Fitball exercises for home workouts, balance, strength, mobility and varied training without a large gym setup.
This material is for informational and educational purposes only and is not medical, psychological, or psychotherapeutic advice. If you are experiencing an acute psychological condition or need professional support, please contact a doctor, psychologist, psychotherapist, or crisis service.
Who is fitball training suitable for?
Fitball is a truly universal equipment for home training.
Exercises with it help to load various muscle groups well, relieve pain in the lower back and prevent its occurrence, pump up the body and develop a sense of balance.
Fitball is often associated with soft loads - it is used during training of pregnant women, the elderly and inactive people who lead a sedentary lifestyle.
At the same time, on an elastic ball, you can perform quite complex movements that require good physical training and perfectly develop muscle strength and balance.
What exercises to do with a fitball to pump up the hips and buttocks
These movements will help to work out all sides of the thigh - front, back and inside, and will also provide a good load on the large gluteal muscles.
In addition, unilateral exercises will pump the muscles of the body and improve balance. However, beginners should perform them next to some kind of support to prevent falling.
1. Squatting against the wall
This movement pumps the quadriceps, a large muscle on the front of the thigh.
Press the fitball with your back against the wall, put your feet shoulder-width apart, spread the socks of your feet to the sides. Extend your arms in front of you at shoulder level.
Squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor and straighten up. Thanks to fitball, at the bottom point of the exercise, the legs are bent at the knees at a right angle, and all the load will go to the front of the thigh.
2. Gluteal bridge with feet on the ball
The movement pumps the back of the thigh and buttocks.
Lie on the floor, bend your knees and place your feet on the fitball. Extend your arms along your body and spread your palms down. Lift your pelvis off the floor and fully extend your hips. Tighten the buttocks to better load them. Lower your pelvis back and repeat again.
3. Abduction of the hips
The movement is aimed at working out the adductor muscles located on the inner side of the thigh.
Lie on your back, stretch your arms along your body, and place the fitball between your shins. Squeeze your legs as hard as you can, as if you are going to crush the ball, relax and repeat again.
4. Reverse hyperextension
This movement perfectly pumps the buttocks and provides a good load on the back extensor.
Lie on your stomach on the fitball and place your palms on the floor. Bend your legs at the knee joints, connect your feet and point them to the ceiling, and spread your knees slightly to the side.
By tensing the gluteal muscles, smoothly extend the hip joints. Hold for a second in the extreme position, return to the starting position and repeat.
Here it is important to move smoothly and under control so as not to damage the lumbar spine with sharp movements.
5. Raising the pelvis with support on the ball
A great exercise for pumping the muscles of the buttocks.
Sit on a mat, bend your knees and place your feet on the floor and your hands on your hips. Leaning on the fitball with your shoulders, lift your pelvis off the floor - this is the starting position.
Tighten the buttocks and fully extend the hip joints. Return to the starting position and repeat.
6. Bulgarian split squats
The movement perfectly loads the quadriceps, pumps the muscles of the body and buttocks.
Stand with your back to the fitball and put the sock of one foot on it. You can put your hands on your belt or keep them in front of your chest. Squat down so that the front of your thigh is parallel to the floor, while bringing your back leg back as if you were going to lunge. Return to the starting position and repeat.
Make sure that both hips are pointed strictly forward during the downward movement. If you can't keep them from skewing, don't roll the fitball back, but move strictly up and down.
Also, make sure that the knee of the supporting leg during lifting is directed strictly forward and does not wrap inward. Keep your back straight and your abs tight. If you lose your balance and are afraid of falling, perform the movement next to a wall or other support such as a chair.
7. Bending the legs on the ball
One of the best movements for pumping the back of the thigh.
Lie on your back, put your hands along the body and turn your palms down. Put your heels on the fitball and lift your pelvis off the floor so that your body and legs are stretched in one straight line from your shoulders to your heels.
Bend the legs at the knees and roll the fitball closer to the pelvis, placing the entire foot on the surface of the ball. Return to the starting position and repeat.
8. Stretching the legs in a lying position
The exercise loads the iliac-lumbar and rectus femoris muscles, strengthens the shoulders and body.
