Exercise Ball Ab Exercises- You Have Many To Choose From
There are quite a number of exercise ball ab exercises that anyone can fit into their workout. This isn't surprising, because exercise balls have been mainly used to work the core area of the body, which does include the abdomen, in addition to the buttock, hip and lower back area. The reason that the balls, which were invented in Switzerland about fifty years ago and are also referred to as swiss balls, fitness balls, therapy balls, gym balls and stability balls, work so well is that they make the exercise less stable, which forces the body to recruit many small stabilizer muscles that normally wouldn't be involved in the movement, thus resulting in better fitness and results.
When purchasing an exercise ball, be sure to get the right size for your height. If you use the wrong size ball, the exercises you do may put stress on the wrong muscles, which at best could lead to lack of results, and at worst to a serious injury.
One stability ball ab exercise that's very popular is called the sit-back. The execution is precisely as it sounds. You sit on the ball with your arms folded across your chest and your back straight. Slowly lower your back until your abdominal muscles engage, then hold that position for five to ten seconds. Slowly return to the upright position. While you will probably want to increase the amount that you lean back as your ab muscles become stronger, be careful not to lean back too far too quickly, as this can cause back strain.
Another ab exercise that can be performed on the swiss ball is the incline crunch. Lay back against the ball (it may take some practice to learn where the best position on the ball is) with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, and place your hands across your chest. You also can place your hands behind your head as long as you do not pull on your head, which can stress or strain your neck. Contract your abs, pulling your belly button down and in, and use the abs to curl your shoulders up off the ball. A third exercise ball ab exercise is known as the oblique incline crunch. This exercise begins like the incline crunch above. Put your hands behind your head, or, if you tend to pull on the back of your neck, place the hands next to the ears. Then, instead of curling both shoulders up off the ball, curl one shoulder up in the direction of the opposite knee. It's not necessary to touch the elbow to the knee, but you do want to move your elbow in that direction. And one last one. This one may take some practice. It's called the exercise ball cruncher. Start the movement on your knees, bent at the waist with your elbows resting on the ball. Tighten the abdominal muscles and roll the ball forward until your body from knees to shoulders is in a straight line. Slowly return to the starting position. When you've got that version nailed, try starting with your weight on your toes and finishing with your entire body extended. There you have four great exercise ball ab exercises. Do one or two at every workout, and I'm quite sure you'll see your abs and core quickly begin to respond.
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