Get Onto The Ball!
“The variety of exercise options the ball offers permits you to challenge and explore the limits of your body”
The Swiss ball or stability ball is commonly found in gyms and at homes of individuals who are fitness enthusiasts and who understand its many benefits. It has become the most popular workout equipment in the last couple of years. The large ball filled with air is ideal for balancing exercises. Physiotherapy experts initiated the use of the ball in their treatments as the ball aids in stretching and experimenting with various moves without harming the joints. Therefore, it became a safe and effective tool for rehabilitation of individuals undergoing physiotherapy. Gradually, it became a part of the lives of other fitness and wellness professionals too, who incorporated the ball in their exercise regimes.
A 360 Degree Workout
The ball is meant for a complete and perfect workout of the body. The Swiss ball helps in strengthening the back, legs, shoulders and arms. The ball also assists in an effective and intense workout to strengthen the core and abdomen muscles. The variety of exercise options that it offers, permits you to challenge and explore the limits of your body. The exercises are high intensity ones and make more use of stabiliser and assisting muscles making it a more taxing and demanding workout.
Improvising Weight Resistance Workouts
- The ball initiates instability which compels one to use the muscles of the core to maintain balance.
- There is an improvement in the routine as regular exercise with the ball strengthens the back, chest and the core of the abdominal muscles.
- Using the ball for push-ups lays emphasis on the shoulders and arms and eases the legs.
- Using the ball provides a break from doing sit-ups the traditional way. Various forms of crunches can also be performed, allowing one to experiment with different postures that focus on lower and upper abs.
- Dumbbells, barbells or kettle bells or any other weight training equipment can be used for strength training, whilst one sits on the ball, strengthening the core.
“The stability ball assists in an effective and intense workout to strengthen the core and abdomen muscles”
Crunches With The Ball
- Lie with your head resting on the ball and have the back taking the shape of it. Keep the hips at a lower level as compared to the torso.
- Make a right angle with your knees.
- Do a regular crunch with the above basics in mind.
- Repeat as per your capacity.
Precautions
- The usage of ball lessens the impact on your joints but the exercises don’t get any easy.
- Ensure your physical strength is at its optimum to initiate an exercise, as all would be high intensity workouts.
- Inferior quality balls tend to burst so avoid using those.
- Ensure that the ball isn’t over- inflated for it becomes hard. There has to be room in it to take your weight.
- Don’t overdo an exercise because it feels easy.
- Always begin at a pace you are comfortable with and gradually build up on the intensity.
- Don’t forget to take your doctors opinion before starling an exercise regime.
Push Ups With The Ball
- Place the knees on the ball and keep your hands shoulder-width apart on the floor in front of you.
- Get your body in a straight line by walking forward with your hands.
- Tighten the abdomen muscles when moving ahead as it helps in aligning the body.
- Don’t let the body gravitate to the ground.
- Do a regular push up with the above basics in mind.
- Repeat as per your capacity.
- Walk on your hands back to starting position.
Moves For Your Hips
- Lie on your right side.
- Raise left leg and keep it extended.
- Maintain pose for 10 seconds.
- Come back to initial position.
- Ensure the ball is stationary.
- Repeat steps.