Swiss Ball Exercises

The Swiss ball is called an exercise ball. You can also hear some people calling it to balance ball, gym ball or Pezzi ball. The Swiss ball is made of elastic and it has air inside.

The Swiss ball is created by Aquilino Cosani, a plastic manufacturer from Italy, he was also a famous gymnast. Originally, the swiss ball used for the purpose of physical rehabilitation. During the 1980s and 1990s, American therapists began to use this ball in the athletic arena and gradually, it became an important tool for the fitness industry.

You can use a swiss ball by using a workout surface, workout machine, or weight. This ball amazingly provides the bouncy support to engage the minor and major muscle grounds in your body while doing the workout. It also serves as a resistance that makes you keep in extensive strength and strong muscle to complete the workout. The swiss ball workout targets deep core muscle and abdomen muscles and builds strength.

Including Swiss ball workout in your exercise plan can get your effective results. The bouncy and light balls help to shape up your body by improving your flexibility and balance. Even, fitness expert believes that Swiss ball workout has remarkable benefits over other fitness training or equipment with body weight.

It is important to know how to use the Swiss ball properly to get the benefits.

Here are the amazing Swiss ball exercises.

Warm up before exercise

It is important to warm up before doing any exercise. You do the warm-up in the following ways.

• • Head tilts – 1 set – 10 reps

• Neck turns – 1 set – 10 reps
• Wrist circles – 1 set – 10 reps
• Arm circles – 1 set – 10 reps
• Shoulder circles – 1 set – 10 reps
• Waist circles – 1 set – 10 reps
• Calf raises – 2 sets – 10 reps
• Side lunges – 1 set – 10 reps
• Spot jogging – 3 minutes
• Jumping jacks – 2 sets – 20 reps
• Standing side crunches – 1 set – 10 reps
• Ankle circles- 1 set – 10 reps

Swiss Ball Exercises for Upper Body

Swiss Ball – Dumbbell Triceps Extension

This exercise focus on muscles of bicep, triceps, wrist flexors, shoulders, extensors, core, and glutes.

How to do?

• Take the dumbbells and sit above the swiss ball.
• Walk forward and feel a supine position. Make your upper-back rest on the ball your shins should be at right side angles with the thighs and keep the feet flat to shoulder-width apart, in order with your knees. Line your upper back by engaging your core and hips.
• Raise your hand right side over your head.
• Inhale and bend your elbows and gently lower down your forearms till the dumbbells come in line close to your ears.
• Let your elbows face toward the ceiling when you bend your hands.
• Breath out and push your forearms upward and stretch your hands back right side up on your head.
• Perform 15-reps of 3-sets.
• Take rest for 90-seconds.

Swiss Ball – Triceps Dip

The triceps dip workout with swiss ball focus on the muscles of biceps, triceps, extensors, wrist flexors, glutes, shoulders, hamstrings, and calves.

How to do?

• A beginner can push the ball in a corner to balance it.
• Sit on the Swiss ball and keep your hands on it, near to right sides of your buttocks.
• Let your feet out and balance your body using your palms and heels that should be slightly pushing the swiss ball.
• Keep your shins at 60 degrees using your thighs.
• Gently turn your butt away from the ball and go down till they can touch the ground.
• Let your core engaged and return at the starting point.
• Perform 15-reps of 3-sets
• Rest – 90 secs

Swiss Ball – Rear Deltoid Row

The rear deltoid row exercise using swiss ball focus on biceps, extensors, wrist flexors, shoulder back, glutes, core, and hamstrings.

How to do?

• Lie on the swiss ball using your belly and balance your lower body on the toes.
• Take a dumbbell in both hands and let the swiss ball hold your weight completely. Place your neck straight with your spine.
• Stretch your arms to sides and flex your elbows at some level.
• Raise your arms till they get aligned to your shoulders.
• Take a pause and gently lower down your arms.
• Perform 15-reps of 2-sets.
• Rest – 60 secs

Swiss Ball – Dumbbell Chest Press

The dumbbells chest press using swiss ball exercise helps to target shoulders, chest, biceps, triceps, and core muscles.

