Stability Ball Crunches
- Intermediate Ab Exercise
For most people who buy a stability ball, abdominal crunches are the reason
for doing so. Even though the Swiss ball is useful for many great core and
abdominal exercises, stability ball crunches are probably the very best exercise
to do on them. The reason why stability ball crunch is such a great exercise and
an improvement over the floor
abdominal crunch is the extra range of motion.
Unlike the flat surface of the ground the ball has a rounded surface
which enables you to lie back at the beginning of your crunch. This little
extra range of motion goes a long way to making the stability ball crunch
one of the
best abdominal exercises.
How to use Correct form for Stability Ball Crunches
Start: Begin from a seated position on the stability ball and slowly walk
forward until your lower and mid back are on the stability ball. You can either
fold your arms across your chest (easier) or hold both arms behind your head
(more difficult). You want to lie back and rest on the ball and draw in your
core.
Begin the motion: Without moving the ball at all, slowly lift your chest
up towards the ceiling, crunching your abdominals basically bring your rib cage
as close as you can to your iliac crest (highest part of the front of the hip
bone). Once you crunch your abdominal, slowly lower your body all the way back
to the original position and repeat.
Breathing: Take a deep breath before you start your crunch. Slowly exhale
as you crunch up towards the ceiling and then inhale slowly as you return to the
starting position.
