Six swiss ball exercises to get you started

Difficulty level: beginner

I have picked these particular swiss ball exercises as a starter because they’re pretty easy to do and you only need one piece of equipment – a swiss ball!

You can integrate these exercises into your current gym routine as a good way to start working your core, or if you don’t use the gym they’ll make a good all-round strength and toning workout by themselves.

1. Standing wall pushup

If you find floor pushups difficult, a good way to build up to them is to do standing ones first. Adding a swiss ball makes your body work harder, as you have to stabilize throughout the movement.

1. Stand facing a wall, arms outstretched and hands shoulder width apart, pushing the swiss ball against the wall at chest height. Your fingers  should be facing upwards.
2. Allow your upper body to fall slowly forwards (for a count of 5), bending your arms, until your chest lightly touches the swiss ball. Your feet should remain stationary. Breathe in as you go.
3. Push out with your hands to return to your starting position. Exhale forcefully as you go. The return movement should take around 1 second.
4. Repeat for between 8 and 12 repetitions.

Variations:
As you become stronger, you can move your feet further from the wall, so you’re starting position is leaning in. Be careful not to go too far away though as you could slip and bang your head on the wall. If you need further difficulty, you can progress to putting the ball on the floor and performing the same movement.

Muscles used:

• Pectorals (chest muscles)
• Triceps (the muscle at the back of your upper arm)
• Anterior Deltoid  (the front part of your shoulders)

2. Reverse swiss ball bridge

This is a great core exercise. I often start with this exercise when I introduce my clients to the swiss ball, and it’s still a firm favorite of mine. The trick is to keep the movement really deliberate and controlled.

1. Lay on the floor on your back with your arms by your sides. When you first try this exercise, start with your arms quite wide to keep you stable.
2. Raise your legs and rest your heels on the swiss ball, keeping your feet together.
3. Raise your buttocks off the floor until your body is straight.
4. Hold for a count of 5 and then slowly lower back down.
5. Repeat for between 8 and 12 repetitions.

Variations:
As you get better at this exercise, you can bring your arms closer to your body so that your core has to work harder to keep you stable. For additional difficulty you can bend one of your legs to perform a single leg variation. Perform an equal number of repetitions for each leg.

Muscles used:

• Hamstrings
• Gluteus maximus (buttocks)

3. Swiss ball squats

These are a fantastic way to prepare your body for weighted squats. They are excellent for getting the movement and posture right (essential if you plan to start squatting with weight).

1. Stand with your back to a wall with the swiss ball in the small of your back between you and the wall. Your feet should be a little wider than shoulder width apart.

2. Squat down until your thighs are parallel to the ground, breathing in as you go. Allow your back to follow the curve of the ball (it will feel like you’re sticking your bum out). Pull your abdominal muscles tight for the entire movement. Ensure that your knees don’t protrude further forward than your feet at the bottom of the movement, as it will stress your knee joints. If they do, simply move your feet forward a bit (further from the wall). Lower for a count of 3.

3. Push back up, looking straight forward (for a count of 1). Exhale as you go.

4. Repeat for between 8 and 12 repetitions.

Muscles used:

• All of the upper leg muscles
• Gluteus Maximus (buttocks)

4. Swiss ball triceps dips

Although this exercise is for your triceps, it will have a significant impact on your core stability. If balancing the swiss ball behind you feels to difficult, try placing it against a wall until you gain confidence.

1. Place your swiss ball behind you and squat slightly with your hands behind you. Rest your hands on the ball, fingers pointing toward your back.
2. Allow your weight to rest between your hands and feet.
3. Squat down, bending your elbows. Slowly lowering your buttocks toward the floor. Stop once your forearms and upper arms form a right angle. Don’t go any further than this as you will place too much stress on your elbows. The lower should take around a count of 3. Inhale as you go.
4. Push back up with your arms until they are straight again, for a count of 1. Exhale as you go.
5. Repeat for between 8 and 12 repetitions.

Muscles used:

• Triceps

5. Swiss ball crunches

Crunches are the perfect exercise to get started with abdominal training.

1. Sit on the swiss ball and roll forward so you are laid on the ball with your feet wide enough to offer you stability. The ball should be positioned in the small of your back.
2. With your fingers on your temples; move your shoulders and rib cage forward, keeping your hips and legs still. Breathe out as you go.
3. Slowly return to the starting position (for a count of 3). Inhale as you go.
4. Repeat between for between 8 and 12 repetitions

Muscles used:

• Abdominals

6. Swiss ball hamstring curl

A brilliant exercise for toning your legs and bum. To start with you may find the ball keeps trying to escape off to the left or right. Stick with it and keep the movement really controlled.

1. Lay on your back with your heels on the swiss ball and your arms by your side (hands about 12 inches from your sides).
2. Keeping your back straight, lift your buttocks off the floor.
3. Pull the ball toward you by bending your legs. You’ll end up with the soles of your feet on the ball, your neck & knees bent and your body pointing upward. Breathe in as you go.
4. Slowly push the ball away from you to return to the starting position (for a count of 3). Exhale as you go.

Variations:
You can make the exercise harder by:

• Moving your hands closer to your body – this makes it harder to stabilise yourself through the exercise
• You can bend one leg so that you only have one foot on the ball to perform a single leg variation of the exercise. Perform an equal number of repetitions for each side.

Muscles used:

• Hamstrings
• Gluteus maximus (buttocks)

I hope you enjoy these swiss ball exercises. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to drop me a comment below. I would love to hear from you.