We all have some means that interests us to be up to date in the fitness regime, varies from person to person. For some, it could be yoga, aerobics, cycling, swimming, hard-core weightlifting, Zumba so on and so forth.
However, it is essential to take up some activity. It is vital that one works on their physical health to appear and feel externally strong and mentally healthy.
If you haven’t yet found something persuading enough, try stability ball workouts. Does that huge ball that you generally find at every corner when you hit the gym strike your mind? Yes, that’s right! They are a splendid source to exercise with.
Stability Ball Workouts are specifically a source to build upon your stamina, stabilize your posture and help you get the right balance in your body, not skipping on its other benefits. It has a fun factor of helping you lose weight by just sitting on it.
In this article, there will be a detailed explanation as to why and how can these stability ball workouts prove favorable for your salubrious wellness and how can one approach the execution of these stability ball workouts.
Stability Ball Workouts
There are tons of stability ball exercises that you can do for the purpose that suits your preference the best. These stability balls are proven a great way to get healed from your internal ailments as these exercises cater to giving you strength in your muscles and joints.
Points to Know for Choosing a Stability Ball
What’s important for you to remember with these stability ball exercises is that you have to make sure that the stability ball is the right one. You will determine it to be the right one if you bear in mind the below-mentioned points.
- The Stability ball should be well inflated, not less or overinflated.
- When you sit on the stability ball your sole should touch the floor comfortably, you should not be hanging up.
- The right posture has to be looked at, your knees should be positioned at a 90-degree angle.
Pro’s of Using a Stability Ball
Let’s look at the ways it could be advantageous.
- Emphasizes on Core Strength: Working out on stability balls helps one add up the strength to the spines and muscles and gain better flexibility.
2. Stimulates and Stabilizes Muscles: It creates a different stimulus on your body when you lie down on a swiss ball instead of a bench and lift weights. Since you are on a ball you won’t be able to lift too much of weights, this will help you stimulate muscles and increase strength.
Exercises can be done every day with an intent to nurture every part of your body. Can these exercises be done with the help of a stability ball, let’s scroll through to see how.
1. Stability Ball Workout for firm Abs
a. Lower Ab Crunch Kicks
These crunches are superb to build strength and tighten your stomach muscles and gives you endurance power. You can do 3 sets like this, each time you can do 15.
Steps to do this exercise
- Lie down on the floor with your palms resting on the ground.
- Place the stability ball in between your back thighs and calf muscles.
- Lift your lower body up with the ball in between and do not drop the ball.
Repeat this method 15 times each taking a gap of a minute in between so that you can regain your energy.
b. Upper Ab Workout
This workout will help you harden your abs. You upper abs gain strength. You can do this exercise 4 sets and repeat it 10 times each.
Steps to do this exercise
- Sit partially on the ball with your hands behind taking support on the ball.
- Bend your leg and lift it up at a 90-degree angle and bring it down
- Repeat the same procedure with the other leg.
Do this exercise slowly so that it does not lose its effectiveness and repeat this 10times of 4 sets with a gap of 30 seconds and you will feel the strain on your upper stomach.
c. Fore Arm Planks for Good Abs
These Planks are excellent to burn the fat around your stomach, give strength to your abs and strengthen your shoulders and arms. Once you get all these benefits automatically you are prone to be able to endure better.
Steps to do this exercise
- Position your body like a slope by placing your palms on the ball.
- Slowly place your elbow and your hand until your wrist, facing each other.
- Close your fist and stay in this position for at least 1 minute.
Ensure to keep your lower and upper body in a line and try to increase your time of staying in this position by a minute after you get a hang of this.
d. Side Planks for Strong Abs
These planks are effective to burn down the fats on your sides and shape up your waist. You can do this for a minute on each side.
Steps to do this exercise
- Place your palms on the ground, with the support of the stability ball rests your body on the ball.
- Keep your other hand on your thighs.
