Exercise Ball Back Stretch

The exercise ball back stretch is a supported mobility drill: you sit on a stability ball, walk your feet forward until the ball holds your lower back, and drape your torso backward over it with your arms reaching overhead. The position extends the spine and opens everything along the front of the trunk, so the pull is felt in the abs, the hip flexors, and the front of the shoulders. It counteracts the hours spent rounded forward at a desk or in a car, which is why it fits well on recovery days and at the end of a training session. The ball carries the weight, so nothing needs to be forced. How long should you hold it? Thirty seconds of quiet breathing is enough for most people, repeated two or three times, backing off the moment the low back feels pinched.