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Fitness Balls
A recent trend that focuses on strengthening the body to do better workouts and experience fewer injuries is the fitness or exercise ball. Also called a Swiss ball, stability ball, sports ball, gym ball, yoga ball, therapy ball or body ball, it strengthens the abdomen and back and increases overall stability. It is made of elastic rubber and has a diameter of about 55-85 cm and is larger than a medicine ball.
Choosing a fitness ball: Check that the size of your fitness ball is proportionate with your height. For this, sit on the ball and ensure your knees are bent to 90°. Go by this reading:
55 cm: 411"- 54"
65 cm -55"- 511"
75 cm -60" - 6 7"
Its best to go by your present strength and fitness level, to work your muscles and not to be injured.
Buy:
- An extra light ball if you are frail
- A light ball if you are a woman
- A medium ball if you are of average fitness
- A heavy ball, if you are a man of average fitness and strength
- An extra-heavy ball if you are a very active man or strong woman
- An ultra-heavy ball if you are a strong man or female bodybuilders
Using a fitness ball: Lie on the ball with your legs and abdomen contracting to keep you stable. In this position, do either a chest press or a crunch to increase the intensity of the movement. They can also be used for:
- Weight training: Use the ball to add difficulty to the movements and use your leg muscles, abdomen and butt here.
- Abdominal training: Add difficulty to the movements by doing crunches, twists and other basic exercises on the ball while also enlisting the help of more muscles.
- Sit on it: Even to sit on the fitness ball is quite a challenge and a good way of improving your posture when sitting at a computer on in front of the TV. Once you are seated on the ball, raise one foot off the ground and balance. If you can do this easily, go one step further and raise both feet.
- Firms up and tones the buttocks, thighs, and abdomen
- Strengthens the lower back, chest and arms
- Increases aerobic fitness and strength
- Provides training in achieving balance to strengthen the core muscles of the body
- Can be used by all age groups or fitness levels and professional athletes
- Helps you learn how to adjust your body to bend and lift heavy objects
- Recommended by doctors
Benefits of using a fitness ball:
Here, the body tries to bring stability on the ball by using many more body muscles than in traditional exercise. Over time, all the muscles that come into play here are strengthened, such as the abdominal and back muscles.
With a fitness ball, you can move up a wide range of difficulty levels, taking the help of your back and stomach muscles to make the trunk muscles strong. These exercises are excellent if you suffer from low back pain.
A fitness ball also:
The fitness ball is indeed a marvel for exercisers and those who need to strengthen their core muscles.
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