Body Care Kits

The Benefits of the Fitness Ball

The ball (commonly known as stability ball, fitness ball, Swiss ball, physio ball, etc) was used as early as the 1960s. It originally was used by physical therapist to assist with rehabilitation.
It is a very inexpensive piece of equipment that offers a total body workout while also improving your balance. There are literally hundreds of different exercises that can be used with the ball. And, both beginners and advanced exercises can benefit from it. Plus, children to seniors can use it.
Aerobics, Yoga and Pilates are widely practiced and for good reasons, as it provides a complete
body workout, burns calories and helps with weight loss. What else can you ask for? It is probably easiest to use fitness equipment that will target the stubborn areas such as the abdomen, buttocks and thighs.
Fitness ball – this is one of the best fitness additions you can invest in; here is how it works to your benefit:
Abdomen, buttocks and thighs – these are areas that most women and some men as well have great difficulty perfecting with just plain exercise and at times, additional help is required.

Two Common Exercises

Usually all fitness balls come with instructions and a number of exercises as well; follow them step by step in order to get desired results. Here is a simple workout:

Abdominal sit-back

* Sit up tall on the ball with your feet resting on the floor, about hip-width apart. Keep your back straight and your head in alignment. Fold your arms across your chest so that your hands rest on the front of your opposite shoulders.

* Cough and hold to activate your transversus abdominis, then slowly lean backward until you feel your abdominal muscles kick in. Remember to keep breathing through the exercise.

* Hold this position for three deep breaths before returning to the start position.

Bridge

* Lie on your back on the floor with your legs resting on top of the ball. Cough and hold to activate your transversus abdominis. Raise your hips and buttocks off the floor into a bridge (A).

* Hold this position for three deep breaths before returning to the start position. Besides your core muscles, you'll feel the muscles along your backside — the gluteals and hamstrings — contract to keep you in place.

* After you've mastered the bridge, challenge yourself and test your balance by raising first one leg and then the other a few inches off the ball (B).

Pictures and Fitness exercise by Courtesy : www.mayoclinic.com