Stability ball crunches are a variation of the traditional crunch exercise that targets the muscles of the abdominal region, including the rectus abdominis (also known as the “six-pack” muscles) and the obliques (the muscles on the sides of the abdomen).
Method
To perform a stability ball crunch:
- Sit on a stability ball with your feet flat on the ground and your hands behind your head or crossed over your chest. Walk your feet forward until the ball is under your lower back and your hips are lifted off the ground.
- Engage your core and lift your shoulders off the ball towards your knees, keeping your lower back pressed firmly into the ball.
- Pause briefly at the top of the movement and then slowly lower your body back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Precaution
Using a stability ball adds an element of instability to the exercise, which helps to engage the core muscles and improve balance. It is important to keep your movements slow and controlled and to engage your core throughout the exercise to maximize the benefits. You can also vary the difficulty of the exercise by using different variations, such as a bicycle crunch or a reverse crunch.