Exercise Ball Exercises to Build Core Body Strength

Most of us need to specifically exercise the core abdominal and back muscles as these muscles are not used in most everyday movements.

Exercise ball workouts target these core muscles, and in turn lead to improved mobility and stability along the spine and less back pain.

8 Core Strengthening Exercises to Support Your Spine

Here are eight exercise ball exercises that target core muscles in your abdomen and back:

1. Front walkout
   Place your chest on the exercise ball and walk forward on your hands as far as possible, rolling the exercise ball from your chest toward your feet, while keeping stomach and low back muscles tight and lower back flat. Start by moving the ball to your thighs; to increase difficulty move the ball to your knees then feet. Walk your hands back to the starting position.
   • Repeat 3 to 5 times.
2. Back walk-out
   Sit on the exercise ball with arms to your sides; walk your feet forward as far as possible, rolling the exercise ball from your buttocks up along your back toward your neck, while keeping stomach and low back muscles tight to keep lower back flat and do not raise your head. Start by moving the ball to your upper back; to increase difficulty move the ball to your neck. Walk your feet back and return to your sitting position.
   • Repeat 3 to 5 times.
   • For more difficulty, complete the exercise with arms straight overhead; with exercise ball at neck, lift and straighten one leg at a time, 5 times for each leg.
3. Reverse crunch
   Place your chest on the exercise ball and walk forward on your hands until the ball is at your shins just below your kneecaps, keeping your stomach muscles tight and your lower back flat. Pull the ball up toward your arms by bending at hips and knees, then straighten and push the ball back.
   • Repeat 5 times. Walk hands back to starting position.
4. Reverse extension
   Place your chest on the exercise ball and walk forward on your hands until the ball is at your kneecaps, keeping stomach muscles tight to keep lower back flat. Roll the ball to your thighs by keeping your hands in place and moving your arms to an overhead position, bringing your head and chest down near floor; return arms to perpendicular to your body with the exercise ball back at kneecaps.
   • Repeat 5 times. Walk hands back to starting position.

5. Combination reverse crunch and extension
   Complete the reverse crunch and reverse extension in one continuous, controlled movement, pulling exercise ball up to your chest and extending back 5 times.
6. Half crunch
   Sit on the exercise ball with arms placed across your chest or on hands on your hips; lean back half way, flexing at hips without moving feet, but raising up on your toes; use your abdominal muscles to sit up while keeping your feet in place but rocking back on your heels.
   • Rock back and forth on the ball smoothly 5 times. Increase difficulty with arms straight overhead.
7. Obliques
   Sit on the exercise ball with your arms raised straight overhead; lean back half way, flexing at your hips without moving your feet, but raising up on toes; lower one arm at a time slowly towards the opposite knee.
   • Alternate arms 10 times each side.
8. Full crunch
   Sit on exercise ball with arms at your sides and feet flat on the floor and out in front, sitting slightly forward on ball; lean back all the way, rolling the ball to your low back then mid-back; keeping your feet flat on the floor, use abdominal muscles to sit up.
   • Repeat 5 times

For anyone just starting out with exercise, using the exercise ball to build core body strength is an excellent option.

These core body strength exercises with the ball can be difficult to perform and should be learned with the help of an appropriately trained physical therapist, chiropractor, certified athletic trainer, exercise physiologist, physiatrist, or another type of spine specialist or exercise instructor.