How Do I Use My Stability Ball?

In honor of our excellent Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce representative, McKinze Cook, the stability ball is the focus today! McKinze has amazing health and wellness ideas and have helped us put Habit 4 Health on the fast track to success so I'm sharing with you one of her health blog ideas.


The best feature of the stability ball is that it forces you to utilize your stabilizing muscles during each move. Sitting on the ball, lying on it like a bench, propping your feet up for a challenging push up, the stability ball does it all.

Stability Ball Exercises

1. Squat and Press with Stability Ball
-Stand with feet shoulder width apart and knees slightly bent.

-Walk feet forward allowing stability ball to roll underneath body until it is positioned on lower to mid-back region. Raise hips slightly to create a 'table top' position parallel to floor.

-Place hands across your chest. Head should be in a neutral position with a space between chin and chest

-leading with the chin and chest towards the ceiling, contract the abdominal and raise shoulders up.

-return to start position

-remember to keep head and back in a neutral position (hyper extension or flexion of either may cause injury)

-complete 3 sets of 20 repetitions.

2. Stability Ball Crunch
-Sit in upright position on stability ball with feet flat on floor.

-Walk feet forward allowing stability ball to roll underneath body until is positioned on lower to mid-back region. Raise hips slightly to create a 'table top' position parallel to floor.

-Place hands across your chest. Head should be in a neutral position with a space between chin and chest.

-Leading with the chin and chest towards the ceiling, contract the abdominal and raise shoulders up.

-Return to start position

-Remember to keep head and back in a neutral position (hypertension or flexion of either may cause injury)

-compete 3 sets

Kick Start Healthy Habits Fitness Boot Camp begins again March 8th. 6:10 - 7:10 AM and 5:30 - 6:30 PM. Join today for more stability ball excercises and much much more!