- Stay in this straight slanted position for a minute or two.
This stability workout is going to give you immense strength and tone your sides.
e. Make a Cross for Vitalized Abs
Cross Abs is a stability workout where you move the ball like a cross in the left and right direction.
Steps to do this exercise
- Lie down on the floor holding the stability ball and bringing it to the right side of your body.
- Lift your right leg up and bend it in a way that your knee is facing you.
- Lift your left leg a little above the ground.
- Move the ball to the left side in a slanted position with your legs changing its position.
- Let your legs and head remain up.
- Repeat this procedure on the right and left a side.
f. Uplift your Abs
This is a floor exercise and it relaxes your abdominal region and removes all the pain in your lower back.
Steps to do this exercise
- Go over the stability ball and position your body like a slope.
- Partially spread your legs.
- Place both your hands behind your head and look straight.
- Once you are in the right position, bend your head down and slowly come up.
This exercise is like a stretching exercise for your neck too and you will feel light on your neck.
2. Stability Ball Workout for Strong Legs
a. Stability Workout for Reinforced Hamstrings and Glutes
This stability ball workout is good to keep your hamstrings in place by pushing up your lower body.
Steps to do this exercise
- Lie down on the floor and place the tips of your heels on the stability ball with the back of your hand on the ground (or) Place your sole on the ball with your palms touching the floor.
- Life your butt up and bring it down, while doing so squeeze your butt.
Repeat this 10 times in 4 sets, you can take a break of a few seconds between each set. This stability workout is considered helpful for your legs.
b. Stability Workout for Tight Thighs
If you want to get muscular thighs and with a stability ball make this happen, you will have to place the stability ball at the right place between your legs correctly.
Steps to do this exercise
- Lie down on your side and hold your right hand on the left hand.
- Place the stability ball in between the legs.
- Squeeze your inner thighs and stay in this position.
You can stay in this position for 3 minutes and feel the strain on your thighs that will help tighten its muscles.
c. Toughen your legs with Squats
Squatting with a stability ball gives you the ease to retain the stamina in your hamstrings, calves and quadriceps. You are benefited with energy in your upper and lower body.
Steps to do this exercise
- Place the stability Ball on the wall and press your back against the ball.
- Hold your hips with both your hands.
- Place one leg in the front with your knee in a horizontal position.
- Place the other legs knee on the ground and lift it slightly above the ground.
Repeat this procedure 10 times for each leg in 3 sets.
d. Stretch your outer-thighs
To keep your inner and outer thighs intact as they stabilize the pelvis. It is necessary to try workouts that are great for your leg. You are able enough to walk and run better, and to keep your thighs in shape it always cheers you up for having good legs.
Steps to do this exercise
- Place the stability ball in front of your legs and lie down on the floor.
- Keep the hand of the side you have turned to on your shoulder and the other hand with your palm touching the floor.
- Go on your side and keep one leg on the stability ball while crossing over your other leg.
Stretch this way at least 5 times.
3. Pelvic Exercises with a Stability Ball
a. Basic Pelvic Workout
This workout is to cater to your abdomen, this workout will assist you with getting the right posture and make your abdominal muscles firm. This exercise helps to sustain balance in your activities either when you are in a sport or for your other activities.
Steps to do this exercise
- Sit on a stability ball looking at a point in front of you and ensure that your spine is kept straight.
- Gently tighten your abdominal muscles from within.
- Lift your leg, extend it and bring it back.
- Repeat this with the other leg.
You can do this exercise 20 times for each leg in 4 sets. After you are done with this exercise. You can relax by spreading your legs wide and with a relaxed body language bend your back down and come up two or three times.
b. Lift and Stretch Workout
This is a floor exercise and it relaxes your abdominal region and removes all the pain in your lower back.
4. Stability Ball Workout for your Arms
Practicing weight lifting on a stability ball is perfect for helping you maintain a great posture, carrying weights gives strength to your muscles and carves a very well maintained body.
