Swiss Ball Exercises

Best Swiss Ball Exercises: Strengthening and Stabilizing

If you are a regular gym-goer, there is a good chance that you have used a Swiss ball or stability ball before. However, you may not be fully aware of all the different cool exercises that you can do with them, and that is where this list of the best Swiss ball exercises comes into play.

This list of the best Swiss ball exercises will highlight 21 different Swiss ball exercises to add to your fitness routine. It will provide a good range of exercises and will allow you to focus on a number of different muscle groups.

Swiss balls are great for core, stretching, working out a specific body part, developing stabilizer muscles, and more. Regardless of your fitness level, this list is going to have an exercise or two for you.

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Top 21 Swiss Ball Exercises:

 

Ab Rollout Swiss Ball Exercise

1. Swiss Ball Ab Rollout Exercise

Primary Muscles Worked: Abdominals and Core

Difficulty Level: Beginner to Intermediate

About Swiss Ball Exercise: Similar to using an ab roller wheel, this Swiss ball ab rollout exercise will allow you to tone and strengthen your core. This is a great exercise for those just starting out in the gym or a gym expert. The reason why is because it is going to allow you to easily adjust the difficulty of the exercise by how far you roll out each time.

 

 

High Knees Crunch Swiss Ball Exercise

2. High Knees Crunch Swiss Ball Exercise

Primary Muscles Worked: Abdominals

Difficulty Level: Beginner

About Swiss Ball Exercise: The Swiss ball high knees crunch exercise is going to allow you to get your body moving. It is going to allow you to work on cardio, as well as improving your core. This is a great exercise to do at the beginning of a workout to help you get loose and warmed up. Also, you can adjust the difficulty of this exercise by how far you lower the Swiss ball each time.

 

 

Oblique Leg Raises Swiss Ball Exercise

3. Oblique Leg Raises Swiss Ball Exercise

Primary Muscles Worked: Obliques

Difficulty Level: Beginner

About Swiss Ball Exercise: This exercise is similar to the previous high knees crunch exercise. Instead of a straight-on approach, though, it is going to focus on your obliques and your cardio. Also great as an exercise to help get your workout going, you may want to consider doing them one after the other. 

 

Feet Up Crunch Swiss Ball Exercise

4. Feet Up Crunch Swiss Ball Exercise

Primary Muscles Worked: Abdominals

Difficulty Level: Intermediate

About Swiss Ball Exercise: This exercise is a take on the traditional ab crunch exercise. The Swiss ball is going to allow you to incorporate some foot movement into the exercise and will allow you to isolate your abdominal muscles. Make sure that you are using your core to help lift your back up off of the ground and don’t jerk yourself up.

 

Ab Toe Touches Swiss Ball Exercise

5. Swiss Ball Ab Toe Touches Exercise

Primary Muscles Worked: Abdominals

Difficulty Level: Intermediate

About Swiss Ball Exercise: You may have done toe touches while on the ground, but with a Swiss ball, it is a whole new game. The Swiss ball is going to force you to really work on developing your stabilizer muscles. This exercise is also going to allow you to work on and develop the sometimes elusive six-pack. If it is difficult for you to do this Swiss ball exercise with a straight leg, try bending your knee and then working your way up to a straight leg. 

 

 

Pike Ups Swiss Ball Exercise

6. Pike Ups Swiss Ball Exercise

Primary Muscles Worked: Core and Shoulders

Difficulty Level: Advanced

About Swiss Ball Exercise: The Swiss ball pike up is going to allow you to strengthen and tone your entire midsection. This is a little bit more of an advanced Swiss ball exercise, but if you are looking to challenge your abs in the gym, this is a great exercise. Use this exercise on a regular basis, and it won’t be long before you start noticing the difference in your abs.

