your legs should look like a diamond). Apply pressure to the ball with the outside of your feet, pressing your knees open wider, lift your hips up and squeeze your buttocks (maintain the diamond shape with your legs). Lower to the starting position. After repeating a couple times, hold your hips up, squeeze your buttocks and pulse for 10 counts.

Grasshopper:
Lie over the ball in a prone position with your upper thighs slightly turned out on the ball, feet together and knees pointed out in a slight V, with elbows on the floor. Lift both knees of the ball, while squeezing your buttocks (pelvis will remain against the ball). (You might think you are going to flip over…my first try, I did.) Return to starting position with your knees on the ball. Repeat.

Reverse Crunch on the Floor:
Very similar to Pass the Ball except you will not pass the ball. The ball will stay on the ground over your head. Your legs point up to the ceiling, as straight as possible. Hold you legs firmly together in a parallel position by lining up your ankle joints, the inside of your knees, and your upper thigh bones. Lower your legs halfway to the ground (your core will be engaged). Don’t let your lower back leave the floor! At the point where you feel your muscular control is about to run out, roll your legs overhead (to the ball), and exhale into the muscles surrounding the rib cage. Your feet end up resting on top of the ball (you should have legs straight from your buttocks to your heels). Exhale and roll down one vertebra at a time. Remember not to let your legs/feet touch the floor!

Sorry that I don’t have pictures. I’m not in shape to have my picture taken and couldn’t talk anyone else into it. If I can come across some, I’ll post them.