Best Medicine Ball Exercises to Build Your Abs

Working out with a medicine ball provides a number of benefits such as:

"Medicine balls activate your abdominals and create resistance for strength building," says yoga instructor, Shelly Mayfield, who uses medicine balls as a core part of her yoga classes to add an "extra dimension" to her practice.

Mayfield adds that using a medicine ball requires extra, smaller muscles to engage while also strengthening larger muscle groups.

For example, as the ball wobbles back and forth while you use it, you activate balancing muscles, in addition to your main core muscles, to ensure you're stable. This makes ab workouts with a medicine ball more effective at burning calories and engaging your core than if you did the same workouts without one.

There's no fitness baseline you need to work your abs with a medicine ball, either. Both Mayfield and personal trainer, Gina Newton, say there are plenty of routines that anyone, regardless of their fitness level, can do to build a stronger core.

Below are 10 of the best medicine ball exercises for building strong abs and how to properly do each one, as recommended by Mayfield and Newton — and all you need to have for each workout is a medicine ball and a yoga mat.

Selecting the right medicine ball weight is an important first step before working out.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), a general rule of thumb is that the medicine ball should be "heavy enough to visibly slow [your] motion, but not so heavy that control, accuracy, or range of motion are lessened."

To figure out which weight is best, visit a local gym or sporting goods store and test out a variety of medicine ball weights. The ACSM also says to be aware that fatigue, especially at the end of a workout, may influence your motor skills and how well you can control a weighted ball.

So, if the medicine ball you choose feels heavy at the beginning of a workout, it will likely be much harder to manage as you progress through each routine and can negatively impact your form and technique.

Rotating boat pose is a yoga-like exercise that strengthens muscles across your midsection, as well as your chest and hips. It can also be done either with or without a medicine ball.

How to do it:

1. While sitting on a yoga mat with your legs bent and feet flat on the floor, pick up a medicine ball and hold it at your chest.

2. Next, rotate your upper body side-to-side, inhaling on one turn and exhaling on the next. Each rotation is considered one rep.

3. While looking ahead, make sure to keep your spine long and straight as you do each rep.

4. Do eight to 10 reps (4-5 rotations on each side) with a 60-second break in between each set, for three sets.

Modification: Rotating boat pose does require a high level of balance, so beginners can focus on getting their form and technique right with a simple variation.

For a beginner's modification, hold your legs flat at a 90-degree angle and extend your arms forward, engage the center of your core, and hold the medicine ball for three to four breaths. Bring the ball to the ground, then repeat the outward hold four times.

The toe tap is like doing a cross between a sit-up and a leg lift (below) — and the result is a great exercise for strengthening your entire core area.

It's also able to be scaled with a heavier or lighter medicine ball depending on your fitness level.

How to do it:

1. Start by laying on your back, legs raised toward the ceiling, and hold a medicine ball in front of your face as you gaze up.

2. Next, lift your shoulders off the ground and drive the medicine ball up and toward your toes, exhaling as you lift.

3. Bring the medicine ball as close to your toes as you can, then slowly lower your shoulders back down, keeping your legs extended toward the ceiling. That's one rep.

4. Repeat the entire movement eight to 10 times for three sets.

Modification: To make the move more challenging, add an L drop between each toe tap where once you're at the top of the lift, drop a single leg down to the ground and then lift it back up before lowering your shoulders.

Although the Figure 8 exercise seems like it could just be a challenging variation of the boat pose, it's effective enough that it deserves its own recognition.

This exercise is great for strengthening your abs, working your back, and improving balance.

How to do it:

1. Start in a boat pose position, with both legs off the ground and your knees bent at 90 degrees.

2. Pick up a medicine ball in your right hand, and feed it under your right leg.

3. Next, lift the ball from under your right leg with your right hand and transfer to your left hand as you bring it around the top of your left leg. This forms the shape of the number 8.

4. Repeat this motion in the opposite direction. This is considered two reps.

5. Do eight to 10 total reps for three sets.

Modification: To make this movement easier, plant your feet on the ground and only lift the leg that you're feeding the medicine ball under on each rep. This helps you get a feel for the entire exercise without worrying about your balance or coordination.

Leg lifts can be done with or without a medicine ball, and either variation works your lower abs while also improving hip flexibility.

You'll want to start with a lighter medicine ball than you typically would with other exercises here as it can be difficult to lift your legs with a heavy ball between your feet.

How to do it:

1. Lay on your back on a mat with legs outstretched, look toward the ceiling or sky, and place your hands at your side.

2. Squeeze a medicine ball between your feet and begin to lift your legs up and toward the ceiling or sky. Pause here for one breath.

