How to Do Ball Ab Workouts

Perform crunches on a stabililty ball to increase the intensity of an ab workout.

To achieve flatter abs, you need to perform extensive and repeated training sessions. Abdominal exercises can be the most challenging to execute, especially if your body isn't responding to the traditional crunches. Add exercise or stability balls into your ab workout to improve your chances of success. A stability ball workout forces your body to challenge itself better than doing traditional crunches. The exercises strengthen the core and improve posture and balance.

Things You'll Need

• Small stability ball
• Large stability ball
• Mat or towel

Instructions

1. Execute a ball rotation starting position exercise. Lie down with the small ball underneath your shoulders and lower back. Hold your arms straight above your head with your palms facing each other. Keep your knees and legs at a 90-degree angle. Slowly twist your upper body to the right, in a sweeping fashion, stopping parallel to the floor. Move back to the starting position (arms above head), pausing for 2 seconds. Repeat the motion, moving to the left side this time. To get the most out of this work out, keep your stomach muscles pulled in and your abs tightened.

2. Execute a hip extension starting position exercise: Lie down on your back with your legs straight and your heels on the ball. Keeping your abs tight and pulled in, slowly lift your hips from the floor and straighten your legs. Keep your gluteus muscles tightened. Roll the ball slowly from the starting position to your gluteus. Pause for one second and slowly roll ball back to the starting position.

3. Execute a roll-in starting position exercise. Lie down and place your feet on top of the ball. Start in a plank or pushup position while keeping your feet on the ball. Slowly, bring your knees to your chest. Pause for one second and slowly bring your body back to the starting position.

References

• Good Housekeeping: Core Exercises for the Stability Ball