Exercise Ball Weight Loss Diet Nutrition Tips Guide

Exercise Ball For Challenging Abdominal Exercises

By Spiridon Rafter

The exercise ball, sometimes referred to as a stability ball, is a great way for you to get a lower abdominal exercise workout by focusing on your core muscles. Our core muscles are those muscles that keep us balanced.

How can you achieve this on a stability ball? Simply put, certain exercises are performed that require both the ball and the body to be equally balanced. The goal is to keep the ball from rolling out from underneath your body, and in the process, receive an excellent core workout.

For the exercise ball abdominal crunch, balance your body on a stability ball by finding your center point for maneuvering a crunch movement. This means that your lower back will be on the top of the ball.

Placing Your Lower Back On Top Of The Ball

Now simply crunch your upper body up away from the ball, while keeping your fingers on the sides of your head with your chin up and feet firmly planted on the floor. Try to hold the crunch for at least two seconds while exhaling and holding a tight contraction of your abdomen. To make this exercise even more challenging, you can reach your arms straight out behind your head.

Next there is the stability ball, hip flexion lower abdominal exercise, sometimes called a knee tuck. Begin with your shins balancing on the top of the stability ball and your arms in a push-up position. Next you will tuck your knees in under your body as you roll the ball ever closer to your hands. Elevate your rear as your back comes up in a hunched position. If done properly, your abs will contract.

The Plank Hold

Another tough but effective stability ball lower ab exercise is the plank hold. The stability ball plank hold is similar to floor planks, but the unbalanced aspect of the ball makes this exercise much more challenging for your core than the standard floor plank.

To do the stability ball plank hold, you will position yourself on your toes, with your forearms on the top of the ball. When trying to maneuver this one, be careful. If you have never tried this one before, then you will soon discover that it takes quite a bit of balance to pull it off.

Holding For Sixty To Ninety Seconds

Continue holding the plank position on the ball while you make slight body adjustments back and forth in each direction with your elbows. Try holding this one for sixty to ninety seconds. You can do squats with a stability ball. All you need to do is hold the ball between the wall and your lower back. Slowly bend at the knees and hips in order to get into a sitting position.

Be sure that the ball stays between you and the wall or you will fall. Now return to the standing position. Repeat this exercise between eight and ten times to strengthen the belly, legs and hips.

Working Harder In A More Intensive Period

If you are looking for a quick and challenging way to get six pack abdominals, then there is no better way to do that than with an exercise ball. A stability ball makes you work harder in a more intensive period of time to complete your abdominal exercises.

These exercises may be a challenge, but they are also completely enjoyable, and may even remind you of the fun times you had as a child.

This Article was about Exercise Ball.

About the Author:
Spiridon Rafter is an author of exercise, diet and nutrition articles including Gatorade Sports Drink, Cytomax Sports Drink, Sport Drinks, Performance Drink.
Keep a lookout for more of her articles coming soon.

More Facts About Home Gyms

If you turn on the television then you have seen those celebrities with the rock hard abdominal muscles. It is easy to become envious and want that type of body for yourself.

But the question is whether or not you can achieve it. It does not come overnight and it takes a lot of hard work and dedication. You may see some results quickly but you have to be in it for the long haul. If you are ready to tackle those abdominal exercises and get those six pack abs you need the right information.