Outer Thigh Exercise with the Ball
(hip abduction)
Starting
Position
- Start this ball
exercise by lying
on your side with your arm crossed over your chest. Put one hand on the
floor in front of you. You will need this as your centre of gravity
shifts forward during the exercise.
- Both
feet are on the ball with the lower foot in front of the upper foot.
- Engage your
abdominal
muscles as you learned in
the
exercise ball introduction.
- Lift your hips up off
the floor so that your body is straight from your
heels to your shoulders.
Action
- Lift
and lower your top leg.
- Keep the top leg in
front
of the supporting leg.
- Turn over and repeat
the
exercise with the other leg.
Prime
Movers
Physio
Tips
- 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 on the ball, and
on the floor.
- To
make this exercise easier, move the ball closer to your knee.
Progression
This is a moderately demanding ball exercise because it demands
stability in side lying as you move one of your limbs. As your centre
of gravity shifts with your leg movement your spinal stabilizers are
forced to accommodate this change in forces.
About 55 percent of the people I see in the clinic come to me with
spinal ailments. Most of these people are not the heavy labourers we
would think should complain of pain, but desk workers. If we sit at our
desks for long periods it causes weakening of our gluteal muscles. Keep
any muscle in a lengthened position for long periods of time and it
will become weaker. Weak hip muscles mean that the back and knees take
on more work leading to inappropriate joint forces, wear and tear, and
ultimately
pain.
Strengthening the hips are an important part of preventing back and
knee pain.
Become an expert at this outer thigh exercise and you will find any hip
abduction exercises on the floor (a stable surface) much easier.

Repeat
this ball
exercise 4
times.

Repeat
this ball
exercise 8
times.

Repeat
this ball
exercise 12
times.
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