The shiatsu body ball was designed to provide the same benefits of a Swiss ball -- strengthening the body's core muscles, improving muscle tone, increasing flexibility -- while conferring the perk of offering a massaging effect due to the nodules on the surface of the ball. As of February 2011, the product was no longer commercially available, but the similarly sized Swiss ball is an appropriate substitute for shiatsu ball exercises for those not in possession of the latter.
Upper Body
To strengthen and tone the upper body using a shiatsu ball, try wall push-ups, upright and with the ball held between your chest and the wall; incline push-ups, with your lower legs resting on the ball and your hands on the floor; reverse push-ups, with your knees on the floor and your trunk angled about 30 degrees to the floor, with the ball positioned between your arms and the floor; and triceps dips, with the ball behind you and your body held as if seated in a chair. These are demonstrated on the Sports Injury Clinic website.
Lower Body
Popular exercises for the lower body using a shiatsu ball are ball squats, wherein you stand with your back to the wall and your feet hip-width apart with the ball between your lower back and the wall; single-leg ball squats, which are like the usual type but with one leg at a time extended and held several inches off the floor; ball lunges, in which the ball is again held against the wall using your back and you step forward with exaggerated strides alternating the legs; and the reverse ball bridge, in which you lie on your back with your legs resting on the ball and raise your buttocks off the floor. Again, refer to the Sports Injury Clinic site for visual guidance.
Trunk
A shiatsu ball is extremely useful in exercising the many muscles stabilizing the trunk. Do side crunches to work the obliques, face-down back extensions to strengthen the muscles in the lumbar region, traditional and reverse plank exercises to tone the muscles that hold the trunk erect, and the ball woodchop to work both the obliques and the quadratus lumborum. Specifics on how to perform these are given on the Sports Injury Clinic site.
Abdominal Muscles
One of the greatest assets of a fitness ball is the number and range of abdominal exercises they permit. To tone your abs, try the abdominal ball crunch, illustrated on MayoClinic.com. Sit on the fitness ball with your feet on the floor, about hip-width apart. With your back straight, cross your arms over your chest and tighten your abs. Lean back until you feel your abdominal muscles tighten further. Hold this position for three deep breaths, return to the start position, and repeat. Start with five repetitions, gradually working up to 10 to 15.
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