6 Easy Gym Ball Exercises for Lower Back Stretches and Strengthening Core Muscles

Are you experiencing lower back pain and tired of doing the same back exercises? If that’s the case, then this article is for you. Here, you will learn about the 6 best back exercises using a therapy ball that can help alleviate your lower back pain. Additionally, you will receive tips on how to select the right ball size for yourself. All of the exercises are simple to learn and can be performed at home. Let’s dive in!

Gym ball exercises for lower back

To get started with ball exercises that can help relieve lower back pain, it’s important to choose the right exercise ball. The size of the ball should match your body height to ensure maximum effectiveness. But how can you determine which exercise ball fits you best?

What size exercise ball is good for back pain

The exercise ball is also known by various names such as Therapy ball, Gym ball, and Swiss ball. It comes in different sizes, but a 75 cm exercise ball is best suited for back exercises. If you want to be more specific, you can measure the exercise ball size that best fits you. Gym balls come in different shapes, too, such as spherical and oval.

The oval-shaped ball is also known as a peanut therapy ball, as seen in the image below. The peanut therapy ball is excellent for abs workouts. However, the gym ball we are concerned with is completely spherical, allowing for smooth rolling when doing side stretching.

Different sizes are:

• 18 inches (45cm)
• 22 inches (55cm)
• 26 inches (65cm)
• 30 inches (75cm)

How to select gym ball size for yourself?

Most of the time, a 75 cm ball would best serve the purpose, but if you want to be specific, there is a simple way to do it. Sit on the inflated ball and come to a comfortable position. Look for your hip and knee. If the ball is of the correct size, the hip and knee will be at 90 degrees of angle.

Try this with a few different sizes and select the one that nearly gives you 90 degrees of angle to the hip and knee. Check this LINK for the exercise ball/therapy ball I would recommend. See the figure below.

6 Back pain exercises with ball

Exercise ball workouts can be divided into 3 broad categories. Back mobility/flexibility exercises. Back strengthening exercise. Stretching exercise. Let us start with the forward and backward rocking exercise. If you would rather watch a video on this, scroll down to the bottom.

Low back flexibility on an exercise ball

1) Forward and backward rocking on the gym ball

The first exercise on the list of Swiss ball exercises for back pain is forward-backwards rocking.

1. To perform this exercise, you should first sit straight on the Swiss ball, ensuring your hips are at a 90-degree angle. Keep both of your hands by the side of your waist.
2. Next, you will begin rocking your hips forward and backward smoothly. As you do this, protect your back by moving with your hands.
3. You should repeat this exercise 20 to 30 times in a single session.

Be sure to take your time and focus on maintaining good form throughout the entire exercise. This exercise can be a great way to help alleviate back pain and improve your overall mobility and flexibility.

2) Sideways rocking pilates ball exercises for back pain

To perform this exercise, you’ll need an exercise ball.

1. Start by sitting on the ball with your back straight and your feet flat on the floor. Make sure your hip joint forms a 90-degree angle.
2. Once you’re in position, gently rock your pelvis from side to side. Start by tilting your pelvis to the left, and then smoothly shift it to the right.
3. Repeat this movement 20 to 30 times in a single session. This should be done in a slow and controlled manner so that you don’t strain your lower back.
4. This exercise aims to improve the flexibility of your lower back and prevent stiffness.
5. By tilting your pelvis to both the right and left side, you’ll help to stretch and strengthen the muscles in your lower back. This can be especially helpful if you spend much time sitting at a desk or are otherwise sedentary during the day.

Back strengthening exercises on physiotherapy

Weak muscles are one of the major causes of back pain, which means that when the back pain is cured, it is due to the weak back muscles. Usually, the back pain reoccurs, so the most important long-term treatment of the back pain would be back strengthening exercises.

3) Bridging exercise on fitness ball for lower back pain

The bridging exercise using a gym ball is a great way to help alleviate lower back pain by strengthening your lower back muscles. To perform this exercise, you will need a gym ball and a flat surface to lie on.

• First, lie down on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat. Place the gym ball underneath your feet, ensuring your ankles are resting on the ball.
• Next, engage your core muscles and lift your hips, rolling the ball towards your glutes.
• Hold this position for a few seconds before slowly rolling the ball back out to the starting position.
• Repeat this movement several times, focusing on contracting your glutes and hamstrings as you lift your hips off the ground.

You should keep your feet on top of the ball throughout the movement to ensure proper form and avoid injury. This exercise helps to strengthen the muscles in your lower back, glutes, and hamstrings, which can help ease pain and improve overall mobility. We recommend starting with a few repetitions and gradually increasing the number as your strength improves.

4) Straight leg raise and straight hand raise

The straight leg and hand raise in a quadruped position with a gym ball is a great exercise to strengthen your core and improve your balance. Here are the steps to perform this exercise:

• Start by placing a gym ball on the floor and getting on all fours in a quadruped position with your hands on the ball and your knees on the ground.
• Keep your back straight and your core engaged.
• Slowly extend your right leg back and lift it off the ground while at the same time lifting your left hand off the ball and extending it forward.
• Hold this position for a few seconds. Slowly return to the starting position.
• Repeat the same movement with your left leg and right hand.
• Keep alternating between your right and left side, performing 10 to 12 repetitions on each side.

5) Straight leg raise in prone lying.

1. To perform this exercise, begin by kneeling on the floor and placing the exercise ball close to your stomach.
2. Slowly lower yourself and adjust your hands and feet to be comfortable.
3. Next, raise one leg slowly and keep your knee as straight as possible.
4. Hold this position for 10 seconds, engaging your core muscles to maintain balance. Then, slowly lower your leg back down to the starting position.
5. Repeat this movement on the opposite leg, and continue alternating between legs for a minimum of 10 repetitions on each side.

Also Read: How to tell if back pain is muscle or disc

6) Lower back stretches on exercise ball

Here’s how you can do it:

• Lie down on your back and bend your knees so that your feet are flat on the ground.
• Place an exercise ball between your legs and grip it with your knees to maintain a 90-degree angle.
• Slowly roll the exercise ball towards one side of your body in a controlled manner while keeping your shoulders and head flat on the ground.
• Hold the position for about 5 seconds while feeling the stretch in the muscles on the side of your back.
• Roll the exercise ball back to the centre and then towards the opposite side of your body.
• Again, hold the position for 5 seconds and repeat the process for a few minutes.

Final word

These exercises are a fun way to do it at home. However, integrating these exercises with other effective back pain exercises will result better. I have covered a few effective low back pain exercises in one of my previous articles, “Follow These 7 Easy Low Back Pain Stretches That Actually Work“. I would also recommend you go through all these back pain articles.

• Safe Way of Getting out of bed with back pain sciatica
• How to Cure Back Pain Fast at Home? Follow these 7 tips
• How to Use Massage Gun on Lower Back Pain
• Back pain belt: How to use, select fit size for yourself

Keep reading: Back pain belt: How to use, select fit size for yourself

Sunit. S. Ekka

Dr Sunit Sanjay Ekka is a physiotherapist in practice for the last 15 years. He has done his BPT from one of the premium Central Government physiotherapy colleges, ie, SVNIRTAR. The patient is his best teacher and whatever he gets to learn he loves to share it on his Youtube channel and blog.