When it comes to getting fit or wanting to lose weight more and more people are finding how beneficial stability ball workouts can be to them achieving their goals. Certainly for many they have seen adverts or others using this piece of equipment at the gym but don’t understand what the hype is regarding the use of them.

In this article we hope to explain how these should be used and why using this type of equipment whether in the gym or at home works so well.

Firstly unlike other forms of exercise equipment you can use at home or in the gym when use a stability ball or exercise ball you are working on different muscles from those that would be used to carry out sits ups or crunches. The reason that you body uses different muscles is to help ensure that it is stabilized as you workout on the ball.

When you do exercises that require you to lie on the floor or a mat then your body remains flat and so it is stable. This means that only the muscles that will be working are those that are needed to carry out the specific exercise you are undertaking. However once you become unstable then not only is your body being asked to use the muscles for the particular exercise being carried out it requires others to work alongside to help you regain your stabiilty.

It is important that when doing any kinds of stability ball workouts you don’t limit yourself to the simple ones, but try to vary the exercises you do. You can still do sit ups and crunches using this piece of equipment but there are plenty of others worth considering employing and all of which ensure that all muscles including your core ones are being utilized. As you will soon discover with this kind of workout you lose weight more quickly and more effectively.

So what sorts of exercises can one incorporate into your daily stability ball workouts? Below we look at one that you may want to consider including in your workouts.

Single Leg Lifts – This the ideal exercise for those who are looking to tone up their abdomen, butt, hips and oblique muscles. It requires you to lie either on your back or your side over the ball and then very slowly lift one leg at the time off of the floor. Don’t be afraid to rotate the position in which you lay as you may find that one position works better for you than another and for those who do have back problems then laying on one’s side may prove much more comfortable than laying on one’s back.

Also it is worth considering when you feel ready to incorporate some weightlifting exercises into your routines each day or week. You may think that you look silly but remember using weights as you do your stability ball workouts is helping to use all muscles rather than just some. So the results you would like to see will be achieved a lot more quickly.

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In recent years the number of gyms that now offer classes to their members that incorporate the use of pilates Exercise balls has been on the increase. It is through the use of this equipment and the right exercises one is able to learn how to control the body’s core muscles.

Although originally the exercises devised by Joseph Pilates were designed to improve a person’s posture. It has been found they help to improve a person’s overall health as the core muscles found deep in the body are able to offer support to the body more effectively. As you are much more unstable when doing exercies using a Pilates Ball so this means that the core muscles are required to work much harder to help you regain stability once more.
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The Pilates Exercise balls that are now used not only differ in colour but in size as well. Some are as small as 14 inches in diameter whilst others are as large as 34 inches. The main reason for them being so large is to help ensure that the person using them cannot remain stable throughout the exercises they are doing and so not working their body’s muscles including the core one’s as much.

All the balls that are used for these kinds of workouts are made from soft elastic Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC). Not only does this mean that they conform better to the person using them but provide some grip to the surface below. If the ball is able to move too freely there is a greater risk of an injury occurring when in use.

When it comes to do doing pilates exercises with this piece of equipment you will discover that the ones you do without it are suitable. But remember as you are unstable you will find that you are actually focusing more on ensuring that you work the muscles not only for the exercise itself but also to help you gain stability on the ball once more.

As you will soon discover that just sitting on the ball takes some considerable because of it being unstable. It will take quite a bit of conscious effort on your part to maintain your balance so that you don’t end up sliding off the ball and instead remain sitting on it upright. If you really want your exercises using Pilates Exercise balls to be effective then you must ensure that you do them correctly. Failure to do so will ensure that you are not engaging the various muscles that your body needs to regain stability over the ball.

However, for those who are only just considering using Pilates Exercise balls to improve their physique and overall health it is a good idea to start off with a few simple exercises. Also why not use a wall or another stable surface to provide you with some additional support just until you get to feel the way the ball moves as you do the various exercises. This will also help to ensure that you are focusing more on the exercise and in turn this will help to ensure that you do each movement correctly.

When trying to lose weight and improve one’s body through using weighted Exercise balls you will find that all muscles are being employed when exercising, not just those that the exercise is meant for. The main purpose of using one of these balls is actually to help strengthen and tone all muscles including the core ones that offer support to your spine simultaneously.

Through doing these exercises over time one will see an immediate improvement in ones muscle strength, your posture and general health. You also have the opportunity to use these on their own or you can incorporate their use when working with weight training equipment such as dumbbells.

So why consider using a weighted exercise ball as part of your new healthy lifestyle regime? Below we look at some of the reasons for considering using this piece of fitness equipment on a daily basis.

Reason 1 – Even when put under extreme amounts of pressure a weighted exercise ball can retain its shape. Yet they will offer you plenty of firm but soft support to your whole body making it relax more easily to the core and so ensuring that you feel comfortable when doing your workouts.

Reason 2 – Along with you using them to perform your workouts on each day if you want your kids may find them enjoyable as well. This in turn means that they are getting some exercise without evening realising it. Also don’t be concerned if the material they are made from could prove harmful to your children as they are made from non toxic ones.

Reason 3 – This is one of the most inexpensive pieces of fitness equipment you can purchase for your home. Depending on the size and make you purchase you can get some for as little as $10 although some of the much bigger and brand name models can cost considerably more. But will still cost considerably less than purchasing a treadmill, rowing machine or steps.

Reason 4 – These have been developed to hold your body up as you exercise and it does not matter which position your body is in you can maintain your balance as you exercise on one. Although you may find it hard initially to keep your balance so it is best to start off carrying out a few simple exercises. Then as your confidence in your abilities grow so you can progress to more difficult and challenging exercises.

Reason 5 – As you are having to use more of your muscles to retain your stability on the ball then you will find that they are more effective than carrying out normal floor exercises. Often you will find that physiotherapists use weighted Exercise balls to treat patients with spinal disorders or other common back problems as having to retain balance on them helps to provide more support for the spine through the working of the muscles.

As you can see from above there are a great many reasons why using weighted Exercise balls is so important for some people. So it is worth considering using one yourself if you want to get back in shape and especially if you suffer from any back problems.