According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE), a stability ball is considered an effective tool for strengthening your abdominals and other core muscles. Using an exercise ball as opposed to weight bench or on a flat stable surface is that the body responds to the instability of the ball to remain balanced, forcing various muscles to be engaged.
“CORE” Benefits
The “core” muscles in your body stabilize and support all your movements. The “core” is not one specific muscle, but a word used to describe a group of muscles in your trunk and pelvis.
These muscles work together to protect your spine and help with everyday activities. Bending, throwing, lifting, reaching, and running all use stabilizer muscles. Keeping them well-conditioned is very important to overall health. Without conditioned stabilizer muscles, simple movements like pulling, walking, and running go unsupported and leave you at risk for injuries.
Training on a stability ball is one way to work this group of hard-to-reach muscles. Even just by sitting on the ball, you’re able to activate the stabilizer muscles and improve your posture.
Those muscles become stronger over time to keep you balanced on and off the ball.
CORE + MORE: A Strength training tool for the rest of your body
While it’s true that many people associate stability balls with core work, there are many exercises you can do that will also engage your legs, and upper body to increase strength.
Wall sits strengthen your glutes, hamstrings, and quads while building stability through your hips and core. Squats with overhead press build leg strength and work the muscles in your posterior chain. Plank jack-knife will challenge your shoulders, triceps and chest muscles while engaging your core muscles as well.
Smart Stability Balls
Our Smart Stability Balls feature 13 exercises that are printed on the ball for easy reference, making it easy to create a challenging workout on your own.
Be on the lookout for our next #WORKOUTWEDNESDAY as we “roll out” great workout video using four of these moves.
Filmed on-site at Luminaries Retreat in St. Croix Falls, WI.