Known as yoga balls, exercise balls or fitness or physio balls, they are versatile pieces of equipment that can be used for workouts and other functional movements. When properly inflated, they also challenge core muscles and improve balance.
Supplied with a portable foot pump, our anti-burst PVC swiss ball ensures your yoga fitness and core workouts are safe and secure.
Back Extensions
Back extensions using a stability ball are an effective way to strengthen the core and improve balance. Whether you’re an athlete or a desk-bound professional, this exercise promotes better posture by strengthening the muscles responsible for spinal alignment.
A yoga or exercise ball is a versatile fitness tool that can be used for numerous exercises. Before you start working out with your ball, make sure it is properly inflated. An over-inflated ball may burst, which can be dangerous. An under-inflated ball will not provide the necessary support to stabilize your core muscles during workouts.
To perform this exercise, lay prone on the gym ball with your feet firmly planted on the floor behind you and your hands either in front of you or at your ears. Contract your abdominal and lower back muscles to stiffen your torso as you lift your hips and upper body off the ball.
Single Leg Glute Bridge
The single leg glute bridge is a good lower-body exercise that strengthens both your hip extensor muscles (gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus) as well as your core muscles. It’s a powerful exercise that can help you avoid injuries, especially hamstring issues.
When performing the single-leg glute bridge on a yoga ball, it’s important to ensure that the ball is properly inflated. Overinflation can make the exercise difficult, while underinflation may cause instability and lead to injury.
A common mistake trainees make during the single-leg glute bridge is raising their hips unevenly. Ideally, your heels should be able to graze the floor and the torso and thighs should form a straight line from the knees to the shoulders. This helps minimize hamstring activity and allows you to preferentially activate your gluteal muscles.
Inverted V-Shape
The inverted V-Shape is a compound exercise that targets the abs, chest, shoulders and back. Stand with the feet on a stability ball, like a yoga or Pilates ball, and raise the hips to a plank position. Engage the core muscles to roll the ball forward, letting it extend out from under your body. This move challenges balance and forces you to engage your arms as you lower down into a pushup shape. Then, slowly roll the ball back in by bending the elbows and pushing up through the forearms. This is a challenging exercise that requires good form and balance to avoid injury.
The inverted triangle body shape is characterized by broader shoulders that narrow down to a wider waist and hips, creating a strong and distinctive silhouette. Look for blouses and dresses that highlight the hips and play down the shoulders.
Walking Lunges
Walking lunges strengthen the quadriceps muscles, hamstrings and calves and activate core muscles for balance and stability. Adding a yoga ball to the exercise increases the difficulty and challenges balance to improve movement efficiency.
Jason West, physical therapist and clinical director at Teton Therapy Lander, says that using a medicine ball for this dynamic balance exercise makes it more challenging and fun. He suggests choosing a ball that is proportional to your height to minimize the risk of injury and ensure proper support.
A properly inflated ball is firm but still has some “give” when you push on it, according to the American Council on Exercise. Overinflating increases the risk of a burst and compromises safety, while underinflating decreases the yoga ball’s effectiveness in stabilizing core muscles during exercises.
Pistol Squats
Although pistol squats may look cool and impress others, they don’t provide much functional benefit. They’re also a poor choice for building strength or muscle hypertrophy. Performing too many of them can break the body down and make it prone to injury or cause knee strain. If you struggle with pistol squats, a yoga ball is a great tool to use for stability and safety.
Pistol squats target the quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves. They’re a unilateral exercise done on one leg and require a great deal of balance and strength. If you’re struggling with pistol squats, start by working on single leg hip flexor exercises and lunges for stability first. Increasing ankle and knee mobility — also known as dorsiflexion — is another important step before attempting pistol squats.