Stability Ball Workouts

Stability Ball Workouts For A Awesome Abs

After mastering basic moves within stability ball workouts, it becomes possible to burn much more fat and calories by turning them into dynamic exercises. This means advancing beyond basic crunches to linking continuous and fluid motions.

Research at Sacramento State University has shown that people working with stability tools, had twice the number of muscle fibers as those doing traditional static exercises such as crunches. Muscle burns more calories than areas of the body containing fat. By developing more muscle, you encourage the body to burn calories instead of storing them as fat.

The Seated March is a good beginning exercise. Sit on the ball with spine straight and abs in. Begin marching at a slow pace by lifting one foot off the ground then the other. If you are comfortable with this try lifting your knees higher and bounce with the movement. Continue this for one to two minutes.

The upper body Russian twist is done by laying with your back on top of the ball, feet flat on the ground. Place your palms together and raise the hands straight out from you so that they are pointed upward from the ground. Now rotate the upper body so that the hands lower to one side then the other. The ball should roll under your shoulders and upper back. Start slowly at first, making sure the head is in line with the spine and the lower back is not overexerted. After you master this motion, a more rapid pace will not only target core muscles, but build leg strength and provide a calorie burning cardio workout.

The drop and recover is a next step from the Russian Twist. Instead of starting centered above the ball, shift your body weight to one side and drop the suspended elbow toward the ground. In one fluid motion, reach up to the sky with the suspended hand, rolling the back up and off the ball, bringing the opposing arm down so that your weight is balanced on the opposing elbow. In a continuous motion, lower the upstretched arm to the original position, then immediately repeat. This twisting exercise works the lower back and core while placing additional emphasis on upper body muscles. The continuity and speed with which this is done will determine the calories burned.

The prone roll-out is a basic exercise that gets you into position for other additional exercises. Lie with chest against the ball, then slowly walk forward on your hands until your shins are resting on the ball. Rolling stability ball exercises incorporate non-stop movements that burn a lot of fat and evenly tone your body by using many core muscle groups. If you can master the motions, the speed with which you do them can also provide excellent cardio.

Roll-ins are a good next step after mastering crunches on the stability ball. A good amount of upper body strength is required for this exercise. The ability to do over ten push up is an indicator of whether you can do this. Starting from push up position, bring your shins on top of the ball with arms straight back parallel to ground and abdominals rigid. Bring your knees to your chest without arching your back and hold for one second. Next extend the feet back to where they started. If you find it difficult to get into starting position, lie with your stomach on the ball, and walk forward on your hands until your shins are on the ball. The further out your upper body is from the ball, the more intense the workout becomes for your abdominals.

Stability ball workouts should be done slowly at first while keeping your form with head aligned to the spine and abdominals tense. Getting the motions right in the beginning will provide the foundation for a better work out and reduce the risk of injury to the back.

The many Benefits of using a Core Exercise Ball