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Exercise Ball Workouts
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I've
devoted this page
to seven different exercise ball workouts.
I
will add more exercise ball routines as time permits. For now, here are
two exercise ball workouts for the beginner, two for an intermediate or
someone with some experience with an exercise ball, and two exercise
ball workout routines for a more advanced individual. Modify them if
you want to suit your own training requirements or your fitness level.
If
you decide to modify each program in any way, remember that the
fundamental core exercises work the different muscles in an integrated
way, each exercise will bias different muscle groups. For example, an
exercise ball routine that includes a lot of bridging exercises on your
back will emphasize the muscles in your back; likewise, an exercise
ball workout that involves many exercises face down will bias the
abdominal musculature. Those exercises done in side lying, because of
gravity will bias the muscles on the side of your trunk and pelvis.
As
a physical therapist I can not stress enough the need to warm up
prior to exercising to improve elasticity and neuromuscular response,
and thereby minimize the risk of injury. The best time to stretch in
order to lengthen connective tissues is after a muscle has been warmed
up, so be sure to stretch after your exercise ball workout.
Each
individual should stretch according to their specific needs,
sports, and posture. If you have any concerns about what muscles to
stretch, or if you have a condition that involves any joint instability
see your physical therapist of course prior to beginning an exercise
ball workout or stretching routine.
It
is essential that all exercise ball workouts be performed with
excellent form and that any exercise is stopped at the point of
technical fatigue. This is the point whereby one can no longer maintain
perfect technique. To work beyond that point would place undue stress
on para spinal connective tissues and articular structures of the spine
(ie facet joints, discs, etc). Your exercise ball workout should never
cause pain. |
Factors affecting the
difficulty of an exercise ball workout:
Base
of support
The base of support refers to the area under you over which weight is
distributed. For example, if you are leaning on a ball with feet wide
apart, your base of support is larger and therefore the exercise is
easier. Move your feet closer together and the base of support gets
smaller, it becomes more difficult to remain upright and therefore the
exercise becomes more difficult. The triangle of support formed by your
two legs and the ball is the base of support area. If you were to lift
one leg, that would drastically reduce your base of support creating a
much less stable support.
Length of lever arm
The longer the lever arm or distance between the end of the limb and
the point of support, the more difficult will be the exercise. For
instance, when sitting on the ball and raising your foot, if you keep
your knee bent, the weight of your leg is closer to your trunk and
therefore the exercise is easier. When doing the rollout on your knees
the distance between your knees and point of support on the ball is
shorter than if you were to do the rollout on your toes; hence, rollout
on your knees is easier than the rollout on your toes.
If you are designing your own exercise ball workout, start by using
exercise ball exercises that have a large area of support. You can make
that area of support larger by letting some air out of your ball making
the point of contact of the ball with the floor larger. Also, think
about the length of the lever arm during a given exercise. As
your limbs are closer to the point of support it takes less effort to
lift them. Crunches with your arms at your sides are easier than
crunches with arms over your head as the weight is shifted further from
your point of support (your butt on the ball).
For more information on exercise
progression click
here.
At the time of writing this I had 159 exercise ball exercises
on this
website. Of course you won't need to do all of them in your exercise
ball workout, but once you're familiar with the one's I've included in
the above exercise ball workouts you will be able to mix and match
exercise ball exercises depending on your goals.
Changing your exercise routine will help your workout stay interesting
and fun, and will also make you fit faster. In order to continue
challenging our body we can add new exercises and new exercise ball
routines.
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