Back And Abs Workout On The Exercise Ball

Most of the exercises making up an abs workout on the exercise ball will strengthen the back as well as the abdominals and other core muscles.

An exercise ball is a piece of equipment that you will find at any gym. You can also buy them for home use. They are not expensive.

Exercise balls work by requiring you to use your muscles to balance or keep stable. Therefore they are also sometimes called stabilizing balls. The exercises may sound easy, like children's games, but if you try them you will find that a lot is required of your abs. If you do not feel this at once you probably will feel it the next day!

It is important to choose an exercise ball that is the right height for you. When you sit on it your feet must be flat on the floor, knees and hips forming right angles, thighs parallel to the ground.

Before you begin your stabilization abs workout on the exercise ball, you should warm up the muscles of the back. This is easily done with a few minutes gentle exercise on a treadmill, exercise bike, elliptical trainer or simply walking or marching on the spot.

Abs Workout Stabilization Exercise 1 (seated):

Sit on the ball with feet flat on the floor. Keep your abdomen tight, including the deepest ab muscles that you can feel when you cough. Do the same number of reps for each exercise, starting with 10.

First, lift one heel, keeping toes on the floor, then the other.

Then lift one whole foot off the ground, keeping it flat, then the other (as if you were marching on the spot, but slowly).

Then raise and lower each arm in turn.

Finally, raise and lower each arm in turn while lifting the opposite foot off the floor (slow marching with arm movements).

Abs Workout Stabilization Exercise 2 (prone):

Lie with your stomach on the middle of the ball, hands flat on the floor, arms going straight down from the shoulders. Again keep the abdomen tight. Start with 5 reps of each.

First, walk forward on hands until the ball is under the thighs. Walk back to starting position and rest.

Then repeat walking forward on hands until the ball is under the thighs but this time stay there and slowly raise each arm in turn. Do the reps then walk back to starting position and rest.

Finally, repeat walking forward on hands until the ball is under the thighs, stay there and do pushups. Do not go too low at first. Do the reps then walk back to starting position and finish.

Cool down with some stretching, because the abdominal muscles and the muscles of the back will be very tight after this back and abs workout on the exercise ball.