Also known by several other names like exercise ball, fitness balls, stability balls, balance balls and Swiss balls and gym balls, gym ball exercises introduce an interesting and fun twist to regular exercise routines that most people usually find tedious and monotonous. The bounce effect brings out the child in you, and so does the rolling of the ball. On a serious note, it initiates variations to the repetitiveness of traditional fitness routines, without reducing the effectiveness of physical exercises.
The right choice of gym ball exercises offers something for every muscle in the human body. It focuses as much on posterior muscles as it does on the anterior muscles, unlike several other gym equipment that are designed specifically for a certain part of your body. Why just physically intensive, when it is as effective for strengthening your muscles, improving endurance and making you flexible - all rolled into one. It creates an overall feeling of wellness and gives you the motivation to complete all your daily tasks in a jiffy.
So, go on, get inspired.
Gym ball exercises are a great way to improve strength and balance throughout the human body and also increase cardio endurance. We often tend to forget including gym balls in the list of the most effective gym equipment, more so because it does not look as challenging or impactful as some other machines.
However, contrary to this perception, gym ball exercises are not only beneficial for full body workouts, they offer other fitness benefits as well. Gym ball exercises act as an effective option for those returning to their regular fitness routine after an injury. This is because they prevent overexertion on the muscles, joints and bones that are on its way to recovery. The flexibility of these exercise balls protects individuals from sharp movements, which may aggravate their injuries. They should also be an integral part of the fitness sessions of those who are new to gym workouts. Last but not the least, they are fun to work out with, offering some variety from the other machine exercises.
But not all fitness balls are for everyone. There are mostly three types of gym balls based on their diameters, customised to suit the height of individuals performing gym ball exercises. Individuals between 4’11” and 5’4” should usually opt for a 55 cm gym ball, individuals between 5’4” and 5’7” should usually opt for the 65 cm ball, while 5’11” and 6’7” is usually advised to use the 65 cm ball. It is essential to choose the correct size for maximum results from gym ball exercises. But, for certain exercises, it might be more effective to use the exercise ball of the smaller or the larger diameter. However, you should follow these variations only on the recommendation of your professional fitness instructor and never take such decisions on your own. A quick tip for selecting the right fitness ball is to ensure that your knees are at a right angle to the ground while you are seated on the ball.
Long working hours is no longer an alien concept. And that obviously requires you to sit on your chair at the same position for hours on end. No wonder, back strains, muscles pull and spinal cord injuries are a rising concern. These health issues require rest, which keeps you further away from physical exercises and poses a challenge when you want to get back in shape after recovery. In such situations, a gym ball is exactly what you need to get adjusted to your regular workout routine.
The wobbly nature of these gym balls gives you the much-needed relief from lying on hard gym floors and edgy surfaces of gym equipment. At the same time, it has an opposite effect on individuals who want to make their workout routine more physically intensive. The flexibility of gym balls can be well utilised with the right exercises to enhance the intensity of workouts.
‘Exercise your core’ – we bet you have heard or read this phrase several times. Newspaper and magazine articles about fitness, workout videos and friends who are fitness freaks - they all love to mention it. But, what does the word ‘core’ exactly mean? It refers to the muscles at the centre of your body, that is, your back and abdominal muscles. These muscles cannot be seen on the surface of your body, but they play an important role in contributing to your core strength and stability. Core exercises focus on building more muscle mass in these areas, strengthening them and improving their endurance.
Core muscles can be broadly divided into three categories - the deep abdominal muscles, or Transverse abdominus; the back muscles supporting the lumbar spine, or Tultifidus; and the lower back muscles that balance the spinal and the pelvic area, or Quadratus lumborum.
The farther the distance of the gym ball from the core of your body, the more challenging it is to maintain balance. For instance, placing the ball below the lower legs while performing push-ups, reduces the intensity of the exercise in comparison to when it is done with the ball placed under your feet. This is because the distance between your core and the ball is lesser and therefore maintaining balance is easier.
The movements of large and small muscle groups need to be synchronised with each other to maintain the required balance, and to ensure this, they have to have the same level of strength and endurance. A muscle group having more endurance and strength than another group leads to imbalance, enhancing the scope of sprains and injuries. Biceps and triceps are a suitable example for this.
Another reason for muscle imbalances is that our posterior muscles, or the muscles at the back of our body, are not as strong as the anterior muscles, that is, the muscles in front of our body. This is because our daily movements tend to mostly involve our anterior muscles, making these stronger. Not just that, most of us focus on working on our anterior muscles, and sometimes even overexerting them, while neglecting our posterior muscles. This results in a bad posture and further imbalances.
The exercise ball proves to be just the right solution to work on every muscle group, at the front and the back, helping them maintain the desired balance always. So, the next time you plan to work solely on your biceps and triceps, or your eight-pack, remember there are posterior muscles that demand equal attention!
It is safer to have a natural curve while lying down on your back. This helps in protecting your spine from bearing a considerable part of your body weight. This leads to overexertion, increasing the chances of injuries. A gym ball acts as a much-needed support for your spine, thus, protecting the area.
The wobbly ball is more than what it appears and there’s no undermining the benefits of a gym ball. The soft, inherently unstable surface of the ball activates the entire core structure. This not only strengthens your core muscles, but also improves posture, balance and muscle co-ordination. Most importantly, gym ball exercises build endurance and protect you against injuries. Introduce gym ball exercises for all parts of your body, and there’s no stopping you from being the centre of attention wherever you go!’