 

 

Hold Toe Touches Swiss Ball Exercise

7. Hold Toe Touches Swiss Ball Exercise

Primary Muscles Worked: Abdominals

Difficulty Level: Intermediate

About Swiss Ball Exercise: If you are a regular gym-goer, you most likely have already seen someone doing this Swiss ball exercise, that is because of how well it works! A big key to this exercise is nice and controlled movements. Give this exercise a try if you are looking to develop a firm and toned midsection.

 

 

Reverse Pike Ups Swiss Ball Exercise

8. Swiss Ball Reverse Pike Ups Exercise

Primary Muscles Worked: Abdominals

Difficulty Level: Intermediate

About Swiss Ball Exercise: If done correctly, this is one Swiss ball exercise that is really going to help you develop killer six-pack abs. Once again, though, it is all about having controlled body movements. Add the Swiss ball reverse pike up exercise to your workout plan, and your abs will thank you, well, when they are done being sore.

 

 

Oblique Crunch Twist Swiss Ball Exercise

9. Oblique Crunch Twist Swiss Ball Exercise

Primary Muscles Worked: Obliques

Difficulty Level: Beginner

About Swiss Ball Exercise: Another common gym exercise, this Swiss ball exercise is worth adding to your regular workout routine. This exercise will allow you to isolate your obliques and help you get that nice toned V that leads to your waist. Along with toning, this is one of the best Swiss ball exercises for working on strengthening your core.

 

Toe Touch Planks Swiss Ball Exercise

10. Toe Touch Planks Swiss Ball Exercise

Primary Muscles Worked: Core and Shoulders

Difficulty Level: Advanced

About Swiss Ball Exercise: This Swiss ball exercise is going to take the bodyweight plank exercise and put a twist on. It is not only going to make the exercise more “fun” but also really help to tone and strengthen your core. By taking one leg off of the Swiss ball at a time, you will really have to use your core and your other leg to help stabilize yourself. So if you are looking for a way to spice up your planks, give this exercise a try.

 

 

 

Push Ups Swiss Ball Exercise

11. Swiss Ball Push-Ups Exercise

Primary Muscles Worked: Shoulders and Triceps

Difficulty Level: Intermediate

About Swiss Ball Exercise: When you think push-ups, you think chest. Well, with this push-ups exercise variation, you are really going to be focusing on your shoulders. When making the push-up motion, the Swiss ball is going to force you to help stabilize it. This is going to allow for building your strength and improving muscle tone. This exercise is also going to help work on your core, as it is an elevated plank as well.

 

 

Bridge Swiss Ball Exercise

12. Bridge Swiss Ball Exercise

Primary Muscles Worked: Glutes, Hamstrings, and Lower Back

Difficulty Level: Intermediate

About Swiss Ball Exercise: Toning your glutes and hamstrings has never been easier than with the Swiss ball bridge exercise. As you get up into the bridge position, you will be forced you use your legs and core to help you stabilize the ball. So not only will you be toning, but you will also be developing your stabilizer muscles as well.

 

 

Alternating Bridge Swiss Ball Exercise

13. Alternating Bridge Swiss Ball Exercise

Primary Muscles Worked: Glutes, Hamstrings, and Lower Back

Difficulty Level: Advanced

About Swiss Ball Exercise: Feel like taking on a challenge? This is an advanced version of the previous exercise. Having only one foot on at a time will force your muscles to work even harder when trying to stabilize the Swiss ball. This just means though that your legs and core are getting that much more of a workout.

 

 

Superman Swiss Ball Exercise

14. Superman Swiss Ball Exercise

Primary Muscles Worked: Lower Back

Difficulty Level: Beginner

About Swiss Ball Exercise: The Swiss ball superman exercise is great for strengthening your lower back. It is going to allow you to really isolate your lower back muscles. The superman exercise is also a traditional yoga pose. Adding in the Swiss ball will add in that extra level of difficulty, though. It will force you to use your legs to squeeze it tight as you go through the exercise. If you are looking to strengthen your lower back, this is one of the best Swiss ball exercises to use.