How to do?

• Sit easily on the swiss ball and hold a dumbbell in both hands.
• Walk forward so the upper backrest on a swiss ball.
• Place your feet level on the floor, line your glutes with thighs and upper body similar to a bridge.
• Keep the dumbbells to your chest level with your arms and forearms at right angles and keep your palms facing ahead.
• Breath out and drive the dumbbells upward and extend your hand’s right side above your chest.
• Breath in and take down the dumbbells reverse in the opening point.
• Do 15-reps of 3-sets.
• Rest – 20 secs

Swiss Ball – Dumbbell Shoulder Press

The dumbbell shoulder press using swiss ball target on the muscles of biceps, triceps, chest, and shoulders.

How to do?

• Sit comfortably on the swiss ball and keep feel level to the ground.
• Hold one dumbbell in your every hand close to the edge of shoulders.
• Let your palm facing ahead and make your elbows align to your chest and engage your core muscles.
• Breath out and raise the dumbbells are you stretch your arms over your head. Let both dumbbells touch each other.
• Breath in and get your arm back to down to come in starting point.
• Perform 15-reps of 3-sets.
• Rest – 20 secs.

Swiss Ball – Decline Push-Up

The decline push-up workout using swiss ball target muscles of chest, biceps, triceps, upper back, wrist flexors, shoulders, extensors, and core muscles.

How to do?

• Lie on the Swiss ball and walk ahead using your hands. Keep rolling ahead until your knees and shin come over the swiss ball and the rest of front body resting over your palm support on the ground.
• Keep your palm face forward by engaging your core muscles, push your body down by bending your elbows till your chin is close to touching the floor.
• Now get back to normal.
• Perform 5-reps of 3-sets
• Rest – 60 secs

Note –  Increase the repetitions as you improve and become more relaxed with this workout.

Swiss Ball – Incline Push-Up

The incline pushes up using the swiss ball to target your muscles of shoulder, chest, upper back, biceps, triceps, wrist flexors, core, and extensor.

How to do?

• Take a swiss ball and keep it on the ground
• Balance your body by keeping your palms on the swiss ball.
• Keep your palm slightly facing outward to your body and stretch your legs backward.
• Keep your body to 60 degrees on the floor. Engage your core muscles by stretching your arms and bend your toes.
• Look at the ground and push downward by bending your elbows till your chest touches the swiss ball.
• Then get back to the starting point.
• Perform 3-sets of 5-Repetition.
• Rest – 50 secs

Note – Increase the repetition as you improve and become more useful with this exercise.

Swiss Ball- Lat Pull

The Lat pulls swiss ball workout target your muscles of Lats, biceps, chest, and shoulder.

How to do?

• You will need a pull lift machine to perform this exercise. Put the swiss ball at the edge of the lift machine.
• Stand over the platform and take hold of pull handles. Sit down over the swiss ball. Put your feet apart to balance your body and let your palms near each other.
• Pull down the handles of the lift machine by sitting straight and engaging the core. Let your elbow shoot behind your chest and turn toward your back.
• Stretch your arms gently and return to the starting point.
• Perform 15-repetitions of 3-sets.
• Rest – 50 secs

Swiss Ball – Dumbbell Chest Fly

The dumbbell chest fly workout target muscles of biceps, chest, shoulders, triceps, and upper back.

How to do?

• Take one dumbbell in per hand and sit up the Swiss ball. Keep your heels level on the floor.
• Take dumbbells by flexing your elbows. The dumbbells should be at chest levels.
• You should perform this workout as doing hammer curls.
• Walk ahead to till your upper-back come on the swiss ball.
• Let your feet level to the ground and keep your butts raised upward aligned with the rest of your body.
• Push your arms upward and stretch them completely upright side over your chest.
• Keep your neck adjusted to your spine. It is a start point.
• Get the dumbbells down from over the chest to right side over the sides of the chest. With the help of forearm, put your arms at 60-degrees.
• Swing your arms behind up to the opening point.
• Perform 5-repetition of 3-sets.
• Rest – 50 secs

Note –  Double the reps as you improve and enhance happier with this exercise.

