What are the benefits of an exercise ball?

The benefits of using an exercise ball are... it integrates the three basic elements of fitness...strength, balance and flexibility.  It’s simple (with a couple of ball basics, listed below), versatile, and is suitable for all fitness levels.

Ball Basics:

1. When sitting on a ball have your hips centered, contract your abs and lift your chest to stay in neutral spine. 2. If you place your feet at a wider stance you will have more stability than if your feet are close together. 3. Keep your feet under your knees for best stability.

It’s versatile because you can use it for numerous strength and flexibility exercises...the list is endless. Once you learn the proper form and technique, you can be creative and combine exercises into mini circuits.

It’s appropriate for all fitness levels because it allows you to modify difficult exercises like the push-up or squat to achieve correct form without straining.

Exercise balls (stability balls) are one of the top fitness tools you can use when you exercise. They are also relatively inexpensive, so they make a great option for those who want to exercise on a budget as well. Exercise balls will challenge your stabilizer muscles and help improve your balance. They are excellent for training your core and make a perfect tool to help you get that toned stomach area. You can sit on them, do abdominal crunches on the ball, or even do advanced moves like push ups with the ball. There are so many options, which make it possible to get a full body workout using this one piece of equipment.

An exercise ball is great to add to your exercise routine. It provides a safe way move from a  stable surface to one that isn't forcing your muscles to work harder with different exercises performed on it. For example, let's look at the pushup. Doing it on the ground is challenging in itself, but if you put the ball under your thighs, or stabilize on it with your hands, and then perform the same pushup, it becomes a little more challenging.

Exercise balls, also known as stability balls or Swiss balls, are primarily used to increase the demand for stability in an exercise. The spherical shape of the ball creates an unstable base of support, forcing you to constantly adjust your body position to the subtle movements of the ball requiring you to activate your core musculature (abdominals, torso, hips) to a greater degree. This can potentially improve your balance, abdominal strength, coordination, and burn more calories during your workout. However, stability balls can be dangerous if you do not possess adequate balance or body control, so it is important to evaluate the risk versus reward of the exercise and follow all safety guidelines. Novice exercisers with poor balance should first attain proficiency at performing exercises on a stable surface and progress to a more unstable environment such as a stability ball.

1. Push Ups (with your hands on the ball or to add more intensity, try putting your toes on the ball and hands on the floor. Having your body in this position will allow most of your body weight to be on your upper body for a better pump)
2. Ball wall squats (with the ball on your back between you and the wall, squat down to 90 degrees or comfortable position and repeat)
3. Ball Crunches
4. Ball Leg Curls
5. Jack Knife Crunches
6. Planks
7. Bridges. etc

Not only are exercise balls great for challenging stability; you can make your exercises more challenging or less in the case of a squat.

To perform a squat using a stability (exercise) ball, place the ball between you and a wall with the ball at your low to mid back with your feet several inches in front of you. Now lower your body down towards the floor as if sitting on a chair. Now return to standing. This is one repetition. Repeat up to 10 times. This will have you performing a squat safely.