Posts Tagged ‘exercise ball’

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.

There have been many new pieces of equipment made available to help when exercising. But of all of these one that is now proving very popular with men and women alike is the Swiss exercise ball. This is a piece of equipment that enables a person to improve not only their strength and posture but increase endurance and core stability.

For many people using this form of exercise equipment they have found that it helps them become more aware of how their body works when exercising. These people are then able to recognize which exercises they use on this piece of equipment are really making a difference to the way their body looks and feels.
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Initially when using a Swiss exercise ball you will feel unstable on this but after a while when your core muscles become more stabilized so you will feel less unstable. The core muscles which this type of equipment helps to stabilize are those in your back and abdomen. As these become more stabilized you will find that not only do these muscles become far stronger but have more endurance.

However there are certain things which one must do to ensure that you are using your exercise ball correctly. Below we take a look at just what these are.

1. When exercising to help ensure that you maintain your balance correctly using a Swiss exercise ball make sure that you focus on a point in front of you.

2. It is crucial that when you use this piece of equipment that you have plenty of space available around you. Remember you are going to be moving about quite a bit on this piece of equipment when carrying out various exercises.

3. As you work out make sure that you regulate your breathing. As you do each exercise make sure that you take normal but controlled breaths as you do them. This will help to further ensure that the muscles being used remain as relaxed as possible.

4. When working on a difficult phase of your exercises it is important that you ensure that you exhale as you do these. Whilst when carrying out the easier part of the exercise this is when inhalation should take place.

5. Also when doing any exercise movements on this type of equipment you need to ensure that you control them properly. Again through the right breathing techniques you will find that this can be much more easily achieved.

6. Before beginning any workout using such a piece of equipment make sure that you warm up correctly first. Warming up will ensure that all muscles in your body are relaxed and the chances of an injury occurring during exercise is reduced.

7. Finally when you have finished using your Swiss exercise ball make sure that you perform some stretching exercises. Again doing this will help to ensure that the muscles don’t become damaged.