I love my exercise ball. The first time my personal trainer introduced me to it, I personally thought she was nuts. What I didn’t realize is that my lack of core strength and balance were what made the ball seem an impossible task for me. However, I muddled through and with her encouragement, discovered that the exercise ball is one of my all time favorite tools for working out.
The exercise ball is optimal for back pain sufferers and can help prevent low back pain during and after a workout. It helps to strengthen your core muscles, including your lower back and your abdominal. You are using a base of instability in order to increase a personal sense of balance and to use your muscles to maintain that balance while you are performing your exercises.
What this means for you as you are working out is that you build strength in those core muscles without realizing it just by using the exercise ball as a part of your routine. These are good reasons for working out with an exercise ball, but for those with bad backs there are theories that the type of spinal movement encouraged by the exercise ball actually helps reduce pain because the body is stimulated to produce natural pain inhibitors.
There are numerous ways to workout on an exercise ball. It’s an ideal tool for fitness, strength, weight training and exercise for pregnant women. I can do more sit-ups on my balance ball than I can from the typically prone position. I can also perform hamstring curls, lower backstretches and push-ups. The element of instability is one I adore now, because I can do a tough workout that doesn’t feel so tough anymore, but my body responds to it.
During March, I’m going to post some workouts for people like me who enjoy their exercise ball. If you are curious about them, they are a relatively low-priced tool that can be found at your local Wal-Mart and Target as well as your fitness stores. There are plenty of DVD and Video exercise workouts that can introduce you to using your exercise ball in a wide variety of exercises.
The benefits of using an exercise ball include:
- Versatile Exercise
- Greater Muscle Strength
- Increased Flexibility
- Better Balance and Coordination
- Improved Posture
Exercise balls are also referred to as a stability ball, therapy ball or the big blue ball. You should be aware that when purchasing a ball, you want to choose one that is fitted to your height and legs. Sitting on the ball, your thighs should be parallel to the ground with your knees at a 90 degree angle and your feet flat on the floor.