Discovering The Most Advantageous Stability Ball Workouts
March 10, 2010 by Nick Valenko
Filed under Exercise
Stability balls are a unique piece of fitness equipment that’s both economical and fun. It can easily be used at home while watching TV, and stability ball workouts provide terrific ways to strengthen the body’s core muscles.
Gaining consistent balance on a stability ball is not only an achievement, it’s essential to future workouts. Learning how to balance on a stability ball engages the abdominal muscles, which is where core fitness is centered.
The trick to learning how to use a stability ball is master the art of keeping your balance. This is a lot harder than it may seem, but once you locate your center of gravity when sitting on the ball, other exercises will come more naturally. Also, expect to fall off the ball at least once while finding your balance.
As with all exercises, start slowly and take into account the unique nature of the ball. In fact, it might be a good idea to prop the ball against the sofa or a wall when you start out. Then you can move away from your support as you gain confidence.
One of the first exercises for a beginner is the Seated Balance. This exercise works the abs at the same time it improves balance. Sit up straight on the ball and pull in your abs. Place your hands palms down on the ball on either side of your body. Now lift the right foot off the floor and hold it up for 5 seconds. Lower that foot to the floor and lift up the left foot, holding for 5 seconds. Repeat this motion, alternating sides, for 5 to 10 repetitions.
As your confidence improves, try a more difficult exercise such as the Ball Rotation. For this one, lie back with the ball position under your shoulders and lower back. Extend arms straight up over the chest with palms touching. Keep the body in a straight line from knees to hips. Contract your abs and glutes, then slowly roll your body to the left, keeping arms parallel to the carpet or floor. Then roll back to center and twist to the other side. Don’t roll too far, but really use those abs!
Discover how to use a stability ball workouts to get into better shape. Purchase your stability ball workouts by shopping online. Go there today to find the best way to exercise.
How To Discover The Most Effective Exercise Ball Workouts
February 18, 2010 by Nick Valenko
Filed under Fitness
Exercise balls are all the rage and for good reason. They may, in fact, be the single most effective fitness device on the market today. Inexpensive to purchase, easy and fun to use, they are particularly suited to helping you shed excess fat and develop awesome abs. Their proper use will benefit your entire body but. Most importantly, they will strengthen your core muscles. Routines to incorporate in your exercise ball workouts are nearly unlimited and can be very specific in which part of the body they target.
First off, if you don\’t yet have an exercise ball (also sometimes called a fitness ball or stability ball) you\’ll need to go out and get one. Some are available for less than twenty dollars while others may be as much as fifty or more. Most are about the same — a big, rubber inflatable ball designed to hold weight of up to nearly a thousand pounds — but some come with extras such as how-to videos.
It\’s important to make sure you get the right size ball. This will be dictated by your height. If you sit on the ball and place your feet flat on the floor in front of you, your knees should form a right angle. If this isn\’t the case, you\’ve gotten the wrong size. You will need to replace it with the correct size.
Now that you\’ve got your ball, what can you do with it? If yours didn\’t come with an instructional video and you\’re not inclined to go to a gym or a personal trainer who can teach you the correct way to use it, then go to the Internet. There are numerous sites available online which can teach you not only what exercises to do but how to do them and what results you can expect. Many include very descriptive pictures you can follow and some even have how-to videos you can watch to help you along.
A fitness ball is most beneficial in developing your core. Your core includes the muscle groups at the center of your body, the torso. This is your center of gravity. Included are the muscles in front and to the sides of your stomach, commonly referred to as the \’abs\’. Back muscles, shoulder muscles and certain neck muscles also help make up the core. Working on these muscles will benefit your entire body, since this is where all body movements originate.
Because a fitness ball is round, just the act of sitting on it starts to work your core muscles. These muscles will flex and contract automatically in response to the natural tendency to roll off the ball and fall over. There are almost an unlimited number of exercises that can be performed with the aid of an exercise ball.
It\’s also nice to have specific exercises that target specific areas. Trunk extension works the back. Crunches target the abs. Bent knee bridge helps the hamstrings and buttocks. Superman works the upper, lower and middle back.
The best recommendation is to get a ball and get started, even if it\’s only sitting on it while watching TV. Better yet, go online and visit one of the many sites full of exercise ball workouts. They work. In no time you should experience significant fat loss and start to see the flat abs you\’ve been wanting to attain. Go for it!
It will be great fun working out when you begin using the exercise ball workouts today! Enjoyable routines that will help you to meet your goals using exercise ball workouts.














