Stability Ball Plank Exercises

November 20, 2012 By Margaret Martin Leave a Comment

In this video I cover two different Stability Ball Plank Exercises.

These are for Active clients from the Strengthen Your Core exercise program. Both of these are stability ball exercises. I also cover several variations of the plank exercises as demonstrated in the book to give you a flavour of what you can do with the program.

Stability Ball Plank Exercises | First Variation

This is the first variation of two stability ball plank exercises (the active plank six and seven). The stability ball provides us with an opportunity to explore a lot of variations using a ball.

Position your hands in the direction of the forces.
Your fingers are going to point straight down.
Hands are equal distance apart.
I like to count rungs on the ball, so I have an equal number of rungs apart.
Hands are equidistant apart.
The base of your sternum is pointing straight over the ball.
Step back.
First with the one foot, then with the other foot.
Abdominals stay tight as you lower.
Draw shoulder blades down and back.
If your feet are really close together, that’s a very small base of support, and that smaller base of support makes the stability of the ball more challenging for you.
If you widen your base, then it adds to an increased stability.
Another variation is to move the ball when we are in this position.
When you are in a stable and controlled position, move the ball slightly around.
Two inches to the right, two inches to the left.
When that feels comfortable, then you can start moving the ball up and move the ball back.
Then the side to side.

Stability Ball Plank Exercises | Second Variation

Another great variation is to move the ball side to side, but with weight on one foot or having transferred weight a little bit more to one foot or the other foot.

Aall of these little tweaks that you can do are great ways to take one exercise and add numerous variations to them.

If you find the exercise too intense then you can try with a different size ball.

At five foot one-ish, a 55 centimeter ball is my size, but I’m going to demonstrate doing the plank on the ball using a 65 centimeter ball and a 75 centimeter ball.

Any of these would make the challenge just a little bit less, but allow me to continually build into coming back down to a 55 centimeter ball.

So, that’s it for the stability ball plank variations six and seven.

Core Exercises Guide

Want to learn more about core exercises? Visit my Core Exercises Guide.

About Margaret Martin

Margaret Martin is a Physical Therapist with 35 years of clinical experience. Her expertise is in the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis through exercise, safe movement and fall prevention. For the last 15 years, she has concentrated on bone health and has treated thousands of patients for their osteoporosis, osteopenia and low bone density.

Margaret is the author of three books on osteoporosis and exercise. All books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle formats. Recently she produced an exercise workout video DVD on safe exercise for people with osteoporosis.

She is the creator of the continuing education course, Working with Osteoporosis and Osteopenia. This course is accredited by all Physical Therapy Licensing boards across the United States. Thousands of Physical Therapists in the United States, Canada and around the world have completed her training course. Margaret has trained physicians, Physical Therapists and other healthcare staff at Genesis Rehab Services, Jewish General Hospital in Montreal, Charles Lemoyne Hospital in Montreal, Ottawa Hospital Rehabilitation Centre, Bruyere Hospital in Ottawa, Osteoporosis Canada, and West Carleton Family Health in Ottawa.

Margaret graduated from the School of Physical and Occupational Therapy at McGill University in Montreal, Canada in 1984. She is licensed to practice Physical Therapy in Ontario and California.

Margaret's work in osteoporosis and Physical Therapy has been cited in a number of Physical Therapy textbooks. She has been interviewed as an expert in osteoporosis prevention and treatment by the Toronto Star, CTV Ottawa Morning Live, the Senior Rehab Project podcast, and Dr. Rebecca Risk's podcast, Falling Through the Cracks.

She has done research with McGill School of Physical Therapy into the use of a web-based exercise program for patients with osteoporosis. Margaret has presented at the Canadian Physiotherapy Association and the Ontario Physiotherapy Association on treating aging adults and osteoporosis.

She is the proud recipient of the 2011 Award of Distinction from the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario for her significant contributions and achievements as a Physiotherapist.

Margaret operates her Physical Therapy clinic, MelioGuide Physical Therapy, in Ottawa, Ontario where she focuses on patients with osteoporosis, osteopenia and low bone density.

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