How to Do Balance Ball Leg Raises

The balance ball can be used for more than strengthening your core muscles. It can be incorporated into many different exercises and so it's a useful tool around your home or at the gym. Even though you use the balance ball with this exercise, it doesn't require any balance. The ball is used to give your legs something to hold on to so they stay in the correct position during the exercise.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Balance ball
• Floor mat

1. Lay on the floor on the mat with the balance ball at your feet. Bend your knees and grab the ball with your ankles. Put your hands on the floor with your palms facing down.
2. Use your hips to lift the ball toward the ceiling. Focus on using your moving your hips instead of your legs to lift the ball. Your lower back should come off the ground and your legs should remain bent at the same angle.
3. Lift the ball and slowly lower it but don't let it touch the ground. If you let the ball touch the ground, you'll put stress on your lower back and could end up straining it.
4. Check if you are performing the exercise correctly by placing your hands below your lower back. When you lower the ball if you feel your lower back lifting off your fingers you should stop doing the exercise. Your lower back should not move off the ground. Only lower the ball to the point where your back starts to lift off the ground. After time your strength will increase and you will be able to lower the ball further without your back lifting.
5. Repeat the exercise 12 to 15 times and do 2 sets. As you get stronger, add repetitions and sets to your workout.
6. Vary the workout by adding a twist when you raise the ball. First, twist to the right and then go back to the starting position. Second, twist to the left and go back to the starting position. The added twist increases the level of difficulty so you should refrain from making any adjustments to the initial exercise until you have mastered the basic move.