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Published:
May 6, 2005

Exercise Balls For Dummies

Overview

If you want to shape up or lose weight, get on the ball!

It’s inexpensive. It’s something you can do at home. It’s effective!

However, unless you have a personal trainer, using the exercise ball correctly to get maximum results can be tricky. That’s where Exercise Balls For Dummies comes in. You’ll discover how to turn an ordinary workout into a super workout that builds strength, increases flexibility, and sculpts a great-looking body. The book includes:

  • Step-by-step details on using exercise balls in your regular workout program
  • Tips on selecting and maintaining equipment
  • Illustrated

exercises covering a complete muscle workout: shoulders and upper back; biceps, triceps, and forearms; chest abdominals and lower back; legs and hips: flexibility in general

  • Specific applications for Pilates, weight training, stretching, and aerobic exercise
  • Mat workout routines
  • Admitted couch potatoes can start at the beginning; fitness fanatics can jump right in and integrate the exercise ball into their routines. Exercise Balls For Dummies was written by LaReine Chabut, a fitness model, actress, and writer who owns a women’s workout spa and stars in workout videos. Of course, she makes it look easy!

    Read More

    About The Author

    LaReine Chabut is a well-known fitness expert who has her International Sports Sciences Association certification and her American Fitness and Aerobics certification.

    Sample Chapters

    exercise balls for dummies

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    Articles from
    the book

    Personal trainers and physical therapists are using all kinds of new exercise balls that come in different shapes, sizes, and weights, along with accessories that go with them. You can see all these different kinds of balls on ball racks at the gym. Using a heavy (weighted) exercise ball Heavy balls, or weighted balls, are smaller weighted balls that range from 1 pound to 12 pounds.
    When you inflate your ball, you should inflate it to the diameter that the sizing instructions show. You want to fill the ball with air only until it feels like it has a slight give and it's not too taut or firm. There's a big difference between filling your ball with air so it's tight like a drum and filling it with just enough air so that it's firm and stabilizing as it should be.
    Exercise balls may look the same, but they are not created equally. You should choose a ball based on its size, comfort level, and quality. Because you use the ball with so many different body positions while you’re exercising, the size of the ball you use really does make a difference and can make or break your workout.
    After you complete your exercise ball workout (or any exercise routine, for that matter), always take the time to cool down properly because you enhance the benefits of your workout. In addition, you reduce your risk of injury as well as any soreness. You can loosen up your muscles to reduce the risk of injury in many different ways after you’ve raised your heart rate.
    Doing abdominal crunches with an exercise ball places the emphasis not only on the abs but also on the legs, butt, and hips. By grasping the ball between your knees, the larger abdominal muscles (or outer abdominals) get used a lot more intensely. This exercise focuses on working the upper body and training your core.
    Biceps curls become much harder when you do them on an exercise ball because of the instability factor. Concentrate on maintaining your balance throughout this exercise. This exercise focuses on working the upper body and training your core. Beginners need 3- to 5-pound weights. Advanced men and women may use heavier dumbbells.
    Hip circles on an exercise ball loosen up the pelvis by releasing any built-up tension in the hip joints. This exercise also helps you get used to sitting on the ball. In addition, it focuses on working the upper body and training your core. If you find the following exercise challenging but are able to maintain proper form while doing it, then you’re working out at the right level for you.
    The lifting motion used by the hips in leg circles exercise on an exercise ball helps create a shapelier butt by defying gravity. By working the muscles in the upper leg and alongside the hips, you’ll notice better buns in no time! This exercise focuses on working the lower body.Lie on the floor, placing your left leg on the ball.
    Push-ups on an exercise ball target your chest muscles along with the abdominal muscles and butt to keep you steady on the ball. Doing push ups on an exercise works out the lower body more than a traditional push-up. Keeping your lower legs or shins on the ball will help you balance yourself during the push-up.
    Side reaches on an exercise ball not only stretch the side muscles that run along the rib cage, but they also loosen up the entire body to prepare you for a complete exercise ball workout. This exercise focuses on working the upper body and training your core. When you’re working with the ball, notice where your body is in relation to the ball.
    By placing an exercise ball between you and a wall, a standard squat position becomes a wall squat. Wall squats focus on working the lower body and are great for working the quadriceps (front of the legs) and the butt. When you’re working with the ball, notice where your body is in relation to the ball. When you’re just starting out, you may want to keep the ball as close to your core as possible to decrease the challenge and maintain your balance.
    The backbend stretch feels really good right after you do abdominal crunches because by bending backward on the exercise ball, you stretch your muscles in the opposite direction, reversing the motion of the crunch. This exercise focuses on working the lower body and also releases any tensions in your back that may have built up.
    The torso lift helps improve posture and strengthens all the muscles along the spine. Doing the torso lift after working on your abdominal muscles also feels really good because of the opposing motion — lifting up rather than curling in. This exercise focuses on working the lower body.Lie with your stomach and waist on the ball and your legs extended behind you.
    The triceps press works the triceps —the back of the arms. When done on an exercise ball, this exercise (which is usually done while sitting on a weight bench) becomes more challenging because you have to maintain your balance. This exercise focuses on working the upper body and training your core. Beginners need a 3- to 5-pound weight.
    The bridge is one of the most classic positions for ball exercises. The bridge gives your hips and lower back a workout as you lift up your body.Rest your head and shoulders on the ball with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle.Make sure that your knees are stacked over your ankles. Keep your arms folded behind your head and press the hips up toward the ceiling.
    Hamstring lifts on an exercise ball work the entire lower body, which includes the hips, lower back, and legs. Because you use your feet and lower legs to control the movement of the ball, the hamstring lift can also be a challenging one for your calf muscles.Lie on the floor with your feet placed on top of the ball.
    A variation on the classic bridge, the single-leg bridge targets the hamstrings and glutes while working on an exercise ball. Because the single-leg bridge uses the weight of only one leg to support the weight of your entire body, the all-important core muscles (abs and butt muscles) also get a good workout.Sit tall on the ball and roll down slowly until only your shoulders touch the ball.
    Doing a basic crunch with a twist at the end works your oblique muscles. Because of the twisting motion, your obliques are targeted along with your abs. This exercise focuses on working the upper body and training your core. If you find the following exercise challenging but are able to maintain proper form while doing it, then you’re working out at the right level for you.
    When you begin using exercise balls in your fitness program, you’ll need to know how to warm up and position yourself on the ball before your workout. Working out with an exercise ball requires a lot of endurance. As with any new form of exercise, avoid overtraining by resting 24 to 48 hours in between workouts.
    Besides developing good overall muscle tone for your entire body, the ball provides numerous other benefits that range anywhere from rehabilitating back, hip, and knee injuries to delivering a powerful workout to improve core stability, posture, and muscle balance. You also improve your flexibility and your cardiovascular system by using a low-impact workout.
    Because you use the ball with so many different body positions while you're exercising, the size of the ball you use really does make a difference and can make or break your workout. Size does matter. And although using smaller balls can enhance certain exercises and larger balls can support your body weight if you have a bad back, using the right ball for you, which means one that is measured by your height and/or your arm span, makes all the difference in the world.
    The principles of using the exercise ball come into play as soon as you combine the instability of the ball (caused by its round shape) with the smooth, hard surface of the floor, which is stable. This factor makes the exercise ball an excellent tool for doing challenging exercises that require great strength and control.
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