Swiss Ball Exercises for Strengthening Core

Swiss Ball Crunches

The swiss ball crunches exercise target muscles of shoulders, upper abs, lower abs, obliques, middle abs, and Lats.

How to do?

• Sit comfortably on the swiss ball using your feet level on the ground.
• Turn down by walking ahead and let your backrest on a swiss ball.
• Keep your fingertips to your head sides to support your neck and head.
• Keep pressing your back into the Swiss ball and place your neck aligned with the spine.
• Raise your upper body and do a crunch.
• Return down to the starting point and again repeat.
• Perform 10-reps of 3-sets.
• Rest – 30 secs

Swiss Ball Russian Twist

The swiss ball Russian twist exercise target the muscles of core, deltoids, lats, and obliques.

How to do?

• Sit comfortably on a swiss ball and keep your feet level on the ground.
• Turn down and make your shoulder blades rest on the swiss ball.
• Let your hips aligned with the remaining body.
• Stretch your hands up over the chest.
• Hold your hands together and begin rotating first to the right side and the do to the left side.
• Make sure of the movements happening within your torso. As you keep doing, the ball also moves to help you balance the movement.
• It is one set and returns to starting position.
• Perform 10-repetitions of 3-sets.
• Rest – 30 secs

Swiss Ball Knee Tuck

The swiss ball knee tuck exercise focuses on the muscles of shoulders, core, quads, and hamstrings.

How to do?

• Keep the swiss ball on the ground in front of you.
• Flex down and keep your hands on the ball. Place your knees over the swiss ball and let your hands on the ground, then walk in front direction till your shin and knees come over the swiss ball. Basically, it will be like a decline push-up position.
• While engaging your core, bend down your head and keep your hands to should width apart.
• Keep rolling the swiss ball by bringing your both knees near to your chest.
• Now roll the swiss ball backward and stretch your legs back to do a push-up position.
• Perform 10-reps of 3-sets.
• Rest –30 secs

Note: Do more reps as you feel comfortable with the exercise.

Swiss Ball Pike Crunch

The pike crunch using swiss ball target muscles of shoulders, core, glutes, quads, and hamstrings.

How to do?

• It is an advanced move, and beginners will need your trainer help.
• Place the swiss ball backside of you and raise your legs upward and keep them on the swiss ball.
• Give support to your upper body by keeping your palms flat to the ground level.
• Raise your hips upward by aligning your remaining body and place your toes pointed. It will look like a plank, and it is a starting pose.
• Push your hips upward to the roof and lower your head down and look at thighs.
• Be in this pose for two seconds.
• Move your hips downward and return to the plank position.
• Perform 5-repetition of 3-sets.
• Rest – 30-secs

Swiss Ball Crossover Crunch

The crossover crunch with swiss ball target your muscles of obliques, core, and shoulders.

How to do?

• Sit comfortably on a swiss ball. Keep your feet level to the ground and turn down to let your lower back come on the ball.
• Fall backward over the ball while keeping your core engaged and stretch your upper body upward and bend to your left side.
• Again, fall back over the ball and stretch your upper body upward and turn to your right side.
• Perform 5-reps of 3-sets.
• Rest – 30-secs

Swiss Ball Pelvic Tilt

The pelvic tilt exercise using swiss ball helps to work on muscles of pelvic floor muscles, abs, and glutes.

How to do?

• Sit down on the ground and keep swill ball below your heels.
• Lie on the mat with your back and align your body.
• Place your hands on your sides and keep your palm facing down.
• Press your glutes and stretch your hips upward.
• Try as high as possible for you.
• Stay in this pose for two seconds and return to down.
• Perform 10-reps of 3-sets.
• Rest – 30 secs

Swiss Ball Incline Plank

The incline plank exercise with swiss ball target core muscles.

How to do?

• Stand back of the swiss ball and keep your elbows over the ball center and interlink your fingers.
• Stretch your legs behind and balance your body with your toes.
• Stay in this position for 30-60 seconds.
• Perform 2-sets.
• Rest – 60 secs.

