Ball Push-Ups for Kids: 3 Levels from Easy to Hard | Exercise Ball Activities #28 🟣💪🏽

👧🏼🟣 Ball Push-Ups: Elevated, Cornered & Free | Leia (Age 10) | Pediatric Physical Therapy In this video, my co-instructor Leia (age 10) and I work through three levels of ball push-ups as part of our Ball Gymnastics series 🟣💪 Using a therapy ball changes the demands of a traditional push-up by adding instability, feedback, and the need for co-contraction. We demonstrate three progressions: • Elevated ball on a chair (easier) • Ball cornered against a wood stack (moderate challenge) • Ball free on the floor (most difficult) Raising the ball decreases body weight demand. Cornering the ball limits rolling in two directions. Free ball push-ups require full stability — the ball will roll if control is lost. Throughout these variations, we are working on: • Trunk control and postural alignment • Co-contraction of shoulder and core muscles • Upper extremity strengthening • Body awareness and midline control • Graded control during dynamic movement Because the ball moves when alignment breaks down, it provides immediate feedback. Children can feel instability and adjust in real time — often without heavy verbal cueing. 👧🏿 This activity may be helpful for children who: 🧒🏾 Need upper body and core strengthening 👧🏻 Struggle to maintain body alignment in push-up position 👦🏽 Benefit from graded progression of difficulty 🧑🏿‍🦱 Need concrete feedback to improve control 👩🏾‍🦰 Find traditional strengthening boring or hard to engage in 🧠 A clinical takeaway I often share: Instability increases muscle activation. When we safely introduce controlled instability, the nervous system recruits more support and coordination — building strength in a functional way. 👉🏾 This activity is part of my Ball Gymnastics Playlist, where therapy balls are used to build strength, coordination, balance, and motor planning. Watch the full playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAkJbMrHyKjPlhWjeNnIY3PWbHwrSUtgN 📚 My Books for Kids & Therapists Children’s Books "P is for Poop and Pee Accidents" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BLSRJ483 "A is for Anxiety" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09LXQ3W6V "A is for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QH9H5HR "C is for Cerebral Palsy" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088TSJCYP "D is for Down Syndrome" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079P8HH49 "A is for Autism" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071F4FFTB Professional Books "Pediatric Physical Therapy Strengthening Exercises for the Hips" https://www.amazon.com/dp/0998156736 "Pediatric Physical Therapy Strengthening Exercises for the Knees" https://www.amazon.com/dp/0998156760 "Pediatric Physical Therapy Strengthening Exercises for the Ankles" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TX2ZCFD 🌍 Captions Help Everyone 🌍 I carefully review captions so more people can follow along, even if English isn’t your first language 🧑🏿‍🤝‍🧑🏻👩🏾‍🤝‍👨🏼👩🏽‍🤝‍👩🏻 To turn on captions: Click CC To change the language: Settings (⚙️) → Subtitles/CC → Auto-translate 🌐 ⏱️ Video Chapters 0:00 Intro & meet Leia (age 10) 0:15 Elevated ball push-ups (easier level) 0:55 Ball cornered for moderate challenge 1:35 Free ball push-ups (hardest level) 2:25 Clinical explanation of instability 2:40 Closing message ⚠️ Important note: Sensory and motor responses vary widely between children. What is effective for one child may not be appropriate for another 👶🏿↔️👧🏻 (Please note: I cannot provide treatment recommendations for a child I have not personally evaluated.) 👩🏽‍⚕️📌