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18 Awesome Stability Ball Exercises

The stability ball is not something that is new to the fitness world, but it has been something that has not been very popular the past few years.

However, more recently there has been this increase use and buzz around using stability balls in exercises integrated into people's fitness routines.

The use of a stability ball that is integrated into your fitness routine comes with many uses and benefits. For that reason, it makes it an important piece of equipment and it is fun and easy to use for any fitness levels.

Flexibility

It helps improve flexibility if used correctly. It is a great way to warm up your muscles before you exercise and is also a great way to cool down the muscles.

Therefore, the stability ball also comes with the extra benefit of reducing your chances of injury and prevents soreness the next day.

Strengthens Core Muscles

Stability balls come with this great ability of helping people strengthen abdominal muscles and lower back muscles as well. For instance, it can help with maintaining core stability muscles that you use almost every day.

In addition it helps with making sure that muscles a kept conditioned to protect and help with balance and stress of muscles.

Better Balance

You do not need to make an effort to use the stability ball to improve your balance because just by simply sitting on the ball you can improve you balance a lot.

It also aids to helping maintain and get a better posture when sitting and standing. In addition, by doing certain exercises while using the stability ball is also a great way to maintain and get good balance throughout your body.

How to Incorporate a Stability Ball into Your Workout

When it comes to using a stability ball as a part of your fitness routine there are countless exercises that you can do and choose from.

This is why we put together a list of ways you can use a stability ball to help you get shape.

It is recommended to do 3 to 5 sets of 10 to 20 reps to get the best results that you want from these exercises listed below.

Source: Fitness Magazine

1. Push-Ups

If you want to tone and shape your arms and get a stronger core, than doing push-ups on a ball is a great way to ensure that you see results.

1. Lie with your abdomen on an stability ball and walk your hands forward on the floor until the ball rests under your shins.
2. Lower your upper body on the floor. Hold this position for three seconds, and then push up so your elbows are straight but not locked. Keep your head in line with your spine and your abs engaged.
3. And repeat!

2. Squats

If you want to tone your thighs and butt this is a perfect exercise for you. It is simple and easy and you can do this exercise anywhere as long as you have a standing wall.

1. Place a stability ball between the wall and the curve of your lower back.
2. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart.
3. Bend your knees and lower 5 to 10 inches, keeping your shoulders level and your hips square. Hold this position for 3 seconds and then stand back up.
4. Start with 5 reps and work up to 12. Rest for 20 seconds and do another set.

3. Overhead Squat

If you want to work your quads and butt and at the same time improve your balance; this exercise is for you.

1. Grab a stability ball and stand with your legs hip-width apart.
2. Raise the ball over your head, your arms extended and close to your ears.
3. Now squat down, keeping the weight in your heels and your arms extended.
4. Hold the squat for one count, then come back up.
5. Keep your arms lifted as you do 12 to 15 squats.

4. Plank Pike-Up

This exercise with target your abs, lower back, core and overall balance.

1. Take a stability ball and lie on top of it with your shins on the ball and your palms on the floor under your shoulders.
2. Now use your abs and legs, rolling the ball to your middle, lifting your hips and keeping your head down between your arms.
3. Hold here for 1 count and then roll back to the start.
4. Do 10 to 12 reps.

5. Weight Press

This exercise is great if you want to tone your arms, chest and shoulders.

1. Lie on your back with your heels on the exercise ball.
2. Hold lightweight dumbbells just above your chest with your palms facing forward.
3. Press the weights straight up over your shoulders as you exhale.
4. Hold the position for three counts, then lower the weights.
5. In the beginning do this move three times, gradually working your way up to 12 reps.

6. Standing Side-Splits

Standing side-splits is a great way to stretch out your muscles after an intense workout.

1. Stand with feet together about a foot behind a stability ball.
2. Bend from hips, placing hands on ball.
3. Keeping torso extended and abs and glutes tight, raise left leg behind you until it's parallel to the floor.
4. Keep your foot flexed and your inner thigh facing the floor.
5. Rotate your torso to the left and extend left arm overhead.
6. Turn head to gaze at left hand.
7. Hold for 3 counts.
8. Lower and return to starting position.
9. Repeat on opposite leg.

7. Frog Jump

This ball exercise is great for your quads and your calves.

1. Stand behind a stability ball on the floor, legs slightly wider than hip width apart, toes turned out.
2. Squat all the way down, bending knees deeper than 90 degrees, and place hands on either side of the ball.
3. Press elbows into insides of thighs to deepen the stretch.
4. Pushing off your legs and glutes, jump as high as you can, pointing toes and straightening your legs while lifting ball overhead, arms extended.
5. Repeat 5 to 8 times.

