Get Fit: Have a Ball!
Looking for variety, challenge and a bit of fun in your workouts? Want to improve your core strength, flexibility, balance and coordination all in one? Try a stability ball.
Stability exercise balls initially got their start in rehabilitation, but in recent years have gained popularity for home use and in fitness classes, partly because everyone benefits from a strong core — whatever your age, fitness level or goals.
“A stability ball is a great tool because you can do so many things with it,” says Sharla Jensen, a Certified Personal Trainer at Eisenhower Health. “And it makes exercising fun.”
Jensen, who has taught stability ball classes at Eisenhower Health, regularly uses a stability ball herself, including when recently rehabbing from a knee replacement.
Start with the right equipment
To get started, Jensen recommends purchasing a large therapeutic stability ball, sized for your height, which allows you to sit or lean on it and lay over the top in various positions. She uses the SPRI brand in her work, but there are many from which to choose.
Some stability balls come in one size (55 cm) for people 5’5” and under and another (65 cm) for those 5’5” and over. Other fitness brands offer more detailed height breakdowns, such as:
• 5’0” and under: 45cm ball
• 4’11” – 5’4”: 55cm ball
• 5’5” – 5’11”: 65 cm ball
• 6’0” – 6’7”: 75 cm ball
The standard stability ball has a 250-pound to 300-pound weight limit. Balls with anti-burst technology can take higher weights.
When you sit on the ball, your knees should form a right angle while your thighs run parallel to the floor and feet rest firmly on the ground.
Even sitting counts
If you feel a bit off-balance when you first sit on your exercise ball, that’s okay. The stability ball is designed to put you in an unstable environment, which you learn to control. (Pro tip: wear comfortable clothes and make sure there are no sharp objects in your pockets.)
Unlike some workouts, with stability balls even sitting can create active engagement. “The ball naturally forces you to sit correctly and have good form, which means you have to use your abdominal muscles to stay on,” says Jensen. The ball also helps improve your balance. “If you slouch, you’re going to slide off.”
Ball hip circles are one way to warm up your muscles and help release tension in your pelvic area. Sit atop the ball with a straight spine and feet shoulder width apart. Press the ball into the ground. Keep your arms down to the side and your feet on the ground. Slowly circle your hips to the right. Build up to 10 to20 circles. Then repeat the same steps to the left.
The stability ball is a great assistant when it comes to stretching, pushups, plank positions and squats, along with strength training.
Even if you can do a traditional squat, Jensen recommends trying the stability ball version, which she used in her own rehab. Position the ball against a wall. Stand up straight, facing out, with your lower back firmly against the ball. Bend your knees to roll the ball down the wall until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Then push through your heels to roll back up.
Other exercises to try
Plank: Place your hands on the ball, arms out straight. Straighten your legs and back and balance yourself in place. To make this exercise harder, touch each knee, one at a time, to the ball and back.
Leg lifts: Lay over the ball as if on all fours with your hands on the floor. Keep your torso on the ball; at the same time, lift your head and straighten (or bend) your legs. Do a series of leg raises.
Sit-ups: Lie with your back on a mat on the floor and your legs over the ball. Make sure the ball is touching the back of your thighs. Place your hands behind your head and interlock your fingers. Do a series of sit-ups. (Don’t tuck in your chin.) This pose puts less pressure on your back.
Push-ups: Start with your torso on the ball. Roll forward until your toes/top of foot are on the ball. Form a push-up position with your hands on the ground, shoulder-width apart and arms straight. As you push up and down, engage your middle section.
Muscle building: Seated on the ball, use hand weights or resistance bands to strengthen your triceps, biceps and chest muscle. Do lateral extensions with your arms out to the side.
For more tips and ideas
Jensen recommends joining a stability ball class at a local fitness center or watching YouTube™ videos or other online video sources. Consult your primary care physician before performing new physical activities or undertaking any new exercise routines.
