The stability ball has fast become a popular tool for exercising. Primarily used in a rehabilitation facility by therapists, you can now find them on many gym floors, on your local sporting goods store shelves and at your LIVE on line store as well. It offers many different exercises for all fitness levels, from beginners to advanced athletes. They are great for working the entire body, not just for abs, as you’ll find many ads marketing this way. You’ll find it a challenging and exciting way to add variety and fun to your workouts. In conjunction with improving your overall strength and muscle tone, it can help improve you core strength, posture, balance, and coordination.
The stability ball
can be used in place of a bench for many exercises, and for a variety of
stretches as well. It also makes a great office chair since your core muscles
will work to keep upright posture. Unlike a bench, a ball will move under you,
at every angle, side to side and back and forth while performing certain
exercises. So, to keep the ball from moving, and perform an exercise, your body
is coordinating multiple muscle groups to work together throughout every
exercise you do.
When sitting on the
ball to perform exercises like a dumbbell shoulder press or bicep curl, your core
muscles will fire as they try to stabilize the ball underneath your hips. Lift
one foot off the ground slightly and you’ll find yourself working even harder
to stay on top of the ball.
If you are thinking
about purchasing your own ball to incorporate it into your workout program,
here are some buying tips in case you’re not sure which ball you should be using.
When seated on the top of a stability ball your knees should be even with your
hips or slightly above. Larger, softer balls are great for de-conditioned, or
those who might be rand new to working out, overweight, or mature populations.
The firmer the ball the more difficult the exercises are to perform; the softer
the ball the easier exercises are to perform.
• 45cm- used for
shorter (under 5 ft).
• 55cm- used for
most people
• 65cm-used for
taller (over 6 ft).
A stability ball is
a great tool that can offer a challenge to your workouts. All age groups and
all fitness levels can incorporate the right stability ball exercises to
improve your balance, strength, posture and coordination. But with a challenge,
comes a more exciting workout that will help you to achieve better results
while having fun during your workout.
Disclaimer:
This article is only for informative purposes. This article is not intended to
be a medical advice and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice.
Please consult your doctor for your medical concerns. Follow any tip given in
this article only after consulting your doctor. The author is not liable for
any outcome or damage resulting from information obtained from this article.
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