Best Stability Ball Exercises
This post is the first of our COREnergy Series.
It’s no secret that Carri loves core exercises and particularly core exercises using the stability ball – also referred to as a physio ball. You can also use the stability ball to begin to work on your handstand practice. Here are a few of our favorite stability ball exercises which will help strengthen your core so you can float and fly in your Yoga practice!
Note: All the exercises can be done 5 times each. When you are ready to move on try 10.
Knee-ins
Begin in plank with your feet on the ball and your hands planted underneath your shoulders. Keep your body in a nice straight line. Inhale prepare. Exhale using the power of your core draw your knees into your chest. The feet will stay on the ball and the ball will come with you. Extend your legs back out to plank. Either move straight into the next exercise or come off the ball to give your wrists a break.
Push-ups
Again, begin in plank. Bend your elbows moving your chest towards the floor (without touching it). Press back up into plank.
Jacknives
Begin in plank. Use your core power to lift your hips up high into the sky. Shoulders are on top of your wrists or even slightly in front. Feet stay on the ball. Lower your hips and extend back out into plank. On the last one keep your hips high into the sky and stay.
Handstand
Lift one leg straight up off of the ball. Maybe start to lift the other leg off of the ball moving into your handstand practice. If both legs don’t make it all the way up, that’s fine just keep practicing. Be careful when coming down or falling out of it! Remember the ball is there or could have rolled off to the side so be mindful to not land on it in an unsafe way.
*These exercises are intended for an intermediate level of fitness. If you are new to a fitness program it can be tricky to even get your feet on the ball and balance in plank. Try that first to gauge yourself. If your feet are rolling off and you can barely stay on the ball, you may not be ready for the rest of the challenges. Start slow and build up the strength first before moving on as to prevent injury. Even holding in plank is cause for celebration!
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