 

 

Lower Back Raises Swiss Ball Exercise

15. Lower Back Raises Swiss Ball Exercise

Primary Muscles Worked: Lower Back

Difficulty Level: Beginner

About Swiss Ball Exercise: This Swiss ball exercise will focus on your lower back and hamstrings. It will help you elongate and then strengthen the muscles involved. This is not a very difficult exercise, but it is great for helping to strengthen and protect your lower back. When doing this Swiss ball exercise, really focus on nice and controlled movements. Try a pause at the top between repetitions to make this exercise a little bit more difficult.

 

 

Swiss Ball Lower Back Stretch

16. Swiss Ball Lower Back Stretch

Primary Muscles Worked: Lower Back

Difficulty Level: Beginner

About Swiss Ball Exercise: Don’t underestimate the power of stretching. This is especially true when it comes to your back muscles. Anyone that has ever experienced back tightness and stiffness knows how easily it can lay you low. This lower back stretch is going to allow you to ease into the stretch as far as you are comfortable. As you become more flexible, you can allow yourself to lean out further and further.

 

 

Swiss Ball Hamstring Stretch

17. Swiss Ball Hamstring Stretch

Primary Muscles Worked: Hamstrings, Calves, Lower Back

Difficulty Level: Advanced

About Swiss Ball Exercise: If you have already mastered being able to touch your toes on the ground, try adding in a Swiss ball. The added elevation will increase the difficulty of the stretch. Also, the need to stabilize the ball will help with improving your stretch.

 

 

Swiss Ball Side Hamstring Stretch

18. Swiss Ball Side Hamstring Stretch

Primary Muscles Worked: Hamstrings

Difficulty Level: Intermediate

About Swiss Ball Exercise: With this Swiss ball exercise, you will be able to stretch your hamstrings, hips, and back in all directions. This Swiss ball stretch is going to help assist you with being able to stretch forward and side to side. You may have done this stretch while sitting on the ground before, but adding in the Swiss ball is a game-changer.

 

 

Swiss Ball Supine Stretch

19. Swiss Ball Supine Stretch

Primary Muscles Worked: Lower Back

Difficulty Level: Intermediate

About Swiss Ball Exercise: This Swiss ball supine stretch is really going to allow you to improve your back flexibility. If you experience back stiffness, this is a great exercise to add to your workout routine. This stretch pairs well with the next stretch on this list of the best Swiss ball exercises, so make sure that you check out that one as well.

 

 

Swiss Ball Rollover Stretch

20. Swiss Ball Rollover Stretch

Primary Muscles Worked: Lower Back

Difficulty Level: Advanced

About Swiss Ball Exercise: This stretch is pretty easy to do as you simply roll your feet over your head and allow gravity to do the rest. Just because this stretch is easy to do, though, doesn’t mean that it isn’t highly beneficial. This stretch is going to be great for elongating your back muscles and for allowing your back to get a nice relaxed stretch.

 

 

Swiss Ball Reverse Bridge Stretch

 

21. Swiss Ball Reverse Bridge Stretch

Primary Muscles Worked: Abdominals

Difficulty Level: Beginner

About Swiss Ball Exercise: After doing all of the great Swiss ball ab exercises in this list, you are going to want to stretch out your core. This reverse bridge stretch is going to allow you to do just that. You will be able to gently relax your body on the Swiss ball and allow gravity to help stretch your abs and your lower back out.

 

Best Swiss Ball Exercises Conclusion

A Swiss ball is an exercise tool that everyone should be using on a regular basis. They are not expensive or bulky, so you could literally pull a Swiss ball out and do a workout while watching TV at home. Spend time a few days a week with some of the exercises on this list of the best Swiss ball exercises, and your body will be thanking you in no time.
Are you interested in more fitness-related lists? Check out our list of the best TRX exercises, best bodyweight exercises, and best resistance band exercises. And if you are wanting to look your best while working out, our list of the best activewear brands will have everything you need.
Also, if there are any Swiss ball exercises that you love and think should’ve made this list, please let us know in the comments below so we can check them out.