Exercise Balls

An exercise ball is just a big ball, right? Wrong! Therapists and trainers have been using exercise balls to help people regain their strength for years now. Using an exercise ball will strengthen your back and your abs while helping your body to accomplish balance. Working out with an exercise ball will help you to burn up fat and gain muscle. The amount of calories that are burned when exercising with an exercise ball varies, but the important thing is your body is gaining muscle and losing the fat.

To make sure that you have the correct exercise ball for your individual situation, there are some things to know before you make a purchase. You will need to know how tall you are as these exercise balls are fitted by height. People who are 5’4” and under will need a 55 cm exercise ball and 5’5” will need a 65 cm exercise ball. If you sit on the exercise ball and your hips are higher than your knees it is the perfect fit for you.

Exercise balls can be used for various types of fitness activity such as abdominal workouts, weight training, yoga or other flexibility type exercises. You can even play with it or sit on an exercise ball.

Working out on an exercise ball can throw your body off balance until you have learned to gain stability on it. When you first attempt to work out try just sitting and balancing yourself on it. Get a feel for the ball. Position the ball against the wall for initial workout exercises. Just like other forms of exercise you start with working sets of reps. Initially, you will want to perform 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions of each. Always use good posture when doing this or any exercise.

One of the first exercises to master is one of body balancing. Lie on top of the ball with your body in a straight line. Use your arms on the floor to hold yourself this way. As you feel comfortably balanced lift your arm out to the side, one arm at a time.

Another good exercise ball exercise is to lean with your back up against the ball, hands at your side. Slowly raise your butt up and allow your shoulders and head to rest on the ball. If you are doing this correctly your body will resemble that of a table top.

It is very important that you maintain good body posture throughout any type of exercise. You want to remember to keep your back straight, abdominals muscles tucked in and your shoulders back. Remember also to get your doctors approval before starting any type of exercise.