Stability Ball Ab Exercises: Supine Bridge with Leg Extension

Video Transcript

"After you've mastered your supine bridge with this ball with both heels on top, we're going to create a balance challenge by extending one leg. So you've probably seen this done in pilates where one foot is resting on the floor and one knee is extended in line with the other, and then we're going to leave one foot on the ball and extend the other. So it looks the same, it's just you're going to create that balance challenge by controlling the momentum of that big cushion in air as you contract and release. Now this would be without involving transverse upper body. If you'll want to add that in, just bring your elbows out to peripheral vision with a fist-width between the chin and the chest, and we're going to inhale before we start the movement so we remember to exhale on contraction. Big inhale and exhale, crunch in, maintaining neutral pelvis, and release. Now that's where you're going to start to move and shake, and that's what's creating the challenge here, so keep a slow, controlled, quality over quantity, so you can control all that shaking. Big inhale, exhale, contract, try to gaze right through at the ball or your abs, and release. Now you're going to feel a very active hamstring here as well but try not to rely on just the movement of the leg in and out. It's that accordion effect in the midsection that's controlling your center of gravity and creating strength into the core abdominals. 10 to 12 reps."