15 Minute Full Body Workout: The Most Effective Fitness Ball Exercises

Regular physical activity helps not only to form a beautiful figure, but also to take care of health. There are various exercises – both with the use of special sports equipment and without, thanks to which each person can choose for himself the most affordable, effective and convenient option for training. Since the fitness ball is one of the best tools for exercising at home, our portal will introduce you to the best ball exercises that will help you lose weight, strengthen muscles, including the core, improve balance and balance.

Fitness Ball Exercise: Key Benefits

Each type of exercise has its own major benefits. By using a fitness ball to keep your body in shape, you:

• increase spinal stability, thereby reducing the risk of back pain and improving posture (which is especially important for people with sedentary work);
• Engage more muscle fibers: By performing traditional fitball exercises, you can be sure that your muscles work more efficiently during your workout – this is facilitated by an unstable surface;
• improve athletic performance: if you are involved in other exercises or sports, fitball training, strengthening the muscle corset, helps you to complete your tasks with greater ease and efficiency;
• increase flexibility (the ball is also suitable for warming up and stretching muscles before training);
• improve balance (during exercise on the ball, stabilizing muscles actively work, which contributes, among other things, to the formation of correct posture).

Performing exercises on the fitball, you can improve balance, increase flexibility, strengthen muscles.

The best fitness ball exercises you can do at home

Before you begin to exercise on the ball, make sure you have selected the correct equipment. The right fitball size (depending on your height and weight) will make your workout as comfortable, efficient and safe as possible.

The following exercises are performed for about 15 minutes and are an excellent workout for the whole body, including the abs and core muscles.

1. Squats

Step 1: Holding the ball behind your back, stand up straight and position it so that it is between your back and the wall. Place your feet about 60 cm wide in front of you.

Step 2: Holding the ball with your back, tighten your abdominal muscles and lower yourself down to the point where your thighs are parallel to the floor. Stretch your arms out in front of you.

2. Hip Raises

Step 1: Lie face up on the floor, place your feet on the ball, and place your arms along your torso.

Step 2: With your feet on the ball, lift your hips up. When your body does not form a straight line from your feet to your shoulders, hold for a couple of seconds, slowly lower yourself into the PI.

3. Russian twists

Step 1: To perform this ball exercise, lie down with your upper and middle back on the ball. Raise your hips so that the area of ​​​​the body from the knees to the shoulders forms a straight line. Stretch your straight arms up, put your palms together.

Step 2: Engage your core and twist your upper body to the right as far as you can. Without lowering your hips, "roll" upper body back and then to the left. Try to complete the movement 10 times in each direction.  

4. Cobra

Step 1: Lie face down on the ball with your hands on the ball.

Step 2: Tighten your core and glutes. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and bring your hands to your buttocks, as shown in the picture. Hold this position for 2 seconds, then return to the PI.

Perform the described exercises on the fitball a couple of times a week.

5. Planck

Step 1: Kneeling, place your forearms on top of the ball. Gradually pushing your knees back, take the plank position (feet hip-width apart). Leaning on your forearms and feet, lift your body.

Step 2:  Stabilize the body with the movements of the legs and buttocks, then pull the arms about 10 cm towards you and immediately move them 10-20 cm forward. Continue to move your hands around the fitball 10 times.

6. Pushups

Step 1: To perform the well-known push-up exercise, on the ball, first place your hands on the top of the fitball. Tighten your core, knees, and glutes to stabilize your body.

Step 2: Bend your arms, lowering your torso towards the ball. When the upper body is at a distance of about 5 cm from the fitball, leaning on your hands, rise to the PI. Repeat 10-12 times.

7. Leg raises

Step 1: With your torso and hips on the ball, lie face down with your arms outstretched in front of you.

Step 2: Raise your legs so they are in line with your body. Squeezing your buttocks and lower back, try to lift your legs, without bending them, up. After a couple of seconds, lower yourself into the PI and repeat the exercise.

Actually, that's all the exercises on the fitness ball that will help keep the muscles of the whole body in good shape. Follow the described program a couple of times a week, alternating with your other favorite types of training.