Inner Thigh Ball Exercise
(hip adduction)
Starting Position
- Start this inner thigh ball exercise in the side plank or side bridging position.
- Both feet are on the ball with the lower foot in front of the upper foot.
- Tighten your abdominals using abdominal hollowing.
- Lift your hips up so that your body is straight from your heels to your shoulders.
- Take your lower foot off the ball and let it down toward the floor in front of your supporting leg.
- Don't let your hips sag toward the floor.
- Hip adductors, glutes, trunk muscles.
- If you are unable to perform this exercise ball exercise with good technique you probably need more training of your trunk strength and balance.
- Practice the Side Bridge more.
- To make this exercise easier, move the ball closer to your knee.
- Add an ankle weight.
Not only are you working the inner thigh (hip adductors) in the leg that is being raised and lowered, you are isometrically working the hip adductors on the leg that is holding you on the ball. In fact, you may feel more fatigue in the inner thigh that is not moving.
Your hip adductors are working as pelvic stabilizers along with your other trunk muscles. Your hip muscles often work this way during functional movements to maintain a stable pelvis because it is only with a stable pelvis that we can create effective and efficient limb movements.
If you are having difficulty with this ball exercise you can make it a little less difficult by
- stretching both arms forward to increase your base of support,
- softening your ball to increase the ball's area of contact with the floor,
- propping it up against a wall until you get used to the movements involved,
- reduce your lever arm by placing the ball under your knee instead of your foot.
Repeat this ball
exercise 4
times.
Repeat this ball
exercise 8
times.
Repeat this ball
exercise 12
times.Return to the top of the Ball Exercise for Hip Adductor Page
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