Do you remember how much fun it was to play with a ball when you were a child? A simple ball was an endless source of inspiration and activity. And it still is. Using an exercise ball can be a way to add variety and fun to your workout.
Exercise balls are usually large vinyl balls that you can use to strengthen and stretch your body, improving core stability and balance.
“I named the exercise ball as an essential piece of fitness equipment,” says Jonathan Ross, personal trainer. According to Ross, everyone should have one. It’s incredibly versatile, doesn’t take up much space and is a very low investment, he points out.
“I never get bored of the exercise ball,” Ross says. It prevents me from having to repeat the same workout over and over again. There is no finish line when you use the ball, he says. There is always another level of challenge, always a way to make an exercise more difficult.
Training with an exercise ball takes traditional strength training to a new level, says Neal Pire, MA, FACSM, director of the Parisi Speed School, in Fair Lawn, N.J., a performance-based training school for athletes ages 6 and older.
“It can provide an excellent balance training tool,” says Pire.
The workout becomes a whole-body exercise, challenging your strength and more muscles of your body at the same time.
When performing ball exercises, you also stimulate the core muscles – the deep pelvic, abdominal and low back muscles – that are essential for good posture, balance and control of movement, says Pire.
Another advantage is that the exercise ball stimulates smaller stability muscles, Ross says, in addition to the muscles used in exercise.
