Exercise Ball

From Atkinspedia

An Exercise Ball, also called a Fitness Ball or a Swiss Ball, is a high-quality, burst-resistant rubber ball of varying sizes. Balls are sized according to their diameter, with the correct size based on your height.

When an exercise ball is purchased, an optional air pump & exercise ball video/dvd may be included. One way to strengthen your core muscles is to do core exercises with an exercise ball. You can either begin a core exercise routine with a fitness ball, or use one to liven up your current exercise routine.

1 Sizing and Personalization
2 Benefits
3 Known Exercises
4 See Also
5 External Links

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Sizing and Personalization

It's best to use an exercise ball that's the right size for you. The ball fits properly if your hip, knee and ankle line up at a 90-degree angle or slightly greater when you're sitting on the ball. Most people do best with a slightly deflated 55-centimeter (cm) or 65-cm ball.

The softer the ball, the less difficult the exercise will be. If you're just starting out, consider using a larger, softer ball.

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Benefits

A primary benefit of exercising with a ball as opposed to exercising directly on a hard flat surface is that the body responds to the instability of the ball to remain balanced, engaging many more muscles to do so. Those muscles become stronger over time to keep balance. Most frequently, the core body muscles — the abdominal muscles and back muscles — are the focus of exercise ball fitness programs.

Using a Exercise ball as part of a fitness program can include a wide range of difficulty levels, each requiring support from the back and stomach muscles that help firm up the trunk muscles in the body. Exercise balls are commonly used as part of a physical therapy program for individuals with lower back pain.

Examples of uses of the exercise ball include:

Developing overall control and strength of the core body muscles
Increasing lower back mobility
Increasing abdominal and back muscle strength
Improving balance and stability
Improving proprioception
Learning proper body mechanics and posture while lifting objects

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Known Exercises

This following exercises involve strength training exercises using an exercise ball. Most of these exercises are advanced and should only be performed by experienced exercisers with previous exercise ball and weightlifting experience. Make sure you warm up before beginning these exercises and stretch after the workout. Do 2-3 sets of 12-16 repetitions of each exercise, resting about 30 seconds in between. Start with a lighter weight the first time you do this workout as the movements will be harder using the exercise ball.

Exercise	Description	Thumbnail
One-Legged Deadlift	Stand with one foot on the ball, standing leg slightly bent, dumbbells in front of thighs Keeping shoulders back, back flat and abs in, tip from the hips and bring weights down to knees, hands close to thighs. Contract your glutes and hamstrings to pull your torso back up. Switch legs and repeat.	Click to Enlarge Photo About.com
Chest flyes with leg raise	Lie on ball holding dumbbells straight up, palms facing in. Extend one leg and, keeping it extended. Lower arms down to chest level. Contract chest to pull arms back to starting position. Keep the leg extended throughout the set, switching legs for each set.	Click to Enlarge Photo About.com
Hamstring Rolls	Lie on the floor and place heels on the ball. Squeeze glutes and lift hips until your body is in a straight line. Contracting the hamstrings, press the heels into the ball and roll it towards you while keeping the glutes and abs tight (don't sink in the middle!).	Click to Enlarge Photo About.com
Seated lateral raise with hip flexion	Sit on the ball with dumbbells at sides. Lift one foot off the ground and, keeping it lifted, raise arms out to the sides to shoulder level, elbows slightly bent and wrists straight. Lower arms and repeat, keeping leg lifted throughout the set. Switch legs for each set.	Click to Enlarge Photo About.com
One-legged Lunge	Stand a few feet away from a ball (prop it against a wall for more stability) and place one foot on the ball in a split stance. Slowly bend front knee and lower hips towards the ground, keeping knee behind the toe and back straight. Squeeze the glutes and hamstrings to come up and repeat, switching legs for each set.	Click to Enlarge Photo About.com
Oblique lift	In sidelying position on the ball with leg bent, fists on the temples, tighten obliques (muscles around the waist) and lift torso off the ball, pulling the ribcage toward the hip. Repeat and switch sides.	Click to Enlarge Photo About.com
Pushups	Place toes, shins or knees on the ball, hands on the floor a little wider than shoulders. Keeping abs tight and back flat, slowly bend elbows and lower torso, stopping when elbows are 90 degrees. Push up to starting position and repeat.	Click to Enlarge Photo About.com
Bent over rows on one leg	Bend torso parallel to floor, back flat and weights straight down. Extend one leg and prop toe on the ball and bend elbows, squeezing the back to pull weights up to torso level. Lower arms and repeat, keeping leg extended. Switch legs for each set.	Click to Enlarge Photo About.com
Squat with leg extension	Place ball on a wall directly behind mid-lower back. Lean against the ball (slightly) and bend knees, lowering the body until knees are at 90 degree angles. At the bottom of the movement, extend one leg out, hold and lower, pushing back to starting position. Alternate legs with each repetition.	Click to Enlarge Photo About.com