Working out with a stability ball is a great way to firm up your core muscles and generally boost your fitness, but if you've never used a ball before, you may not know where to start.

Yossi Montrose, founder and CEO of Performa Ball, recommends these 10 easy exercises for beginners…

• Sit on the ball with both your feet planted on the ground. Bounce up and down with your tummy pulled in and your back straight.
• Once you've got the hang of bouncing, lift one foot off the ground (not too high) and continue to bounce. After about 30 seconds, switch legs.
• Stop bouncing and sit on the ball, lifting both feet from the ground very slowly. Try to balance without touching the ground, even if it's for a few seconds. Keeping your tummy tight will help you.
• Kneel on the floor with the ball in front of you. Place your hands on the ball, and keeping your knees on the ground, do a set of 10 press ups, keeping your shoulders back.
• Lie with your tummy on the ball and try to lift your left arm and your right leg while balancing. Count to 10 slowly and switch sides, lifting your right arm and your left leg.
• From kneeling, roll yourself over the ball, as though hugging it.
• Lie on your back on the floor and lift your legs up. Tuck the ball under your calves. Your back should still be on the floor, with your calves resting on the ball. Tense your tummy muscles; put your hands behind your head and do a set of 10 crunches, reaching up with your chin as though trying to touch the ball. Be careful not to strain your neck muscles.
• Roll yourself over the ball again, but this time with your back on the ball and your arms dangling above your head.
• Sit on the ball and stretch your arms out wide, trying to get your shoulder blades to touch each other behind your back. Hold for 10 seconds and release.
• Stretch your legs out in front of you, one at a time, with your foot flexed and digging your heel into the ground. You should feel a nice stretch in your hamstring muscles.

Montrose cautions against trying advanced exercises on the ball, such as standing on it, without professional guidance, and notes that the best way to ensure correct technique and the best possible result is to work out regularly with a trained instructor and supplement stability ball work with cardiovascular activity.

For more information about regular training and stability balls, visit the Performa website at www.performaball.co.za