Developing and maintaining a strong core is essential for a healthy body, to reduce back pain, boost your confidence, and achieve greater results with your overall fitness. Here are some of the best stability ball exercises you can do. Best of all, you can do them anywhere!
Get to Know Your Stability Ball (And What It Can Do For You!)
Stability balls, otherwise known as those big, bouncy balls you see people sitting or leaning on, is a fantastic resistance weight tool. It can add a challenge to the traditional push-up, increase your strength and stamina, and improve your balance. If you’re a beginner, set a goal of three sets, at ten to twenty reps each. Then, work your way up and your endurance improves.
The Wall Squat
The wall squat is a great exercise to implement into your weekly workout, no matter what your fitness level may be. (To challenge yourself as the weeks go on, simply dip down for a lower squat, and hold your wall squat for a longer period of time.) Stand a few inches away, with your back towards the wall, and place the stability ball in between you and the wall. The ball should be pressed against the wall and your lower back. Maintain good posture, and with your feet shoulder width apart, slowly come down to a squat and hold your position for 30 seconds. Slowly lift yourself back up and repeat.
The Ball Lunge
This exercise will seriously target your core, your glutes and your quads, which is the perfect power combo to achieve a transformative body! Place the stability ball behind you (a couple of inches away is fine), and rest your right foot (with the top of your foot, facing down) on top of it. Take your left leg and scoot it forward a few inches so you can comfortable lunge down. Tightening your core and ensuring that your left knee doesn’t extend past your toes, lunge down with both legs and hold for three seconds, then come up. Repeat seven more times and switch legs. You’ll feel the burn!
The Stability Ball Push-Up
This last exercise is simple in practice, but a real challenge to execute. Otherwise known as the elevated push-up, you’ll work out multiple muscle groups, and develop a seriously tight core. Place your hands on the ground in front of you, and lift up your legs onto the ball. Roll the ball out and away from you until the only body part that’s touching it are your feet (so you’re at a push-up incline position). Aim for three sets of eight to ten reps, and repeat!
Strong is the new skinny—and these exercises won’t just help you to develop a mighty core, but an all over rocking body to boot!