Swiss Ball Decline Plank

The decline plan exercise with swiss ball target your core muscles.

How to do?

• Bend on a swiss ball and keep your palm on the ground.
• Walk out using your hands till your legs come to the straight level, and your shins and knees come over the swiss ball.
• Place your arm straight by engaging core muscles. Stay in this position for 30-60 seconds.
• Walk again to come in the starting point.
• Perform 2-sets of workouts.
• Rest – 60 secs

Swiss Ball Side Plank

The side plank using swiss ball target your muscles of obliques and core.

How to do?

• Bend down and put the swiss ball on your right side.
• Hold the ball using your right hand and balance it by holding it near to your pelvic area.
• Now make your left leg straight and foot flat on the floor. Flex on your right to support and balance your body.
• Now unfold your right leg and keep it back of your left foot. Put your right elbow back of the shoulders and let the sides of your torso over the swiss ball.
• Breath out and stretch your body from the ball. Sustain your body over your feet by keeping a hand over the ball. Keep breathing and stay in this pose for 30 sec.
• Exhale and lower down your body behind to the starting point.
• Perform 2-sets and take 60-second rest.

Swiss Ball V-Pass

The V-pass workout with swiss ball target the muscles of shoulders, upper abs, quads, hamstrings, and lower abs.

How to do?

• Lie down on your exercise mat and keep the Swiss ball into your ankles.
• Hold the swiss ball with your ankle’s sides and place your legs straight.
• Now take your legs to your upper body and together curl upper body upward and try to reach toward ball by keeping your hand stretched.
• Move the ball from your both ankles to hands and take down your hands and legs, but do not make them touch the ground.
• Breath out and curl back upward and move the ball from hands to your feet’s sides.
• Perform 5-repetitions of 3-sets.
• Rest – 30 secs

Swiss Ball Mountain Climber

The mountain climber with swiss ball exercise focus on your muscles of obliques, quads, glutes, and core.

How to do?

• Stand facing a Swiss ball. Swing down and set your palms on the ball.
• Place your arms extended shoulder width and pull your legs back. Then take a plank position.
• Breath in by engaging your core muscles and get your right knee close to your chest and then stretch it back.
• Move your left knee to your chest and then turn it back. Do this workout at medium speed.
• Perform 15 reps of 3-sets.
• Rest – 30 secs

Back Exercises For Swiss Ball

Swiss Ball – Arm And Leg Lift

The arm and leg lift exercise target the muscles of deltoids, Lats, hamstrings, and glutes.

How to do?

• Lie on the swiss ball using your belly and assist your body by putting your arms straight and palm on the ground. Balance your lower body by bending your toes and put your legs to your shoulder width.
• Lift your right arm and keep it straight in front to make you look down to the ground.
• Lift your leg together, using your toes to point out.
• Be in this position for one second and leave.
• Then, lift your left arm, which should face in front and simultaneously elevate your right leg by pointing out your toes.
• Perform 10-reps of 3-sets.
• Rest – 30 secs

Swiss Ball Back Extension

The back-extension workout using swiss ball target on the muscles of your rhomboids, glutes, Lats, and deltoids.

How to do?

• Bend down facing a swiss ball. Rotate over the ball and get your pelvis to the center of the ball.
• Put your hands down and straight, and palm should be level to the ground. With the help of your toes support your lower body.
• Put your lower back besides, press your glutes, and raise your right leg upward.
• Keep this position for one moment and drop down the leg behind from down.
• Again, replicate the above moves for the left leg.
• Perform 10-reps of 3-sets.
• Rest – 45 secs

Swiss Ball Superman

The superman exercise with swiss ball target muscles of the shoulder, middle back, hamstrings, and glutes.

How to do?

• Bend in front of the wall and put a swiss ball exactly behind you.
• Rotate the ball until your hips come over the top middle of the swiss ball and keep your feet facing the wall and it should be slightly wider than your shoulder width.
• Stretch your right arm and then do for your left arm. Lift your upper body and return down.
• Perform 10-reps of 3-sets
• Rest – 45 secs

Swiss Ball Prone Cobra

The prone cobra workout with swiss ball target your rhomboids, lats, and deltoids.

