Though practiced less but quite effective, medicine ball exercises can be your go to fitness mantra. Here we have top 5 medicine ball exercises you can try and steer towards your fitness goals.
Medicine Ball Exercises: A Must Try
Medicine ball exercises are not new to the fitness industry. Medicine ball benefits comprise of building muscular strength and boost athletic build and performance. There are many best medicine ball workouts that have been in place for years. This is an old school workout regime that can be alternatively used instead of dumbbells at the gym. Medicine ball workouts allow you to balance and shift weights that might be restrictive if you are just using dumbbells or static weight. Medicine balls come in all shapes and sizes and can weigh from 2-20kgs. You can always use a lighter exercise ball for better control.
The smart thing to do would be to use slightly heavy medicine balls that help in slowing your exercise motion. Medicine ball workouts are also known as core workouts that help you flex your core muscles. It is advised to try medicine ball exercises under a trainer or supervisor and then practice the reps at home. There are several types of medicine ball exercises as many as 20-25 of them and here are the top 5 exercises with balls for a fit body!
Top 5 Medicine Ball Exercises
1. Medicine ball crunch exercises
![](https://connect.healthkart.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/large_medicine_ball_crunch_exercises.jpg")
Image Source: nutritionpromise.com
- You hold a medicine ball and lie on your back (on exercise mat) bending your knees and keeping your feet flat.
- Hold the ball with arms over your head and extend your arms. Then just do simple ab crunches when you curl up to reach towards your knees with the medicine ball in your hand.
- Do this slowly and repeat from your start position.
- Medicine ball exercises such as ball crunches can be done from 8-20 counts.
You can try to do medicine ball workout crunches by adding a toe-touch position. For this you have to:
- Lie on your back on the ground (or mat) and raise both your legs conjoined in an upright position.
- You have to ensure this by bringing both your toes, knees, and legs together in an L-shape from above the ground.
- While holding the medicine ball in your palms raise the ball with your arms stretch and try to touch your toes.
- You have to do this in an ab-crunching motion and repeat slowly.
- You can do up to 8-12 counts.
2. Push-ups and planks with medicine ball
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Image Source: theabsexpert.com
Medicine ball workouts such as push-ups start by you being in the traditional push-up position.
- While maintaining your push-up position you balance your hands on the medicine ball.
- Balance on medicine ball gives you balance of your body with the help of knees and toes.
- Your core muscles remain tight and the exercise requires you to bring the medicine ball close to your chest and pull up.
- Repeat sets as per convenience.
If you are regular with fitness workouts you can try medicine ball exercises such as planking.
- This exercise will require a balance of the body weight on the medicine ball.
- You raise your hips, knees on your toes and hold the medicine ball at the center (in a plank position) and then hold up to one minute.
Reverse planking can also be tried out for medicine ball workouts. All you have to do is:
- Place yourself in a traditional plank position only with your toes pressed (and balanced) to the medicine ball.
- Put your hands flat to balance your body weight.
- You can then try push-ups or you can hold the position up to one minute.
- If you want harder levels, you can bring on knee closer to your chest while maintaining balance and position and repeat with the other knee. This position is totally optional.
3. Medicine ball twist exercises
![](https://connect.healthkart.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/large_russian_twist.jpg")
Image Source: Mensfitness.com
Medicine ball exercises require you to twist flexing your core muscles.
For the Russian twist exercise, all you have to do is:
- You have to sit with your knees bent closer towards you.
- Hold the medicine ball with your palms and then in a twist motion rotate to your either sides (left and right) pushing lower at 45-degree angles.
- In this process, you flex your back muscles and you can repeat the pose from 8-16 times on both sides.
Depending on your flexibility and depth of exercise you can try twist medicine ball workouts with lunges.
- Stand with your knees apart holding the medicine ball towards your chest.
- Put one knee forward in a lunging position.
- Keep a safe balance between the toes and knees and while you map your thighs at a parallel angle with the ground.
- Bring medicine ball to the front and twist with your torso.
- Repeat twists on the left and right sides for up to 8-16 times.
4. Medicine balls squat exercises
![](https://connect.healthkart.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/medicine_balls_squat_exercises_0.jpg")
Image Source: Men’s Health
Medicine ball exercises such as sumo squatting allow you to flex your quadriceps, hamstrings and deltoid muscles to name a few. Exercise with balls and squatting allows you to strengthen your inner thigh muscles.
- First, you have to stand with your legs apart with your toes facing outwards.
- You should ideally stand with your legs longer apart than your shoulder length.
- You should stand in position holding the medicine ball in your hands and let your arms relax holding the ball downwards.
- Inhale as you squat with the medicine ball held downward.
- Hold your back straight and keep your head up.
- Hold the position for 30 seconds and spread it in 3-4 sessions.
If you are familiar with squatting medicine ball workouts you can try the squat and throw exercise. This requires you to:
- You should tightly ground your ankles/heels and find your balance.
- Hold the medicine ball (as you would hold a throw-ball) and position yourself in a squat position.
- Then you stretch your arms high up and throw the ball.
- The ball can drop to the ground and you repeat the motion.
- You can do it as many times is comfortable to you, up to 16 reps.
- For the squat and throw exercise, it is advisable to consult your trainer on how to do it.
5. Medicine ball weighted exercises
![](https://connect.healthkart.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/superman_medicine_ball_exercise_0.jpg")
Image Source: greatist.com
The Superman weight medicine ball exercises require you to:
- Lie on your stomach on your yoga mat with legs and arms straight.
- Hold a medicine ball (convenient weight) with both your palms and stretch your arms straight from your forehead.
- This ensures you are in a planking position and then slowly lift your knees and arms while you are stretching at your core- the stomach.
- Try doing 10-15 counts and if you feel burnt out, you can always rest your knees back on the mat.
Benefits of Medicine Ball Workouts
Explosive workouts or medicine ball workouts are popular because they are inexpensive, durable and also come in the size of an average basketball concerning portability. Medicine ball workouts for beginners introduce them to explosive workout, that is, gaining most strength and power with minimal time. Here are some of the medicine ball benefits:
- Get a full body workout: Doing exercises with the ball means you can shift and balance weight. Core muscles such as shoulder, abs, buttocks, hips and back all require flexing to perform all the medicine ball exercises. If you practice medicine ball workouts then you are essentially getting a full body workout.
- Coordination and flexibility: Since medicine ball exercises require you to balance a lot with minimal effort, you can improve psychomotor coordination. Flexibility comes with it too.
- Power and Strength: Medicine ball benefits include power and strength of core muscles allowing you to harness your muscle power for an athletic body. This, in turn, improves sports performance.
- Pocket-friendly: Benefits of medicine balls come in handy with its pocket-friendly nature. If you want a simple workout for fitness, then medicine balls are the affordable equipment. You can use medicine balls anywhere, be it indoors at the gym or for an outdoor workout. It is portable, so you can carry it around for that quick workout break.
- Can do with partners: Medicine ball benefits also lead you to workouts with partners as you can pass the ball as exercises. You can try the same with your trainer and learn the process of medicine ball workouts to exercise with care.
Visibly, medicine balls come in as a handy tool for a fit body. Consult your trainer for best uses.
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