How to Do Stability Ball Knee-Ins

Working the abdominal area is never easy. Hundreds of crunches show minimal results. But, throw a stability ball into your workout routine and you’ll discover an effective and fun way to work the abdominal muscles with quick results. The stability ball knee-in is one of hundreds of exercises that you can do on the stability ball. This particular exercise focuses on working the abdominal muscles. Imagine a toned and firm tummy without the sit-ups? The stability ball makes it possible.Stability balls work by forcing the body to use many muscle groups as your body tries to maintain balance on the ball. As a result, your workout is more effective. The tension causes your muscles to engage, tightening to strength the core muscles of the body (abdomen, hips, pelvis, and lower back). Stability ball knee-ins are a challenging exercise that make a great variation to compliment a complete 30-minute stability ball workout.

Things You'll Need

• Stability ball

Instructions

1. Kneel on the floor and place the stability ball in front of you.

2. Lean forward and place your elbows on the ball. Maintain correct posture with a straight back, aligned and relaxed shoulders and head. Place your hands palm to palm above the ball.

3. Lift yourself onto your toes in the traditional push up position, balancing your weight on your toes and your elbows on the ball. Keep that straight alignment of your body and tuck your abdomen in toward your spine.

4. Starting with the right leg, bend your knee and move it toward your chest. If possible, let your knee touch the ball so you know you're working the motion as much as possible. Return it to the start position.

5. Switch legs and bend your left leg to your chest. Return to start the position. Hold that straight posture and balanced position. This completes one repetition.

6. Perform 10 to 15 stability ball knee-ins. As your abdomen becomes stronger, you can increase the number of reps.

Tips & Warnings

• Exercise balls are a relatively cheap form of exercise equipment. It’s very important to make sure your exercise ball properly fits you. Equipment packages are clearly labeled with sizing of the balls based on the height of the user. A general rule is that your legs should form a 90-degree angle when sitting comfortably on the ball.

• Always make sure to warm up completely and perform some light cardio exercise before performing any workout. Warmed-up muscles are more responsive to strengthening.