How to do?

• Lie on the exercise ball.
• Your rib cage should be placed over the top middle of the ball.
• Turn your feet wider than your shoulder width aloof.
• Let your toes bent and hand stretched and some wider than your shoulder size.
• Bend your arm behind, stretch your upper body upward and see down.
• Stay in this pose for 10-minutes.
• Lower down your back and get your arms to starting position.
• Perform 10-reps of 3-sets.
• Rest – 30 secs

Swiss Ball Exercises – Lower Body

Swiss Ball – Hamstring Curl

The hamstring curl exercise with swiss ball mark the muscles of gastrocnemius and hamstrings.

How to do?

• Rest on the mat by your back.
• Elevate your legs upward and move your lower leg so that the shin and femur are at your right angles with each other.
• Put the Swiss ball under your heels. Put your hands on both sides and keep palm facing down.
• Elevate your butts up and rotate the swiss ball by putting your legs straight.
• Push your legs back to the beginning position and twist the ball backward.
• Take down your buttocks after completing one rep.
• Perform 10-reps of 3 sets.
• Rest – 30 secs

Swiss Ball – Wall Squat

The wall-squat exercise with swiss ball target on muscles of hamstring, quads, and glutes.

How to do?

• Keep a ball between your back and wall.
• Put your feet to shoulder width.
• Gently squat down and then return back up.
• Perform 10-reps of 3-sets.
• Rest – 60 secs

Single Leg Bridge with Swiss Ball

The single leg bridge exercise with swiss ball target core and glute muscle.

How to do?

• Lie down with your back and keep your feet upward on a swiss ball.
• Keep your shins at right angles using your thighs and keep your palm flat on the floor.
• Raise your hips upward to make your torso aligned with thighs.
• Elevate your left foot from the swiss ball and stay in this pose for 5-seconds.
• Take down your leg and keep your food behind the ball and take down your hips.
• Make again bridge pose and elevate your right leg. Stay in this position for 5-second and return to starting position.
• Perform 5-reps of 3-sets.
• Rest – 30 secs

Hip Extension with Swiss Ball

The hips extension is one of those exercises that require a swiss ball. It targets your muscles of hamstrings, calves, glutes, and lower back.

How to do?

• Put the swiss ball on the edge of the exercise mat.
• Lie on the floor and keep your legs upward on the ball.
• Keep your legs at 60-degree angle by floor.
• Put your arms in a T shape, and your palm should face up. Let your heels and calves face rest on the ball. Make sure your toes are facing to the ceiling, and keep the abs engaged.
• Breath in and raise your hips upward and exhale and take down your hips backward to the floor.
• Perform 10-reps of 3-sets.
• Rest – 45 secs

Swiss Ball Hip Raise

The hip raise using swiss ball target muscles of glutes, lower back, core, and hamstrings.

How to do?

• Keep the swiss ball at the edge of the exercise mat.
• Rests on the mat, broaden your legs and set them up on the ball. Retain your hands to your sides, and palms should face down.
• Breathe in and drive your hips up. Keep your legs straight. Hold this pose for a second.
• Breathe out and come back to the beginning position.
• Perform 3-sets of 15-reps
• Rest – 60 secs

Swiss Ball Glute Kickback

The glute kickback exercise with swiss ball target the muscles of hamstrings, adductors, glutes and lower abs.

How to do?

• Place your body over the Swiss ball. Your midsection and pelvis region ought to be at the top center point of the ball.
• Adjust your body with the helps your palms and toes. Keep your legs slightly stretched than shoulder-width.
• Supporting your body on your palms, raise both your legs and kick back toward the ceiling.
• Lower your legs back to the beginning position.
• Perform 10 repetitions of 3 sets.
• Rest – 45 secs

The above exercises are the best swiss ball that helps to activate different groups of muscles. You will be able to build entire body strength and tone all muscles. If you are a beginner, then take expert help to balance and prevent injury.