Hug A Ball
A beginner isolation mobility exercise that works the lower back, using an exercise ball.
Starting position
End position
How to Do Hug A Ball
- Seat yourself on the floor.
- Straddle an exercise ball between both legs and lower your hips down toward the floor.
- Hug your arms around the ball to support your body. Adjust your legs so that your feet are flat on the floor and your knees line up over your ankles. Keep a good grip on the ball so it doesn't roll away from you and send you back onto your buttocks.
Muscles Worked
Alternatives to Hug A Ball
10 movements that train the same primary muscle, closest substitutes first — same kind of training, then variations of the movement itself, then a similar difficulty.
-
1
Hug Knees To Chest
A beginner mobility exercise that works the lower back.
-
2
Child's Pose
A beginner mobility exercise that works the lower back.
-
3
Dancer's Stretch
A beginner mobility exercise that works the lower back.
-
4
Standing Pelvic Tilt
A beginner isolation mobility exercise that works the lower back.
-
5
Superman
A beginner compound mobility exercise that works the lower back, needing no equipment.
-
6
Cat Stretch
A beginner mobility exercise that works the lower back.
-
7
Lower Back-SMR
A beginner mobility exercise that works the lower back, using a foam roller.
-
8
Crossover Reverse Lunge
An intermediate mobility exercise that works the lower back.
-
9
Pyramid
A beginner mobility exercise that works the lower back, using an exercise ball.
-
10
Pelvic Tilt Into Bridge
An intermediate compound mobility exercise that works the lower back.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles do hug a ball work?
Hug A Ball primarily works the lower back. The calves and glutes assist as secondary muscles.
What equipment do I need for hug a ball?
Hug A Ball uses exercise ball.
Hug A Ball: is it suitable for beginners?
Yes. Hug A Ball is rated beginner. Movements you can learn in a session, with a low skill floor and a forgiving failure mode.
What can I do instead of hug a ball?
Hug Knees To Chest, Child's Pose, Dancer's Stretch train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.
How do I log hug a ball in Fitnit?
As time held rather than reps. Fitnit records the seconds and credits them to the lower back on your body map, so you can see which muscles you train hard and never stretch.
Photographs and step-by-step instructions from free-exercise-db, a public-domain exercise dataset. Muscle mapping and alternatives by Fitnit.
Track Your Hug A Ball with AI
Fitnit automatically tracks push-ups, crunches, squats, pull-ups, and curls with advanced body tracking technology — and you can manually input any other workout too. Start free — Pro is $8.99/month.