Tank Top Arms

Ah. The good old stability ball. I love this thing. I actually had one instead of a regular office chair back in Hawaii. Yes, I used it to sit on..and bounce on when I was being goofy. What can I say? Sometimes it was slow. Anyway, that’s besides the point.

The stability ball is an excellent tool to have at home, the office or to use at the gym. It originated from physical therapy and rehab, but it’s potential was seen as benefiting the general paopulation as well. There are many different ways to use it in order to target different areas of your body. Most people associate it with strengthening the core muscles (abs and back). But we can’t forget that you can also target the quads, hamstrings, glutes (butt), and chest! Folks, Spring is here and we are just around the corner for summer…in other words, bikini season! Or board shorts, one piece, t-shirt, whatever it is that you soak up the sun in.

If you didn’t know, stability balls come in different sizes. In general, the taller you are, the larger the ball you want. It’s really important to find a ball that fits you properly to help avoid risk of injury.  This table summarizes the general ball size appropriate for your height and how tall it is (the diameter) when it’s fully inflated.

You can find these balls almost anywhere these days such as Wal-Mart, Target, Sams Warehouse, Costco, and any sports store. Prices range anywhere from $14-$35, depending on the quality and place you get it at. But personallly speaking, I bought mine for $15 and it has lasted me years.

ONWARD TO THE EXERCISES!!!!………

1. Push-up on the ball. Start off with 5 reps, and work your way up to 2 sets of 15. Targets your arms, chest, shoulders, and core muscles.
2. Squat with the ball. Start with 5 reps and work up to 12. Rest for 30 seconds and do another set. Targets your quads, glutes
3. Overhead squat with a ball. Keep your arms lifted as you do 12 to 15 squats.
4. Ball Pass. Continue to pass the ball back and forth from your hands to your legs 10 to 12 times.
5. Bridges. Strengthens the lower back and hamstrings. Start with 8-10 reps.

These five exercises are a great start if you haven’t used a stability ball before. Remember to take it slow and make sure to have plenty of room around you. Doing these exercises take up more room than you might think!

Aside from using the ball for exercises, you will learn that this sphere is truly a diamond in the rough!

There are many benefits of training with stability balls. Here are just some of them:

• Promotes muscular balance
• Increases postural awareness
• Improves balance and coordination
• Allows you to work through a greater range of motion than you can with many traditional exercises
• Targets your core muscles
• Strengthens and tones your muscles
• Provides dynamic exercises for your entire body
• Strengthens weaker muscles
• Improves kinesthetic awareness and helps prevent injury
• It’s portable and inexpensive
• It can be used anywhere

I hope that I’ve given you enough info and motivation here to get on the ball! Good luck and have fun!!!

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