According to the American Council on Exercise, adding a two pound ball to certain aerobic or calisthenic exercise routines can increase the intensity and difficulty helping you burn more calories. Two pound balls are usually small enough to grip with one hand and light enough to avoid any type of injury. This makes them the perfect accessory to most fitness programs.
Power Walking
If your preferred method of exercise involves walking, bringing a pair of 2 lb exercise balls along the way can spice things up a bit. Holding a two pound ball in each hand while walking gives your shoulders and arms more work to do. This can help tone them up faster. Try over exaggerating the arm movements during your walk in order work your arm and shoulder muscles through a greater range of motion, which will help burn more calories.
Shoulder Warmup Training
Two pound balls can help strengthen the stabilizer muscles in your shoulders and prepare them for heavier lifting. Do a combination of shoulder presses, lateral shoulder raises and rotator cuff rotations to warm up the entire deltoids area. You can also try doing sets of shoulder circles to really build mobility strength in your shoulders. Try doing small shoulder circles and gradually make them bigger and then small again. These exercises will prepare the shoulders by increasing the amount of blood flow, reducing the risk of injury.
Balance Training
Holding 2 lb balls while working on balance can help strengthen stabilizer muscles, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. Try balancing on one foot while holding your arms straight over your head. Slowly lower your arms to your side and twist your torso to the right. Raise them back up and repeat twisting to the left. Try different variations of arm raises and torso twists while standing on one leg to improve your coordination and balance.
Coordination Training
Two pound balls are the perfect weight for coordination exercises since they are light enough not to cause significant injury but heavy enough to require some strength and speed. Start off easy by simply tossing one ball in the air just above your head and catching it. Repeat with the opposite hand. Next, you can toss the ball up with your left hand and reach up and grab it with your right hand. This exercise can increase upward mobility and vertical range of motion in the shoulders, according to the American College of Sports Medicine.
Rehabiliation and Mobility
Two pound balls can also be used to help rehabilitate shoulder, wrist or arm injuries. For simple rehabilitation exercises in the shoulder, do shoulder rotations holding one ball. Lift one arm so it's perpendicular to your body then bend your elbow so your forearm is vertical. Keeping it bent, slowly rotate your arm forward so it's parallel to the floor then back up. For a wrist improvement grip a 2 lb ball in one hand, rest your wrist on your knee while you're seated and slowly curl your wrist up and down. Do this until the muscle becomes tight and then switch wrists.
References
- "ACSM's Resources for the Personal Trainer"; American College of Sports Medicine; 2010
- "American Council on Exercise Personal Trainers Manual"; Cedric X. Bryant; 2003
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