Exercise balls, also called fitness balls and swiss balls, have been used by physical therapists for decades. Today, the exercise ball workout is showing up in aerobics and yoga classes, personal training sessions, in homes and even at the office as a replacement for desk chairs. Fitness ball workouts are an effective, affordable way to strengthen the core muscles in your abdominals and lower back.
Choosing an Exercise Ball
Exercise balls go by a variety of names, including fitness balls, stability balls, sports balls and Swiss balls. Constructed of soft flexible plastic, exercise balls range in diameter from 45 to 85 cm in diameter when fully inflated. You'll choose the best size for your fitness ball workout based on your height.
When you sit on an exercise ball, your hips should be level with or slightly higher than your knees. You're looking for both proper alignment and what level of firmness for the ball is most comfortable for you. Working out with a firmer ball provides offers more resistance during workouts and challenges your balance. Softer balls generally provide your body with more support, making it easier to maintain your balance which is helpful if you're a beginner.
Always follow the manufacturer's instructions for inflation and adjust the level of firmness to your needs, taking care not to overinflate.
Benefits of Exercise Ball Workouts
Exercise balls are versatile and can be used for a variety of workout moves, but are best known for assisting you in strengthening the core muscles in your trunk. These muscle groups are responsible for protecting the spine and your internal organs and keeping your body balanced and stable at all times. A strong core results in better posture, keeps your lower back safe from injury and may help relieve any lower back you experience now.
Quality Moves
The reason exercise balls are so effective when it comes to developing core strength is because they destabilize your body, forcing you to engage your core muscles to remain balanced while you're exercising. In other words, they make you and your core body do all of the work. Even if you already have a good amount of strength in your core, working out with an exercise ball can up the ante, challenging you to work at a higher intensity in a shorter amount of time.
What attracts most people to exercise ball routines is that the routines themselves favor quality over quantity. Forcing your core muscles to work together rather in isolation, like traditional ab workouts, provides your body with the maximum benefit in the minimum amount of time. Instead of performing high repetitions that target one muscle in your core, you'll engage several muscles at the same time and work them harder in fewer moves.
Good for Beginners and Experts Alike
Not all fitness ball exercises are suitable for all fitness levels. Always check with your doctor before starting a new workout program, especially if you're recovering from an injury or are just beginning a fitness program for the first time.
When you first start working out with fitness balls, be sure to choose exercises that meet your current fitness level. If you have poor core strength or significant issues with balance, trying to follow the DVD or video that came with your fitness ball may not just discourage you, it could lead to injury.
Look for exercise ball routines are that targeted for beginners, consult with a personal trainer at your gym or your physical therapist, if you're working with one. Even trading your chair for a fitness ball when you're sitting at your desk or watching television has an effect: in order to remain upright, you'll need to begin engaging those cure muscles. As you continue to build your core strength, you can gradually work up to more challenging ways of using the ball.
Sample Fitness Ball Exercises
Fitness balls are an inexpensive, fun way to build your core strength and bring challenge to your workouts. Some common fitness ball exercises include:
 | Building strength with core workouts stabilizes your torso, protects your spine, improves your balance and reduces the risk of lower back injury. |
Core training is the latest rage in the fitness industry, but not many people really understand what it is. There are many misconceptions about what it is and how it works. People know that core training is smarter training, but they may not realize why that is. |
Exercise equipment comes in a large range of pieces for individuals to choose from. However, one of the most useful pieces of exercise equipment, the "exercise ball" is also one of the most simple. First introduced by a group of medical therapists who practiced in Switzerland, exercise balls, like other exercise equipment, are available in different sizes and a number of eye-catching colors. |
Whether you want to improve your balance or develop killer abdominal muscles, core strength training is your ticket to a stronger you. |
You don't need fancy equipment to build strength in your abdominals and lower back. Instead, try these five core exercises that do not require fitness equipment. |
