Archive for the ‘exercise ball workouts’ Category

Exercise Ball Chair

Finding The Right Exercise Ball Chair

 

Are you someone who spends a considerable amount of time sat at a desk? If you are do you find that you suffer back problems because as a result of the way you sit? Then it is worthwhile considering getting yourself an exercise ball chair to replace your traditional office chair.

In fact more and more companies are offering their employees these chairs including companies like Google and BMW. Certainly they have found them to be very effective in reducing the number of days sick leave employees have as they are helping to prevent them from suffering from persistent or chronic back problems.

The main reason that companies are now opting to provide employees with an exercise ball chair if they wish is that their posture is improved. The reason for this is that they don’t have any think behind to support their back which often leads to a person slouching and so causing stress and strain to be placed on the muscles in them. Plus they have found that with improved posture a person’s ability to concentrate for much longer is also enhanced.

Gaiam Balance Ball Chair (Black)
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Retail Price: $99.99
Amazon Price: $68.02

However there are other benefits for employees to gain from using this type of chair in the office rather than the more traditional designs. Although you are still sat on the exercise ball chair you are actually carrying out a workout as you do. This is because you first have to learn how to balance yourself on it to ensure that you remain stable and can get on with the tasks in front of you. What you don’t realize is that to ensure that stability is maintained the core muscles inside your body are being worked. As they become stronger and more toned then being able to remain stable on the chair becomes far easier.

Although initially maintaining your balance on the chair can prove difficult over time it will become second nature to you. This again is down to constant exertion being placed on the muscles in your body to help you remain stable and so over time not only will your body looked more toned but you will actually feel fitter as well.

Should you be considering swapping your normal office chair for one of the new exercise ball chairs then it is important that you don’t change from one to the other immediately. It is important that with any changes to your lifestyle you do so gradually. So start off using it for short periods of time and then gradually increase this over time. By doing it this way your body will find it much easier to adapt to the new seating arrangement as well as your muscles being able to adapt more effectively when greater amounts of exertion are placed on them.

Also it is important that when it comes to getting an exercise ball chair that you make sure that you choose the right size for your build and weight. Unlike conventional chairs you will find that there isn’t one size that fits all. So it is worth trying several different models out and opt for the one that offers you the most support and which you feel most comfortable sitting on.

 

Read more about exercise ball chair and Exercise balls

Exercise Ball Workouts

Looking for a cost effective way to improve your overall health? Then why consider using an exercise ball. Through using the right sorts of exercise ball workouts one is improving not just specific areas of the body but it as a whole. This is because they require you to use all muscles at any one time when doing any particular exercises including the core ones.

Along with allowing you to work far more of your body at any given time this piece of equipment takes up considerably less space than a treadmill or rowing machine does. Plus you can carry out exercise ball workouts in the comfort of your own home.

So what kinds of exercises are suitable for one to carry out as part of a workout regime that involves the use of an exercise ball? Below we look at some of the basic exercises that if you invest money in an exercise ball can be incorporated into your daily workouts.

Exercise 1 – Incline Dumbbell Chest Press

With this exercise you sit on the floor with your upper back resting against the ball making sure that your feet are flat on the floor. Plus your knees must be bent so that your hips will drop to the floor. Now take a set of dumbbells and hold them so that they are in line with your shoulders and very slowly lift them towards the ceiling. As you raise the dumbbells make sure that your lower arm remains perpendicular to the floor.

Exercise 2 – Squat and Press

For this exercise you need to be stood upright but with your knees bent slightly. Now take the ball and hold it up in front of your face. This is the position from which you start and then finish. Once you feel comfortably slowly bend your knees to the side so that you lower the exercise ball towards the floor. You will find that you that the movement you are making is similar that you would do when doing squats. Now you need to raise the ball making sure that your legs and arms are extended fully so that it looks like you are pushing the ball towards the ceiling ensuring that you raise it above your head. Now remove to the original position and repeat this exercise.

Exercise 3 – Crunches

You need to be laid down on the ball in a supine position making sure that your body is draped over the ball. Plus also make sure that you extend your arms out behind you. Now take your hands so that they are placed over and across your chest. Once in this position you must very slowly raise your head, neck, shoulders and chest along with the rest of your spine off the ball making sure that you use only your abdominal muscles. When you reach a position that you find comfortable very slowly gradually lower your body back down again and repeat the movement again.

If you really want your exercise ball workouts to prove effective then it is important that you carry out exercises like these on a regular basis. Every other day should suffice and you should do at least 5 to 8 reps of each exercise at least 3 times when working out.

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