Situps with an Exercise Ball

Video Transcript

"If you've done a warm-up, great, if not, core work is a good way to get all the blood flowing through the muscle as well. Once you've mastered the floor with your form on a basic sit-up, we can take this cushion of air and add it into the equation. Again, if you've got somebody with you the first time that can stabilize the ball for you, that's great too, next to a wall, somewhere where you got a little more control. The further away I have my feet, the harder it's going to be. You want to get that ball right into the small of your back for support. Although I want you to think of contracting in the front part to support the back part, the ball is also back there to help support. Feet, shoulder-width, hip-width apart, square. We're just going to take a fist right here so we keep that fist length between the chin and the chest. We want a nice, neutral line here with the neck and the spine. We're going to use rib to pelvis, just like you would on a floor to crunch. At first you're going to think you don't have to support your back because you've got that ball back there doing it for you, but you're going to find you do. The closer I bring my feet in, the less length and momentum I have to control. If you have problems with hip flexors when you do this, that's not ab work. We want to take those out of the picture. Bring your feet in a little closer, so you can take those out of the picture. We want to progress with our elbows out to the side, and crunch. Third progression would be here, arms beside the ears, with that fist-width still between the chin and chest, and crunch. It's a small movement, 10-15 degrees of movement. Make sure you get it down on the floor first, and then add in your progression."