BOSU® + Small Ball: A Dynamic Duo for Your Core and More

Have you ever wished your workout felt more fun, playful, and creative—yet still seriously effective? Enter the BOSU® Balance Trainer and the Small Ball (aka mini stability ball, Pilates ball, or therapy ball). Individually, they’re fantastic. But when you combine the two? Magic happens.

Why the Small Ball is a Big Deal

The Small Ball may only be about 9 inches in diameter, but don’t let its size fool you. It’s portable, durable, anti-slip, and burst-proof—perfect for home workouts, traveling, or even tucking under your desk chair for posture practice.

Used in Pilates mat and reformer workouts, Yoga, Barre, and core training, the Small Ball adds challenge, support, or instability depending on where you place it—between your knees, under your lower back, or even under one hand in a plank.

The BOSU® Meets the Small Ball

Now imagine pairing this mighty mini-ball with the BOSU®.

You’ve got:

• Double the Instability → Double the Core Work

  Placing the Small Ball between your knees or hands while balancing on the BOSU® requires more focus, strength, and stability. Your abs will thank you (after they stop shaking).

• Creative Variations for Arms & Legs

  Squeeze the Small Ball with your inner thighs during bridges on the BOSU®. Hold it overhead while lunging on the BOSU®. Even try push-ups with one hand on the ball, the other on the BOSU®—a true coordination challenge!

• Playful Possibilities

  Don’t have a small ball handy? Grab a basketball, soccer ball, or even a pillow. The BOSU®’s unstable surface makes ANY ball a new adventure.

Why This Combo Works

The BOSU® and Small Ball together create endless options for toning, lengthening, and strengthening your entire body. They’re especially powerful for targeting the core, buttocks, and back muscles—key players for posture, balance, and injury prevention.

When used together, they engage every layer of your core—from the deep transverse abdominis that wraps around your spine like a natural corset, to the obliques that define your waist and stabilize rotation, and the rectus abdominis that supports flexion and control.

The BOSU® challenges your balance and recruits stabilizers, while the Small Ball adds resistance or lift, intensifying the lengthening effect through the abdominals and hip flexors. The result is a stronger, more responsive center with long, toned lines instead of bulk. Practiced consistently—just two to three times per week—you’ll notice improved posture, deeper core engagement, and a lightness through the spine and pelvis that carries into everyday movement. It’s not about doing more; it’s about doing with awareness—both sides utilized, every muscle awake.

A Quick Try-It-Now Sequence

Here’s a BOSU® and Small Ball workout you can try today:

Bridge with Squeeze – Lie on your back, feet on the BOSU®, ball between your knees. Lift the hips, squeeze the ball, and lower slowly. (Glutes and inner thighs!)

Swan Dive Prep – Belly on the BOSU®, small ball between your ankles, forearms on the floor with palms down. Lift and lower the legs. (Glutes, hamstrings and back muscles!)

Standing Balance Twist – Stand dome-side up on the BOSU®, hold the ball between both hands. Rotate your torso side to side. (Balance and obliques!)

Repeat 3 sets of 10 for each exercise and you’ll feel the difference.

Final Thoughts

The BOSU® and Small Ball combo is proof that fitness doesn’t need to be complicated to be effective. They’re playful, versatile, and perfect for all levels—from beginners to pros.

And if you don’t have a small ball yet, you can order them here on Amazon:

Small Ball on Amazon

If you’d like more inspiration and step-by-step exercises using the Pilates Mat Work on the BOSU®, explore my book Pilates on the BOSU®: FUNDAMENTALS on Amazon. It’s filled with creative, core-strengthening workouts that improve balance, coordination, and body awareness—keeping your mind fully engaged. Feel free to experiment—add the small ball wherever you want an extra challenge or a touch of support. And stay tuned for Book 2: Pilates on the BOSU®: INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED which takes these ideas even further and officially integrates the small ball into many sequences.

Get my co-authored book on Amazon: Get On It!: BOSU® Balance Trainer on Amazon

And if you don’t have a BOSU® yet, you can order one here from Amazon:

BOSU® Pro Balance Trainer On Amazon

Keep moving, keep smiling, and remember: small tools + playful energy can make a BIG impact on your practice!

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