Exercise Ball Exercises (Swiss Ball Exercises) for a Fun, Whole Body Workout

I’ve talked about the exercise ball chair or balance ball chair, but I haven’t talked about exercise ball exercises (Swiss ball exercises).  I’ll briefly review the benefits of exercise ball workouts (Swiss ball workout) and show some exercise ball exercises.

Do you remember how fun it was to play with a ball when you were a kid?  You can still have fun doing exercise ball exercises while adding challenge and variety to your workouts.  Exercise balls are also known as Swiss balls, stability balls, fit balls or physioballs.  They’re large, vinyl balls you can use to stretch and strengthen your entire body while stabilizing your core and improving balance.  2006 American Council on Exercise personal trainer of the year said that the exercise ball is “the one piece of essential equipment for fitness”, and “everyone should own or work with one”.

Exercise ball exercises (exercise ball workouts) are an inexpensive and versatile way to get great workouts to stretch, tone and strengthen.  Exercise balls don’t take up a lot of space, so you get a lot for a little.  You can vary swiss ball exercises as much as you want so it never gets boring, and you can continue to increase the workout level.  It’s also a great balance training tool that gives you a whole body exercise, stimulating the pelvic, abdominal and lower back muscles, which are key for good posture, balance and movement control.  Exercise ball workouts also stimulate the smaller “stability” muscles as well as the muscles you’re using when exercising.

3 Exercise Ball Workouts (Swiss Ball Workouts)

Here are some exercise ball workouts (Swiss ball workout) for a fun, whole-body workout:

Squats Exercise Ball Workout

1. Stand with the exercise ball propped between your lower spine and a wall, pressing lightly into the ball. Keep your feet hip-width apart and a little in front of you with your hands at your sides or on your hips
2. Bending at your knees and hips, move slowly into a sitting position with your knees over your ankles, keeping the ball against your back
3. Return to standing position

You can repeat this 8-15 times.  For more challenge, lift one foot 1-2 inches off the floor doing this one leg at a time.

“Bird dog” Exercise Ball Workout (Swiss Ball Workout)

1. Get on your hands and knees with the exercise ball under your stomach
2. Extend and lift the opposite arm and leg off the floor at the same time
3. While balancing on ball and keeping your hips stable, reach away from the center of your body

You can repeat this 8 times on each side.  Hold the position longer for more challenge.

Supine Bridges Exercise Ball Workout

1. Sit on the exercise ball with your hands crossed on your chest or on your hips and
2. “Walk” forward gradually rolling the ball out until it’s supporting your head and shoulders instead of your butt.  Keep your weight on top of the ball as you roll out
3. Form a flat “table” with your shoulders, knees and hips aligned with your feet flat on the floor right under your knees
4. Lower and lift your hips without moving the ball, tightening the muscles in your butt and backs of the thighs

Can be repeated 8-15 times, and can be as challenging as you want it.

Use your imagination and come up with your own exercise ball exercises (Swiss ball exercises).  Play some music while you’re doing your exercise ball workouts (Swiss ball workouts) and see how much challenge that adds!  Most of all, have fun while you’re getting fit!

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