Ten Core Moves You Can Do With One Ball

The ball is a good core tool for one reason: it refuses to hold still. Every second you spend on it, small stabilising muscles are making corrections you never consciously order.

Warm up first — three minutes

• Seated bounces, 60 seconds — find your balance point
• Seated pelvic tilts, 20 each way
• Seated hip circles, 10 each direction

The ten movements

• Ball bridge — 12 reps, feet on the floor, ball under the shoulders
• Hamstring curl — 10 reps, heels on the ball, hips lifted
• Stir the pot — 30 seconds, forearms on the ball, small circles
• Ball pass — 12 reps, ball travelling between hands and feet
• Wall squat — 15 reps, ball between your back and the wall
• Prone jackknife — 8 reps, shins on the ball, knees to chest
• Side plank on ball — 20 seconds a side
• Russian twist — 20 total, seated, feet down
• Back extension — 12 reps, hips on the ball, feet against a wall
• Dead bug on ball — 10 a side, ball pressed between hands and knees

What to expect

The first week is mostly about learning to be still. You will shake. That shaking is the point — it is the nervous system finding a control strategy it has not needed while sitting in a supportive chair.