Is the exercise ball hurting or helping me?

Question

I just bought a 65mm exercise ball (because I'm about 5'7" & ~118lbs) yesterday because I want to workout my abs and try to get AT LEAST a flatter stomach.

I never have worked-out like this before and am not active. I seriously don't do anything (yet I'm freakin' skinny...) but I'm want to become active. I tried out my ball yesterday and did ab crunches and I CAN ONLY DO 6 reps and they were painful! What is hurting IS my stomach though, I feel it in each crunch. Am I moving too fast? Should I keep doing 6 reps a day and add 2 more reps each week or something? Should I not even use the ball and start at regular (floor) crunches or something? I don't know if I'm hurting myself or helping myself. I have no knowledge in this. Give me advice and answers, please please.

Also, it would be nice if anyone has a exercise routine they could recommend me doing by personal experience, from a website, or anywhere! Whatever helps/works.

Answer 1

It sounds like you're doing fine. Exercises can hurt at first because your muscles are out of shape.

I use the exercise ball twice a day - especially for back, abs, and butt/thighs. For the back, I lie back on it until I'm standing on my hands and toes - it's a wonderful stretch without requiring the back strength needed for this position without a ball. For the abs, with feet on the floor and middle back on the ball, I reach up over my head and then go up with my arms eventually extending forward - that gives abs a long stretch and encourages them to develop lean and long. I go side to side in that same way - it's a great stretch/exercise for the obliques (sides). Then, for the legs/thighs/butt I rest forward on it (abs against the ball) and alternate raising my legs as high as they will go. Every exercise I do requires the abs to work, and the more I do it the more reps I can do. I highly recommend doing all exercises with long stretches in between - it sculpts the muscles to be long for that slender ballerina look. Have fun!

Answer 2

If you have never or hardly exercised and worked your abs before, your ab muscles are going to be quite painful at first. This is normal. The pain will eventually go away as your body gets used to the exercising.