Stand up while lying down, put the socks of your feet on the fitball and bend your legs at the knees. Tighten your abs to avoid sagging at the waist. Raise the pelvis to the ceiling until the legs are fully straightened at the knees, lower to the starting position and repeat.
What exercises to do with a fitball to train arms and shoulders
The exercises listed below will provide a load on the shoulders, chest and triceps. If you want to harmoniously develop the upper part of the body, add pull-ups on the horizontal bar, loops or low bar, pulling dumbbells or kettlebells.
1. Push-ups from the wall with a ball
The exercise will provide a good load for beginners — it will pump up the triceps and chest, and due to the unstable support, it will load the muscles of the body.
Stand facing the wall, resting your hands on the fitball. Lift your heels off the floor, tighten your abs and lower your shoulders.
Perform push-ups until your chest touches the ball. Make sure your elbows are close to your body. Tighten the abs to protect the lower back from excessive sag.
2. Triceps extension from the knees
The exercise loads the triceps and body muscles well.
Get on your knees, resting your forearms on the fitball. Check that the body and legs are stretched in one straight line, lift the lower legs off the floor. Tighten your abs and buttocks to maintain proper form, lower your shoulders.
Bend your arms at the elbows, resting on your fists. Then again take the starting position on the forearm and repeat. Make sure that the body remains flat, without bending and skewing to one side.
3. Push-ups from the knees with hands on the ball
This exercise is easier than usual push-ups from the floor. At the same time, it provides an additional load on the body due to unstable resistance.
Get on your knees, put your palms on the fitball and squeeze until you touch the ball. Make sure that the elbows are pointed back and the lower back does not bend.
4. Push-ups with feet on the ball
The movement pumps up the chest and triceps, puts a good load on the shoulders and body muscles.
Stand up while lying down and put the socks of your feet on the fitball. Check that the body is in line with the legs, and the lower back does not sag.
Perform push-ups until your shoulders are parallel to the floor. Do not spread your elbows to all sides - the shoulders should be at an angle of 45° from the body.
5. Stretching on the triceps in a lying position
The exercise is suitable for well-trained people and provides a great load on the triceps and body muscles.
Stand upright lying down, resting your fists on the fitball. Bend your arms at the elbows, lowering your forearms onto the ball, and then return to the starting position. Watch your waist - it should not sag. And perform the movement more carefully so as not to fall off the ball.
6. Push-ups with a slide
Another exercise for well-trained people. It perfectly pumps the deltoid muscles covering the shoulder joint, loads the triceps and body muscles.
Stand in a standing position lying down, putting the socks of your feet on the fitball, and then move your hands closer to the ball, bending at the hip joints. Keep your knees straight. Bend your arms at the elbows and lower into a push-up position. With your forehead almost touching the floor, squeeze yourself up, returning to the starting position.
To begin with, you can press the ball against the wall so that it does not roll away during execution, and as you get used to it, move to the center of the hall.
What exercises to do with a fitball to strengthen the body
These movements pump the rectus and oblique muscles of the abdomen, as well as the back extensors and hip flexors.
1. Hyperextension on the ball
The exercise strengthens the back extensor muscles, located along the spine, and also loads the buttocks.
Put the fitball at a distance of a step from the wall. Press the pelvis and front part of the thighs into the ball, put the feet on the wall next to the floor. Straighten your back so that it is in line with your legs, take your hands behind your head. This is the starting position.
Tighten the buttocks and stretch the back as much as there is enough flexibility. Return to the starting position and repeat. It is important to perform this movement smoothly and move through your range. Take extra care if you have lower back problems.
2. Dead beetle
This movement is suitable for beginners: it gently strengthens the core muscles and hip flexors.
Lie on your back, bend your legs at the hip and knee joints at a right angle. Place the fitball between your knees and arms extended to the ceiling. Tighten the abs so that the lower back is pressed against the floor.
At the same time, lower one arm and straighten the opposite leg, but do not put it on the floor. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.
3. Twisting on the ball
A classic exercise for pumping the rectus abdominis muscle.
Lie on the fitball, press your lower back and pelvis against it. Bend your knees and place your feet on the floor. Put your hands behind your head. Perform twisting in a small range. Keep your abs tight throughout the exercise without relaxing at the bottom.