3. Next, slowly lower your legs back down to the ground until your feet and the medicine ball are one to two inches from the ground (don't completely lower to touch your feet to the ground). That's one rep.

4. Do five to 10 reps, whatever feels comfortable with your weight, and repeat for three sets.

Mountain climbers do everything from strengthening your abs and arms to working your shoulders, back, and legs.

They're also a great cardio workout and something you can build on by increasing how fast you do them as well as how long you do them.

How to do it:

1. Start by getting into a high plank position and place your hands, palms down on a medicine ball underneath your head.

2. Looking down, with your back and neck straight, and your core engaged, drive your right knee in towards your chest, then return it to its original position in a high plank.

3. Repeat this motion with your left knee.

4. Alternate which knee you drive toward your chest as fast as you can for 30 seconds. That's one set.

5. Rest for 30 seconds, then repeat for another 30 seconds, doing a total of three sets.

Note: Since your hands are positioned close together to balance on the medicine ball, you may experience slight movement in your hips as you drive your legs forward. This is normal and won't impact the exercise.

Squats are a dynamic exercise that does well to work the entirety of your core while helping improve stability.

The move also works your upper back, shoulders, and arms since you hold the medicine ball above your head as you squat.

How to do it:

1. Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, gaze forward, and hold a medicine ball above your head with your arms straight (keep it here for the entirety of the exercise).

2. Next, bend your knees as if you were going to sit down in a chair, but stop once your thighs are parallel to the ground, and be sure your knees aren't slanting inward.

3. Push down through your heels to rise back up, squeezing your glutes as you return to a standing position. This is one rep.

4. Repeat that squat movement 12 times for three sets.

Circles, which can also be referred to as halos, are a great exercise for both your shoulders and abs. Plus, they don't require a yoga mat, as you're able to do them with just a medicine ball.

How to do it:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, gaze forward, and with a medicine ball in your hands, lift it to eye level with a slight bend in your elbows.

2. Engage the entirety of your core and rotate your arms clockwise around the sides of your head (as if you're drawing an invisible ring around your head). This is one rep.

3. Repeat this motion for eight to 10 reps on each side for three sets.

The Russian twist is a great underrated ab workout for people of all fitness levels or ages and can be scaled harder or easier with a heavier or lighter medicine ball.

Even with no weight at all, it's still a beneficial ab workout. Here's how to do it:

1. Start by sitting on a mat, with your legs out in front of you, knees bent at a 45-degree angle, and your feet lifted roughly six inches off the floor.

2. Hold a medicine ball with both hands and extend your arms so the ball is around one foot from your chest and stomach.

3. Engage your center core muscles and twist your torso from side to side, alternating your arms and the medicine ball to either side until it almost touches the ground. One twist to either side is one rep.

4. Perform 20 total reps (10 on each side) for three sets.

The side lunge is a great exercise for promoting support and stability, and not only works your core but also your hip flexor muscles.

You can also do this with or without a ball, depending on how comfortable you feel holding weight.

How to do it:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, gaze forward, and hold a medicine ball at your chest.

2. Take a large step to your right, plant your foot flat on the ground, and bend your right knee to come into a one-legged single-leg seated squat position and keep your opposite leg straight.

3. Push through your right foot to come back into a standing position. This is one rep.

4. Perform 10 total reps on each leg for three sets.

Doing push-ups with the added complexity of a medicine ball really challenges your core. And if the medicine ball variation is too difficult at first, you can modify by keeping just one hand on the medicine ball with your other hand on the floor.

How to do to it:

1. Start in a high plank position and place both hands on a medicine ball, bending your arms at your elbow.

2. Keep your arms close to your body and lower yourself toward the medicine ball until your body nearly touches the ball and/or your mat.

3. Drive through your arms and hands and push yourself back to the starting position. This is one rep.

4. Do 10 push-ups in a row to start, adding 5 additional push-ups whenever you feel comfortable.

Modification: To make this easier in terms of stability support, use just one hand on the ball (instead of both) and plant your other hand flat on the floor.

Using a medicine ball can be an excellent addition to your weekly fitness routine, especially if you're looking to strengthen your core.

Moves like overhead squats, side lunges, Russian twists, and push-ups are all great for strengthening your ab muscles, as well as working other muscle groups like your legs, back, and shoulders.

Medicine ball exercises can be done by anyone, too, regardless of fitness level or age, as many of the exercises can be scaled up or down with different weights (or no weight at all).