These strong muscles will help sharpen the strength in your arms, it eradicates fat and focuses on just making your muscles better each day.
a. Stability Ball Workout for Fore Arms
This stability ball workout is a way to keep your arms robust. This weight lifting takes care of your entire arm from the joint of your shoulder until your elbow.
Steps to do this exercise
- Sit straight on the Stability Ball with your legs apart.
- Take two dumbbells that weigh 2kgs.
- Move your hand forward and backwards in such a way that you can feel the movement of the muscles.
- Do not bend your shoulders and make sure your elbows are stationery.
You can do this 20 times in 3 sets.
b. Stability Ball Workout for Biceps
This stability ball workout is to comfortably work on your biceps, women don’t need to extensively work on their biceps . Biceps are a medium to bring in shape your muscles and help them expand.
Steps to do this exercise
- Place the stability ball and the wall and press your back against the ball.
- Stay in a squatted position
- Carry two dumbbells that weigh 2.5kgs
- Slowly bring the dumbbells up till your shoulder and take it down beside your thighs.
- Do not bend your head or shoulder and feel the stretch on the center of your arm.
Repeat this procedure 10 times each in 3 sets.
5. Stability Ball Workout for weight loss
a. The Super Side Lift
This Stability Ball Workout is to help you lose the flab in your belly and make your legs flexible. When you lift your legs and stretch there is a contraction and expansion in your abdomen, you are building strength in your legs and losing the fat stored in your waist.
Steps to do this exercise
- Keep the stability ball on your side and sit on on the knee of one leg.
- Place your hand on the stability ball for support.
- Stretch the other leg and place the hand on your waist.
- Now, slowly lift the leg that is stretched out and slowly bring it down.
Repeat this procedure at least ten times for each side in 3 sets.
b. Balance and Toning lift
This Stability Ball Workout will bring your butt in a good shape and help you lose flab around your butt.
Steps to do this exercise
- Place your hands on the floor and the stability ball beneath your feet.
- Keep your body in a horizontal position with your lower and upper body in one line.
- Slowly raise one of your legs to the level you can lift it up to.
- Stay in this position for at least 1 minute.
Do this once for each leg and watch how your butt gets in the right shape and how the unwanted fat disappears.
c. Fighting all the flab
This is a winning exercise to lose flab that are stuck in your entire body and be in the perfect figure. Right from your head till your toe this exercise will help you manage your weight.
Steps to do this exercise
- Lift one of your legs and place the stability ball in between your leg from behind by holding it with the help of your butt from one end and your ankle to the other end.
- Take the support of a wall and place your palms on the wall with your head down.
- Gently lift the legs that are holding the stability ball.
Stay in this posture for as long as you can. The longer you stay the better contribution you will make in cutting down on your flab.
6. Stability ball workout to assemble high stamina
a. Workout for Your Legs and Lower Body
This is simple yet effective, all you have to do is just stay in one position but the way you get strong with this exercise can fascinate you.
Steps to do this exercise
- Keep the stability ball behind you and bend one leg and bring it forward and place one leg behind on the ball.
- Hold your hips and keep your back straight.
Stay in this position for a while and watch how you will feel the stress in your legs and lower body.
b. Workout for Your Core and Lower Body
This stability ball workout is a posture that you have to take care of to assimilate stability and power in your body, it is effective for your lower body and maintain an erect posture in your upper body.
Steps to do this exercise
- Spread your legs wide apart and place the stability ball in between your legs.
- Slowly lift your toes up and balance your body in this position.
- To keep the balance you will need support. So, place the tips of your fingers on the stability ball.
Stay in this position for at least 1 minute, repeat this at least 3 times.
7. Stability Ball Workouts for Chest and Shoulders
a. Push Back and forth
Push-ups help the chest muscles develop, make your shoulders firm and give you a chance to work on your upper body.
