The fitness ball goes by many other names such as stability ball, exercise ball, physio ball, Swiss ball and yoga ball. Whatever you choose to call it, the underlying fact still remains the same. It is a rubberized ball that gets inflated and can be used to work every part of the body.
Step 1
Sit on the ball. You can do various exercises from a seated position on the fitness ball. An example of one would be a shoulder press. To do this, sit on the ball with dumbbells in your hands. Lift them up until they are at shoulder height with your palms facing forward. Push the dumbbells up in the air and bring them about an inch apart. Lower them back down by bending your elbows.
Step 2
Lie on your back to work your chest. Chest presses are done from a lying position. With dumbbells in your hands, roll down on the ball until the back of your head and shoulders are comfortably resting on the ball. With your hands right at your chest and palms facing forward, push the dumbells straight up in the air until they are about an inch apart. Slowly lower them down and repeat.
Step 3
Lie on your stomach to work your back. Back extensions are an exercise that works the lower back muscles called the erector spinae. To do these, lie on your stomach on the ball and walk forward until your hips are right about at the top. Place your hands on the sides of your head and fold your upper body downward as far as you can. Lift yourself back up by engaging your lower back muscles. Alternate lifting and lowering. To give yourself more support, place your feet against a wall.
Step 4
Place your hands or feet on the ball. Push-ups are a popular body weight exercise that works the chest. To increase the intensity, place your hands on the ball instead of the ground. This will put more emphasis on the lower chest. To put more emphasis on your upper chest, place your feet on the ball. Doing push-ups either way will also recruit more core muscles than conventional push-ups.
Step 5
Use the ball as a weight. To do upward chops, come into a wide stance while holding the ball at its greatest circumference. Squat down slightly and swing the ball between your legs. Forcefully chop the ball upward above your head and stop it abruptly. Lower it back down and repeat. When you do this exercise, act as if you want to throw the ball through the wall behind you without actually throwing it.
Step 6
Squeeze the pulp out of the ball. The ball can also be squeezed and used isometrically. Isometric contractions mean there is no lengthening or shortening of a muscle but it is still being contracted. An example would be an adductor squeeze. The adductors are the muscles on the inside of the thighs. To do these, straddle the ball with your knees slightly bent. Squeeze it as hard as you can and hold for 20 to 30 seconds.
Tips and Warnings
- To find the right size ball, look on the side of the box for a height chart. Match your height to the suggested size ball. Once you get your ball and inflate it, your thighs should be parallel to the floor when you are sitting on it.
Things You'll Need
- Dumbbells
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