Exercise Ball for Your Back
Exercise balls, also known as stability balls, are great all-round tools for strengthening and toning, and they are especially effective for helping with core stability. The core muscles in the center of your body, which include your abdominal muscles and your lower back muscles, can be effectively strengthened with regular use of an exercise ball.
There are a variety of ways to use the multi-purpose exercise ball to work your various back muscles, and this will give you better muscle symmetry and true strength, as you will be working your tendons and ligaments as well, and will not have the stability of a machine to compensate fro any weaknesses.
Some back muscle exercises you can try with an exercise ball include the following:
Upper Back
It is best to use hand weights in conjunction with an exercise ball to effectively work the upper the upper back muscles. Any number of exercises can be done with your hand, arm, chest or upper half stabilized on the ball and your feet on the floor.
For instance, try lateral raises and rowing movements with your chest stabilized on the ball and your feet on the floor. For individual sides (to improve symmetry and/or to work a weak side for a few more reps), stand with your non-working arm or hand on the ball for stability and tighten your abs, then perform one-armed raises or rows.
Lower Back Extension
The lower back often gets missed in workout routines, which is unfortunate as it is an important component in your overall health and strength. This simple (not easy, as balancing on the ball is a great stability exercise on its own!) exercise will help strengthen the muscles in your lower back.
Lie with your stomach draped over the exercise ball, feet on the floor and hands behind your head. Using your feet for stability (put them against a wall if need be until you are stronger), lift your head and torso so that you are flexing and tightening your lower back muscles. Do not lead with your neck or head, rather focus on the lower back muscles you are working to ensure they are being isolated. Your glutes will be involved in this as well, especially until your lower back muscles grow stronger.
Exercise or stability balls offer a fantastic alternative to traditional squats, and can really help to tone and strengthen your butt and legs quickly. Your legs help you balance while at the same time getting a pure strength workout from the squats, thus enjoying a one-two punch which works quickly to tighten up your lower half.
Because stability ball exercises offer so much flexibility, they can be done almost anywhere, with or without weights or other equipment. You can work one or both legs in variety of positions.
Here are two of the most effective stability ball squat exercises:
Exercise Ball Wall Squat
Stand with an exercise (stability) ball against your back, between you and wall (as pictured). When you feel balanced, tuck in your abs and begin to squat until your legs are parallel to the floor. Do not go any deeper as this may hurt your knees. Focusing on keeping your buttocks and thighs contracted, push slowly back up to the starting position.
BONUS: Add hand weights and/or try it with one foot off the ground, both pictured above.
One-Legged Squat
Stand to one side of a stability ball. Carefully place one foot on the ball while the other foot remains firmly on the floor. When you feel well balanced, begin to squat with the standing leg until you reach one quarter of the way down, keeping the other leg still and stable on the exercise ball. All the work should be done by your standing/squatting leg, and your upper body and core muscles should be held tight and upright.
