3 Most Effective Stability Ball Exercises To Enhance Your Body Shape

Some people call them stability balls, exercise balls, Swiss balls, or fitness balls. Whatever you call it, this piece of exercise equipment is undeniably helpful in targeting important group muscles like the back, core, arms, glutes, and hamstrings. So, go grab your stability ball and let’s have some fun doing cardio and strength exercises. Yes, you heard me. You can perform both cardio and strength exercises on this bouncy ball. However, before jumping on one, make sure it’s the right fit for you. Simply sit on the ball, if your knees and hips form a right angle, then you found the right one.

Here are the 24 most effective stability ball exercises for a stronger and shapelier you. First up, let’s emphasize some core exercises.

1. Plank

Place your forearms on the Stability Ball™, shoulders over elbows, fingers interlaced, legs together or hip-distance apart, knees bent, hips lowered, and body in long diagonal line. Inhale and prepare to exhale as you extend your knees and hips to come up to a plank position. Hold for a few breaths. Then, exhale as you lower back your knees. To make the forearm plank more challenging, Michelle Vodrazka of Inspired Bodies likes to place her feet on a bench instead of the floor. Aim to complete 5 to 8 reps. Here’s a photo of a perfect plank shared by Agata Kazimierski, director of MERRITHEW™.

To tone up my butt. I am going to build the habit of doing squat every day

2. Plank to Pike

This is a challenging, yet highly rewarding move for most people. Are you ready? To do this exercise, place your feet on a stability ball with your hands on the floor, directly under your shoulders. From there, you contract your entire abdominal core tightly to pike up (butt leading), drawing the stability ball under. Hold the pike and return to your plank position. Try to do 3 to 5 sets with 8 to 10 reps each set. Watch Tosca Reno (New York Times bestselling author of Your Best Body Now, the Eat-Clean Diet® series, and The Start Here Diet) as she demonstrates this killer core workout

3. Pike it up!

Do you want to target and strengthen the deepest abdominal muscles in your body? Trying to master pressing to handstand? If yes, then there’s no better prop than a stability ball. Roll one out, and let’s have some fun with Ally Hamilton, a Santa Monica-based yoga teacher, writer, and life coach. She streams online yoga classes all over the world. Hamilton is also the co-creator of YogisAnonymous.com. This is a fun variation of your Plank to Pike exercise. The difference? It’s hella intense! Start off like your Plank to Pike exercise. Instead of flexing, your feet should be extended on the ball. Inhale, then exhale as you slide the ball towards you. Repeat 10 to 20 times.