Steps to do this exercise
- Lie down by placing your palms on the floor and slightly lift your upper body.
- Place the stability ball under your feet behind your leg.
- Once you are in the right position, with the help of your hands push your upper body up and bring it down.
- Do not bring your entire body down, just focus on your upper body.
Repeat this 10 times in 2 sets. It may be tedious initially. Over time you will get a hang of it.
b. Dip Up and Down
When you do dips with a stability ball you have an advantage of giving a firm base for your legs not to bend. Dips help in adding strength and a different shape to your upper body enhances the growth of your muscles and tones up your triceps.
Steps to do this exercise
- First, sit on a bench and keep a stability ball under your ankles. Relax and get settled in this position.
- Firmly hold the bench in such a way that your entire palms and fingers are correctly on the bench.
- Slowly go down and come up in a way that your knees do not bend and there is a strain in your arms and upper body.
Repeat this 10 times in 3 sets.
8. Yoga Stretches with a Stability Ball
The uses of a stability ball is not limited to just exercises on the floor or with weights, it has its importance while performing yoga stretches as well. You will see how to use the stability ball while you do yoga too.
a. Wheel Posture on a Stability Ball
This posture on a stability ball will give you a better grip on your back. This posture elongates your vertebrate, makes your spines flexible, energizes your legs, shoulders, arms, wrists, legs and abdomen and acts as a muscle toner.
Steps to do this exercise
- Lay your upper body on the stability ball with your hands slightly up and palms facing the sky.
- Carefully slide your body behind and slowly place your hands on the floor.
- Your legs and head will be on two ends with the stability ball helping you balance your body.
- To come back, make sure your back and butt is completely on the ball and slowly raise your hands up with applying pressure on the ball to get a hold of your body.
Stay in this posture for a few seconds.
b. Warrior Posture on a Stability Ball
This posture aids to better circulation of blood and ease in breathing. Since you stretch out your hands and legs, this pose does good to your arms, shoulders, opens your hips and improves the elasticity in your leg muscles.
Steps to do this exercise
- Place the stability ball in between both your legs
- Slightly bend the knee of one leg and stretch out the other leg by staying on the toes.
- Look up stretching out your hands up and see to it they are aligned to your shoulders
- Breathe in and out and connect with your breathing.
Stay in this posture for a few seconds.
c. Cobra Posture on a Stability Ball
This posture galvanizes many parts of your body, it expands your muscles, chest and shoulders, it makes your lower back flexible, it is a source of strength to your arms and shoulders and abdomen. It makes your menstrual cycle better and shapes up your butts.
Steps to do this exercise
- Place your palms on the stability ball and rest your abdomen.
- Keep your legs straight and stretched out balancing on your toes.
- Slowly lift your upper body and head and look up.
Repeat this posture at least five times and do it slowly.
d. Sun Salutation Posture on a Stability Ball
This is one of the sun salutation pose that one can perform on a stability ball. This aids to great blood circulation all over the body, especially to the brain and it correctly tones your lower body.
Steps to do this exercise
- Keep the stability ball behind you, place your palms on the ground and keep your legs on the stability ball.
- Keep your body horizontally straight.
- Slowly lift your lower body higher in a way that your butt is up.
- Once you have raised your lower body up, it will be easy for your foot also to be lifted up with the tip of your toes touching the ball.
Stay in this position for a few seconds and slowly bring your lower body down and come down.
9. Postures With the Stability Ball During Pregnancy
When a woman is pregnant she has to be extra cautious and a good stability ball can help her carry out her regular exercises. If you are pregnant you can joyfully and at ease rock or bounce on the ball gently. You have a great support to your back, your weight is also supported.
This bulgy and bouncy ball has a plus point of being a support system pre and post workout. Stability Ball Workouts are quite accommodating to conclude with, for they are friendly for those who want to take a break in between their exercise or when they are exhausted at the end.
Make the best use of this stability ball and have a happy workout session to stay healthy!