8. Wall Curl-Up

This exercise targets your abs and oblique's.

1. Place ball about 2 feet in front of a wall. Lie face up on ball with lower back on its center, knees bent 90 degrees, feet flat on the wall, calves parallel to the floor.
2. Lie back on ball so arms hang behind head toward floor.
3. Curl shoulders off ball and reach hands toward feet.
4. Reverse motion back to start.
5. Do 3 sets of 20 reps.

9. Butt Burner

The butt burner exercise is great if your goal is to target your butt and hamstrings.

1. Stand facing a wall with feet hip width apart. Bend left knee behind you with foot flexed and place ball between calf and butt; place hands on wall.
2. Press left foot up 1 to 2 inches toward ceiling while squeezing ball with legs.
3. Do 20 to 25 reps of 3 sets.

10. Plank

Do this exercise to target your shoulders, abs, hips and butt.

1. Start in a full plank position with shins atop center of ball. Keep back flat and hips facing floor, bring bent right knee out to side toward right elbow.
2. Return right leg to ball and repeat with left leg.
3. Do 3 sets of 15 reps on both legs.

11. The Dolphin

This dolphin exercise is great if you want to work out your chest, triceps and abs.

1. Get in full plank position with hands on the center of stability ball under shoulders, thumbs and forefingers touching and feet slightly wider than shoulder-width on floor.
2. Slowly bend elbows 90 degrees as ball rolls forward and rest forearm in top of ball.
3. Roll ball in toward chest as you straighten arms to return to the start.
4. Do 3 sets of 15 reps.

12. The Superman

If you want a stronger back and want to get rid of back fat than this exercise was made for you.

1. With your back to a wall, lie face down on ball with hips on its center; place soles of feet against wall, legs extended and toes on floor for support, then drape upper body over ball so arms reach toward floor.
2. Lift torso off ball, extending arms overhead until body forms a straight line from hands to feet.
3. Lower.
4. Do 3 sets of 20 reps.

13. Seesaw

This exercise is great as it targets the shoulders, back and hamstrings.

1. Stand on left leg with right knee bent 90 degrees behind you, holding ball in front of chest with both hands.
2. Hinge forward from hips, extending arms overhead as you straighten right leg until body is parallel to floor.
3. Reverse motion back to start.
4. Do 3 sets of 20 reps switching sides.

14. Balancing Act

This stability ball exercise is great if you want to work out your shoulders, abs, oblique's, butt and legs.

1. Lie face up on ball with your back on its center and feet flat on floor, holding a dumbbell in each hand.
2. Extend arms out to sides at shoulder level, palms up. Maintaining balance with abs engaged, extend left leg at hip level in front of you and raise right arm toward ceiling, directly over shoulder; lower arm and leg.
3. Switch side and repeat to complete 1 rep.
4. Do 10 reps.

15. Kick Backs

The kick back exercises targets the shoulders, triceps and abs.

1. Lie face down on the ball with your belly on its center, holding a dumbbell in each hand, legs extended, toes resting on floor.
2. Start with arms by sides and parallel to torso with elbows slightly bent, palms facing up.
3. Lower arms straight down until hands touch floor in line with hips.
4. Keeping head in line with neck, press arms straight up to back; lower.
5. Do 8 reps and then repeat.

16. Step ‘n' Go

This exercise targets the arms, abs, hips and legs all at the same time.

1. Place dumbbells on floor 2 to 3 feet apart.
2. Stand between weights, holding ball in front of waist with both hands.
3. Step over dumbbell on your right foot and back to center 2 times, then bounce ball 4 times.
4. Repeat on the left foot.
5. Do combo 10 times.

17. Ball Hop

The ball hop exercise targets more than one area of the body. It works out and slims down the arms, abs, inner and outer thighs.

1. Sit on the ball with knees bent and your feet on the floor. Bend your elbows out to sides at shoulder level so your fists are touching in front your chest.
2. Bounce on the ball as you bring your legs wide out to the sides, lifting feet off floor and your butt off the ball, extending your arms straight out to the sides.
3. Bounce to bring your legs and hands back in.
4. Do 4 reps of 3 sets.
5. Repeat, bouncing twice on every jump.

18. Ball Pass

The ball pass exercise is a great if you wanting to maintain a flat stomach or to get a flat stomach.

1. Lie on your back holding an exercise ball and lift your feet so your legs are parallel to the floor.
2. Lift your head, neck, and shoulders, and place the ball between your legs.
3. Now lower your legs and reach your arms back.
4. Come back up and grab the ball.
5. Continue to pass 10 to 12 times.

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