The best exercise ball exercises to improve core stability

These exercise ball exercises are particularly beneficial for your core, while strengthening all-important stabiliser muscles to prevent injury.

Despite their simplicity, exercise balls can be a genuinely useful training tool, and are enjoying a deserved fitness renaissance.

In the late 1990s to early 2000s, leisure centres and exercise videos across the world were invaded by these large, bouncy balls. Initially used by physiotherapists for rehabilitation, they quickly became mainstream. Why? Because exercise balls are an excellent tool for developing functional, ‘real-world’ strength.

With a machine and even many free weight exercises, you can only move in one direction and therefore only recruit the main muscle groups. Exercise ball exercises, however, enable you to work the prime movers, plus all the stabilizer muscles that support the movement.

Why is that important? Your body only uses what it needs to when exercising. Training mainly on machines may increase your muscle mass or strength, but it will be to the detriment of your stabilizers – ultimately making you weaker on free weight exercises. It’s like putting a bigger engine in your car but not upgrading your brakes or suspension. When required to go faster or lift heavier, the brakes and suspension could be out of balance and cause a crash or an injury.

So I’ve devised the following exercise ball exercises to help you work key muscles, as well as all the smaller stabilizer muscles surrounding them.

These are the best exercise ball exercises

1. Exercise ball crunch
2. Exercise ball crunch twist
3. Exercise ball decline plank
4. Exercise ball jack-knife
5. Exercise ball jack-knife twist
6. Exercise ball pike
7. Exercise ball plank
8. Exercise ball roll-out
9. Exercise ball V-up
10. Exercise ball push-up
11. Exercise ball oblique crunch
12. Exercise ball glute bridge
13. Exercise ball hamstring curl
14. Exercise ball cossack squat

Exercise ball crunch

• Lie on your back over the Swiss ball with your fingers by your ears
• Place your tongue in the roof of your mouth and roll your neck forward into your chin
• Pull your stomach muscles in and lift your head and shoulders off the ball
• Pause at the top, then slowly lower

Coaching cue: To make it harder I hold my arms straight behind my head.

Exercise ball crunch twist

• Lie on your back with your fingers by your ears
• Tuck your chin into your neck and pull your stomach muscles in
• Lift your head and shoulders off the ball while rotating the right elbow to the left-hand side of your body
• Pause at top, then slowly lower. After designated number of reps, swap sides

Coaching cue: I try not to lead with my elbow, but pull from my stomach. It helps to imagine your upper body is fused together.

Exercise ball decline plank

• Place your feet on the ball and your hands in a press-up position
• Suck your belly button into your spine to maintain core activation
• Ensure your back doesn’t bow, as that will recruit incorrect muscle sequences

Coaching cue: To make it harder, I move my feet closer together.

Exercise ball jack-knife

• Place your ankle on the ball and your hands on floor in a press-up position with your elbows locked out
• Draw your belly button in towards your spine
• Maintain a flat back posture
• Pull your knees in towards your chest, hold, then slowly return

Coaching cue: I move my hands closer together to make it more difficult.

Exercise ball jack-knife twist

Target areas: Obliques, lower back, shoulders

• Place your ankle on the ball and your hands on the floor in a press-up position, with your elbows locked out
• Draw belly button towards spine
• Maintain a flat back posture
• Draw your knees diagonally from the right side to the left hip
• Once you’ve completed all reps on one side, switch

Coaching cue: I find balancing on my toes on the Swiss ball increases the challenge.

Exercise ball pike

• Begin in a press-up position with your toes on the ball
• Bring your hips up to the ceiling
• Maintain good back posture
• Slowly lower back down

Coaching cue: I do one leg at a time to make it harder.

Exercise ball plank

• Place your elbows on the exercise ball and your feet hip-width apart on the floor
• Keep your back flat and your hips in line with your body
• Hold for as long as you can maintain good postural alignment

Coaching cue: I close my eyes to make it more challenging.

Exercise ball roll-out

• Place your elbows on the exercise ball and your feet hip-width apart on the floor
• Keep your back flat and your hips in line with your body
• Push your elbows upwards
• Hold, then draw them back to starting position

Coaching cue: I try to draw out my name with my elbows for an added challenge.

Exercise ball V-up

• Lie on the floor with the exercise ball between your feet
• Maintain tightness in your core
• Lift your legs and your arms upwards
• Hold at the top, then slowly lower

Coaching cue: If too difficult, bend your knees to shorten the lever.

Exercise ball push-up

Target areas: Abs, chest, glutes 

• Begin with your hands shoulder-width apart on the ball and your legs on the floor
• Bend your elbows to slowly lower your chest until it touches the ball
• Pause, then push back firmly

Coaching cue: To add variety, I push-up sideways by bending towards one direction for one set and the other for another.

Exercise ball oblique crunch

• With your feet anchored against a support, place your hips sideways onto the ball
• Have your hands gently resting behind your head
• Keep your body side on, then contract upwards as high as you can go
• Pause, then return slowly. Change sides after set number of reps

Coaching cue: I’ll make it harder by holding my arms straight overhead.

Exercise ball glute bridge

• Lie on the floor with your heels on the ball
• Lift your hips off the ground, pushing them upwards
• Keep your back flat and aligned throughout the movement
• Slowly lower to the start position

Coaching cue: If I feel the exercise too much in the hamstrings, I’ll stretch them out in-between.

Exercise ball hamstring curl

• Lie on the floor with your feet on the exercise ball
• Keep your hips up and draw your knees towards your chest
• Pause, then slowly return

Coaching cue: I often change the angle the knees are pulled in – i.e. both inwards or outwards – to hit the three different hamstring muscles.

Exercise ball cossack squat

• Stand upright and place one foot on the ball
• For the foot that is on the floor, maintain alignment especially during movement to prevent your knee dropping inwards
• Hinge your hips back, while maintaining a flat back
• Drop as low as you feel comfortable, then push back up to the start
• As you get more comfortable with the movement, you can descend lower into the squat

Coaching cue: I fix my eye on one spot in front of me to maintain balance.

If you’re looking for an exercise ball to perform these exercises, the Pure2 Improve ball is excellent value

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