Ball crunch with a reach
A ball crunch with a reach is a crunch done holding an exercise ball. Lying on your back with your knees bent, you lift the ball above your chest on straight arms, then curl your head and shoulders up as you move the ball forward toward your knees, and lower again. The curl itself comes from the long muscle down the front of your stomach (rectus abdominis). Because both hands are on the ball, you cannot pull on your neck, and the reach gives you something to aim for.
How to do the ball crunch with a reach
- Lie back on a mat with your knees bent and both feet flat. Rest an exercise ball on your chest and stomach, with one hand on each side of it.
- Gently press your lower back toward the mat, tighten your stomach and tuck your chin in a little.
- Straighten your arms to lift the ball up above your chest.
- Breathe out and curl your head and shoulders off the mat, moving the ball a little toward your knees by reaching a little further with one arm and then the other.
- Pause once your shoulder blades are off the mat. Then breathe in and lower slowly, one shoulder and then the other, until the ball is back over your chest.
What you should feel
Work across the front of your stomach, with your shoulders and arms busy holding the ball up. Your neck should feel easy the whole way up and down.
Common mistakes
- Throwing the ball forward with your arms instead of curling with your stomach.
- Sitting all the way up so your lower back leaves the mat.
- Pushing your chin out toward the ball.
- Flopping back down instead of lowering with control.
- Holding your breath as you curl.
How often
Many programs start with 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 slow repetitions, a few days a week. Your physio will adjust this.
Stop and check with your physio if
- Neck pain that grows with each curl, or pain, tingling or numbness running into an arm.
- Back pain that turns sharp, or pain, tingling or numbness spreading down a leg.
- A bulge or ridge along the middle of your stomach, pain around an operation scar, or leaking urine or heaviness low in your pelvis as you curl. Stop and tell your physio.
- Pins and needles in your arm or hand that do not go away after you stop, or part of your arm or hand goes numb. Get medical advice the same day. If one side of your face or body suddenly goes numb or weak, or your speech becomes slurred or muddled, call emergency services, even if it goes away.
From the clinic
The voice guide says to sit up slowly, but the video shows a curl: the head and shoulders rise until the shoulder blades leave the mat, and the lower back stays down. This page follows the video. The video uses a full-size exercise ball held in both hands. You can use a smaller, lighter ball instead. If you have high blood pressure, breathe steadily through every repetition and never hold your breath.
If this is too much for now, the curl up is a smaller lift with no ball, and the dead bug trains stomach control with your head resting down. To add a turn, the oblique crunch with a ball reaches a small ball toward one knee and then the other.
Osteoporosis programs usually limit repeated forward curling of the spine. If you have osteoporosis or low bone density, leave this one out unless your physio has cleared it. If you have had a fracture in your spine, check with your physio before you begin. Ask first as well if you have a disc problem in your lower back, or back pain that runs down a leg.
If you have a hernia or have had stomach or back surgery, get your physio's or doctor's go-ahead before you start. If you have had surgery on your spine, chest or heart in recent months, get the go-ahead from your surgical team or physio first. If you have recently given birth, including by cesarean section, or you have a gap down the middle of your stomach muscles (diastasis recti), ask your physio, midwife or doctor first.
In pregnancy, curling up against the stretching stomach muscles is usually left out unless your physio or midwife agrees. If you are pregnant and past the first three months, check with your physio before exercising flat on your back.
Written and checked by the PocketPhysio editorial team. Last updated 2026-09-28.
This page is general education, not a diagnosis or a personal treatment plan. If you have pain, an injury or a health condition, see a physiotherapist or doctor before starting new exercises.
