Samantha Clayton
Fitness Trainer
DBH, ISSA, M.S., NBC-HWC, OLY
Step into any gym or browse online fitness equipment and you’ll quickly notice the wide variety of exercise balls available. Medicine balls, slam balls, yoga balls, Pilates balls. They may look similar at first, but each one is designed with a specific purpose in mind. For anyone looking to invest in effective yet affordable equipment, it can be challenging to know which ball best matches their fitness goals.
This is where their true value becomes clear. Exercise balls are remarkably versatile, supporting everything from strength training and mobility to balance, rehabilitation, and even posture at the office. Unlike machines that guide your movement, exercise balls require your body to stabilize with every use, engaging more muscles and encouraging dynamic, functional movement.
As an Olympian, mother of triplets, and trainer to aspiring pro athletes, I use all types of exercise balls in my workout routines. I used a yoga ball during pregnancy and recovery, slam balls to build muscular power, and medicine balls for fun partner work. Let me guide you through each option so you can decide how to add them to your own training.
In this article, we’ll explore the most widely used types of exercise balls, explain what each is designed for, and show you how to incorporate them into your routine. From high-impact slam balls to supportive Pilates balls, each plays a role in building strength, flexibility, and stability.
Medicine Balls
What They Are
A medicine ball is a weighted ball, typically ranging from 2 to 25 pounds, made of rubber, leather, or synthetic materials. Unlike free weights, their round shape makes them easy to grip, throw, and move dynamically.
What They’re Used For
Medicine balls are often used for strength training, plyometrics, and core conditioning. Athletes rely on them for sport-specific training, since medicine ball throws and slams mimic functional, explosive movements found in sports. They’re also frequently used in rehabilitation, thanks to their versatility and controlled load. Research highlights their benefits, finding that medicine ball training improved by throwing velocity and explosive power in athletes, demonstrating how useful they are for building sport performance.
How to Add Them to Your Workout
Medicine balls can be integrated into both resistance and cardio training. Here are some options:
• Rotational throws against a wall to build oblique and rotational core strength.
• Medicine ball slams for power and conditioning.
• Overhead squats with a medicine ball for load bearing in a functional stance.
• Partners pass to incorporate teamwork and reactive training.
Because they’re designed for both holding and throwing, medicine balls are an accessible way to make workouts more dynamic while still targeting strength and power.
Slam Balls
What They Are
Slam balls look like medicine balls but are specifically engineered to withstand repeated high impact throws into the ground. They are usually filled with sand or gel to prevent bouncing and often have a tough rubber exterior for durability.
What They’re Used For
These balls are ideal for explosive movements that demand force and power. The non-bounce design forces your body to absorb and generate energy with every repetition. This makes slam balls a go-to tool for high-intensity interval training (HIIT), metabolic conditioning, and total-body workouts.
How to Add Them to Your Workout
Some common slam ball exercises include:
• Overhead slams: Engage your core, lats, and shoulders while spiking the ball into the ground.
• Chest passes to the floor: Mimic a push movement for explosive upper-body power.
• Squat-to-slam combinations: Add intensity to standard squats while recruiting more total-body muscles.
The key with slam balls is intensity. Movements should be forceful and fast, making them perfect for conditioning circuits. They train not only strength but also cardiovascular endurance and coordination.
Yoga Balls (Stability Balls / Swiss Balls)
What They Are
Yoga balls, also known as stability balls, Swiss balls, or exercise balls, are large inflatable balls (usually 55–75 cm in diameter). They’re designed to add instability to exercises, forcing your body to engage stabilizer muscles to maintain balance.
What They’re Used For
Stability balls are versatile tools that can support strength training, rehabilitation, and flexibility work. They are especially useful for improving core stability and posture. By sitting, lying, or rolling on them, you place your body in unstable positions that challenge muscle activation and balance.
Beyond the gym, stability balls can also serve as an alternative to a chair in the office. Using them sparingly throughout the day encourages movement, engages the core, and promotes upright posture. They shouldn’t fully replace an ergonomic chair, but in short bouts they can add variety and help reduce stiffness from prolonged sitting.
Stability balls are also commonly used during pregnancy. Many women in labor find them helpful for managing discomfort, improving pelvic positioning, and encouraging gentle movement throughout the process. There is a lot of research that suggests using the ball during active labor can reduce pain.3 (I used one and felt it helped).
How to Add Them to Your Workout
• Ball rollouts: Kneel with forearms on the ball and roll forward to engage the core.
• Hamstring curls: Lie on your back, place heels on the ball, and pull it toward you.
• Stability push-ups: Place your feet or hands on the ball to increase instability.
• Wall squats with a ball: Hold the ball against the wall with your back as you squat for joint-friendly resistance.
Yoga balls excel in building functional stability and can make traditional exercises like planks or bridges far more challenging. Research indicates that yoga balls provide an increased challenge and elicit greater core muscle activation.
Pilates Balls (Mini Exercise Balls)
What They Are
Pilates balls are smaller (typically 7–9 inches in diameter) inflatable balls used for low-impact strength and flexibility training. Unlike stability balls, they are not designed to sit on but rather to provide support, resistance, or instability in controlled movements.
What They’re Used For
Pilates balls are excellent for targeting smaller stabilizer muscles, improving alignment, and enhancing core activation. Their softness and size make them accessible for beginners, seniors, or anyone in rehabilitation programs.
How to Add Them to Your Workout
• Between-the-knee squeezes: Strengthen the inner thighs and pelvic floor.
• Under-lower-back support during crunches: Deepens abdominal engagement.
• Bridge variations: Place the ball under your feet or between the knees to increase activation.
• Overhead extensions: Add resistance and improve shoulder mobility.
Pilates balls may look simple, but they amplify control and precision in movement, making them invaluable for improving mind-body awareness.
Why Exercise Balls Work: The Science of Instability
Across all types of exercise balls, one common thread is instability. When you train on an unstable surface, whether it’s slamming a ball into the ground or balancing on a yoga ball, your neuromuscular system must work harder to stabilize.
This recruits more muscle fibers, particularly in the core. The core isn’t just your abs, it includes the transverse abdominis, obliques, multifidus, erector spinae, diaphragm, and pelvic floor. Research in the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy highlights how training on unstable surfaces increases activation of these muscles, which are critical for protecting the spine and enhancing functional strength.
By forcing your body to coordinate across multiple planes, exercise balls improve not just strength, but also balance, posture, and movement efficiency.
Final Thoughts
Let me recap and simplify. Exercise balls are an inexpensive, versatile tool that challenges your stability and delivers surprisingly wide-ranging results. As an Olympian, trainer, and mom of athletes, I keep a selection of medicine, slam, yoga, and Pilates balls in my garage. They are perfect for a quick 10-minute routine when I don’t have time for the gym or to add variety to a regular session. Medicine balls build strength and explosive power, slam balls elevate conditioning, yoga balls improve core stability and posture, and Pilates balls offer gentle, controlled strengthening. No matter what your goal is – whether power, conditioning, stability, or low-impact control – there is a ball that fits. Simple, effective, and fun, these balls let you train smarter, move better, and get results anywhere. Pick up a ball today and take the first step toward a stronger, more resilient, and more confident you.
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