Make sure that the elbows are placed to the side - do not squeeze the head with your hands when it is difficult. You can also try a more difficult version of the exercise.
Straighten your arms above your head and perform twists in this position. Due to the increased arm of the lever, the load on the press increases.
4. Turn the body sideways
This exercise is aimed at pumping the oblique muscles of the abdomen.
Lie on the fitball so that the support falls on the shoulder blades, and the pelvis and lower back are on the weight. Bend your knees and place your feet on the floor. Extend your arms in front of your chest, join your palms and interlace your fingers in a lock.
Turn the body to the side and direct the folded hands to the wall on the side of you. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side. Make sure that the pelvis does not go down during the execution, remaining in line with the back.
5. Lowering the legs to the side
Movement pumps oblique and rectus abdominal muscles, hip flexors.
Lie on your back, spread your arms to all sides and turn them with your palms on the floor. Squeeze a fitball between your shins and raise your legs to a right angle in the hip joints. Press the lower back to the floor. Bend your legs to the right until they touch the floor, raise to the starting position and repeat to the left.
6. Plank
An excellent exercise for pumping the muscles of the body.
Stand in a standing position lying down, placing your forearms on the fitball. Make sure your shoulders are above your elbows, tighten your abs and glutes to remove the sag in your lower back.
If you want to make the exercise more difficult, put your palms on the fitball and hold the bar in this position.
7. Side bar with feet on the ball
An excellent exercise for pumping the oblique muscles of the abdomen.
Stand in a side plank, resting your forearm on the fitball. Make sure that the body is stretched in one line from the feet to the shoulders, the pelvis does not sag down and does not go back. After completing the selected interval, repeat the same with the other arm.
8. Bringing the knees to the shoulder in the bar
This exercise is quite difficult and suitable for people with good training. It perfectly loads the rectus and oblique muscles of the abdomen, hip flexors and shoulders.
Stand in a prone position and put your knees on the fitball. Tighten the press and check the position of the back - it should be flat, without excessive bending in the lower back.
Bend your legs at the hip and knee joints, rolling the fitball forward and to the side. Imagine that you are trying to bring the ball to your hand. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.
9. Stirring in the pot
A complex exercise that provides a serious load on the muscles of the body.
Stand on your forearms, connect your hands and interlace your fingers in a lock. Tighten the abs to keep the body rigid. Make circular movements with your hands, as if you were stirring the brew in a large cauldron. Alternate clockwise and counterclockwise rotation.
Watch your lower back: if it starts to sag and you can't do anything about it, stop the exercise.
10. Rolling on the ball
The exercise is suitable for people with good physical fitness.
Get on your knees, hook your fingers in a lock and put the brush on the fitball. Tighten the press and move the body forward, rolling the ball. Without bending your arms, return to the starting position and repeat.
To begin with, try doing this exercise against the wall, so that at the extreme point the ball rests against the obstacle, and you do not stretch out on the floor. Over time, increase the distance and carefully monitor the lower back - if it starts to sag, reduce the range of motion.
11. Balance on the knees on the ball
This is a real test for the sense of balance and body muscles. However, it should be tried only by those who are confident in their physical condition and are not afraid of falling.
Stand on the fitball with your knees and try to keep your balance. If you manage to hold on, time it and try to stand a little longer each time.
How to make a workout with fitball
It all depends on your goals.
- To generally strengthen the body and improve physical fitness. Choose 1-2 exercises from each group for your fitness level and perform them in 3-5 sets of 15-20 times or 30-60 seconds if the movement is static. If possible, add pull-ups on the crossbar to the training so that the back muscles and biceps are not left without a load.
- To pump the muscles of the body. Choose 4 exercises to pump the abs, alternating between static and dynamic. Do each of them for 30 seconds, then rest for 1 minute and start again. Do 3-4 rounds. At the end, do 3 hyperextension sets.
- To train balance. Try 3 sets of 20-30 seconds of potty stirring and knee balance. On a leg day, add split squats with your foot on the ball, and when working on your upper body, push-ups with your hands or feet on a fitball. Perform balance exercises at the end of the main workout.
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