Stability Ball Crunches - Let's Make It A Bit Tougher!

Stability ball crunches simply means to perform the usual ab crunches on a stability ball! You might wonder how the ball makes the workout any different.

The answer lies in the fact that you need to balance yourself on the ball throughout the entire workout. This will demand a great effort from your abdominal muscles, making this workout tougher, without using weights and other items.

Amazing how a simple ball can make a whole tonne of difference to your workout, right?

Shall We Begin With Some Stability Ball Crunches?

• Sit down comfortably on the stability ball.

• Lie back onto the stability ball.

This is the part where you might experience some problems with balance. Try to find your sense of balance before fully lying back. It might take a while at first, but you will get the hang of it.

Another tip: don't lean back too quickly as you might lose balance and fall off the ball completely!

• Once you have found your balance, cup your ears with your hands. This is your starting position.

• Slowly lift your head and shoulders, making sure to be careful of your balance.

At this point, really use your abdominals to control your movements.

• Hold the position for about three seconds.

• Slowly return back to the starting position.

• Repeat this process 15 more times.

Things To Keep An Eye Out For

• Do not move too quickly.

In this exercise, moving fast can be bad as you might lose your balance and fall, leading to injuries. Take things slowly.

• Only begin the exercise if you are certain of your balance.

You need to be very sure of your balance before starting on this exercise. Do not start if you are not totally confident.

• Avoid tugging and pulling the head.

As with other ab crunches, do not pull your head forward during the exercise. You need to use your abdominal muscles, and not your arm strength to complete this workout.

So Now You've Mastered It, What Now?

• Try to attempt more than just 15 repetitions.

Once you have gotten very confident and you can do 15 repetitions easily, I strongly suggest that you try doing more than 15. This is a great workout, and it's better than normal ab crunches because your back is supported!

Try to aim for 20 repetitions! Remember, do not force yourself. Take things slow. Increase your number of repetitions every week, or even every month! You might think that it is slow, but it will pay off.

Final Words From Azri

Yes it is challenging. When I first tried using a stability ball, I didn't seem to be getting any repetitions done because I was always readjusting myself!

However, once I got used to balancing on it, I could do workouts easily. It paid off because stability ball workouts usually make your muscles work really hard!

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