How to Do Thigh Squeezes With A Stability Ball

The exercise ball, also known as a stability ball, is a cheap all purpose fitness and exercise accessory that is gradually growing in popularity. It is a simple plastic ball filled with air. It is very resilient and capable of withstanding over five hundreds pounds of pressure before it breaks. Stability balls work on a principle quite the opposite of most fitness equipment and techniques; by providing an unstable surface to work on rather than a solid one, the muscles of the body immediately contract to maintain the body’s balance and stability. Over just a few short minutes these muscles experience a heavy workout simply trying to keep your balance as the person using the ball performs simple low-impact exercises. Thanks to its light weight, stability balls are much more portable and convenient than exercise machines, weight machines, and free weights. The balls were originally designed to focus on the strengthening of core muscles in the abdomen and lower torso, but with a little ingenuity they can be used to work almost every muscle group in the human body. This guide will explain how to perform thigh squeezes using a stability ball.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Practice Room
• Stability Ball

Performing Thigh Squeezes

1. Begin by sitting down on the ground with your feet straight out in front of you.
2. Place the stability ball between your legs, and grip it just above it’s equator with the inside flats of your feet. Turn your legs inward a little so your toes are pointing up and inward.
3. Lay down flat on the ground. Lock your elbows and raise your hands above your head, touch your fingers together to form a triangle with your thumbs and index fingers.
4. Hug the ball with your legs as you sit up. Start by raising your hands to point directly forward, then sitting up pulling with the muscles of your abdomen into an upright sitting position. Inhale as you sit up.
5. Lean forward until the tips of your fingers almost touch the stability ball’s surface before lying back down and placing your hands back over your head. Exhale as you lay back down. A single set of these exercises might be comprised of between ten and fifteen repetitions. As you gain strength in these muscles, you will be able to perform longer sets.

Tips & Warnings

• It is important to use a stability ball that is right for your height. To make sure your stability ball is the right size, sit on it. If your hips are level with or slightly above your knees then you've got the right size ball. This particular exercise is good for working both the muscles of the inner thighs and the muscles of the lower abdomen.
• If you have back problems then don't make yourself sit up completely, instead perform simple crunches. You shouldn't have to raise your shoulders more than a few inches off the ground and it will be safer for your back.