The study found that crunches performed on a stability ball (a.k.a. fitness ball or Balance Ball) boosted activation, or flexing, of abdominal muscles by 24 to 38 percent over crunches done without a ball. Participants in the study were fitted with electromyographic equipment that registered heightened activity in upper and lower abs as well as in obliques.
Abs workouts using a stability ball engage smaller core muscles that more traditional forms of exercise don’t, says certified yoga and fitness ball trainer Suzanne Deason. Those smaller muscles help you keep your balance on the ball. You'll sculpt all the muscle groups in the abdominals — particularly the transverses for a flat stomach; they're sometimes missed in regular sit-ups — as well as the obliques for a whittled-down, small waist; and the outermost muscle, the rectus.
Here's how to do it right. 1. Crunch on an Exercise BallAllan Danahar / Getty ImagesSit on the exercise ball with your feet flat on the floor. Let the ball roll back slowly and lie back until your thighs and torso are parallel with the floor. Contract your abdominals raising your torso to no more than 45 degrees. To work the oblique muscles, make the exercise less stable by moving your feet closer together.
Step By Step Instructions Sit in upright position on the ball with your feet flat on floor. Leading with the chin and chest towards the ceiling, contract the abdominal muslces. Raise shoulders up concentrating on using your abdominal muscles and *not* your neck or hip muscles. Return to start position.