Not just for regular fitness routines, gym ball exercises are as much effective and beneficial for professional athletes and sports persons. It contributes to the strength of their core muscles across the body, also contributing to efficient muscle co-ordination, endurance and flexibility. Raising their game, did we hear you say?
Here’s a list of some effective gym ball exercises, along with the number of reps that is usually followed for each of them. However, the number of reps isn’t mandatory for all and may vary based on individual needs, age, health concerns, and other factors. Discuss it with your professional training instructor when he/she guides you to perform these gym ball exercises.
For this gym ball exercise, hold the ball over your head with both your hands while performing a half squat and keeping your upper body upright. This engages your deltoid and shoulder muscles proving to be a great workout option for your lower body. Repeat this step for 10 to 15 reps, unless advised otherwise. Standing ball squeeze
Again, a gym ball exercise for your lower body, it works your lower back, hips and inner thighs. Stand upright and balance the ball between your legs. Do a half squat, while squeezing the ball continuously, until you feel like you are sitting on an imaginary chair and the lower part of your legs is at right angles to the rest of your body. Maintain this position as long as you can, preferably between 30 to 45 seconds, to complete one set. It is often advised that a ball of a smaller size be used for this gym ball exercise to avoid exerting excessive pressure on the lower body, especially the thighs, which may lead to an injury. You may also use a chair for better balance, if you are new to this gym ball exercise.
When you want to increase the intensity of the standard plank exercise, this is the exercise for you. Place your forearms and shoulders on the gym ball to exercise these body parts better. Extend one leg at the back, place your forearms and then elbows on the ball. Straighten out the other leg at the back, so that both the legs are placed side by side. Maintain this position as long as possible, preferably at least 30 seconds, to complete one set. Up for increasing the intensity of this exercise further? Do this gym ball exercise with straight hands.
Introduce a new twist to your regular dip exercises for an amazing pair of triceps by performing it with gym balls. Sit on the ball with your legs separated hip-width and at right angles to the floor. Position your hands on each side of the hips on the ball and your feet firmly on the floor. Next, gradually push the hips in front so that they’re a few inches in front of the ball, with only your hands supporting your body weight. Use the triceps to lower your arms by a few inches using your triceps, and then go back to the original position from which you had started. Hold this position for 10 to 15 reps, unless advised otherwise by your trainer, while keeping your upper body upright.
Looking for workout options for exercising your core areas or bored with your regular jogging exercise? Think Ball Jog. Sit upright with your feet firmly on the ground. Lift your knees and bounce up and down on the ball as high as you can. Have fun while you do this for about 2 to 5 minutes, either as a warm-up exercise or to keep your heart rate racing mid-workout.
Lie down on the floor, facing the ceiling, keeping your arms and legs extended. Hold the gym ball overhead with your hands, which should be at a right angle to the rest of your body. Lift your legs at 90 degrees, then lift your torso to pass the ball from your hands and place them between your feet. Only your buttocks and hips should rest on the floor at this point. Move your hands and legs back to the starting position, with the exercise ball positioned between your feet. Repeat this for 6 to 10 reps, unless you are advised differently.
These are more effective than other types of exercises
For this gym ball exercise, hold the ball over your head with both your hands while performing a half squat and keeping your upper body upright. This engages your deltoid and shoulder muscles proving to a great workout option for your lower body. Repeat this step for 10 to 15 reps, unless advised otherwise.
Again, a gym ball exercise for your lower body, it works your lower back, hips and inner thighs. Stand upright and balance the ball between your legs. Do a half squat, while squeezing the ball continuously, until you feel like you are sitting on an imaginary chair and the lower part of your legs is at right angles to the rest of your body. Maintain this position as long as you can, preferably between 30 to 45 seconds, to complete one set. It is often advised that a ball of a smaller size be used for this gym ball exercise to avoid exerting excessive pressure on the lower body, especially the thighs, which may lead to an injury. You may also use a chair for better balance, if you are new to this gym ball exercise.
When you want to increase the intensity of the standard plank exercise, this is the exercise for you. Place your forearms and shoulders on the gym ball to exercise these body parts better. Extend one leg at the back, place your forearms and then elbows on the ball. Straighten out the other leg at the back, so that both the legs are placed side by side. Maintain this position as long as possible, preferably at least 30 seconds, to complete one set. Up to increase the intensity of this exercise further? Do this gym ball exercise with straight hands.
Introduce a new twist to your regular dip exercises for an amazing pair of triceps by performing it with gym balls. Sit on the ball with your legs separated hip-width and at right angles to the floor. Position your hands on each side of the hips on the ball and your feet firmly on the floor. Next, gradually push the hips in front so that they’re a few inches in front of the ball, with only your hands supporting your body weight. Use the triceps to lower your arms by a few inches using your triceps, and then go back to the original position from which you had started. Hold this position for 10 to 15 reps, unless advised otherwise by your trainer, while keeping your upper body upright.
Looking for workout options for exercising your core areas? Or, bored with your regular jogging exercise? Think Ball Jog. Sit upright with your feet firmly on the ground. Lift your knees and bounce up and down on the ball as high as you can. Have fun while you do this for about 2 to 5 minutes, either as a warm-up exercise or to keep your heart rate racing mid-workout.
Lie down on the floor facing the ceiling, keeping your arms and legs extended. Hold the gym ball overhead with your hands, which should be a right angle to the rest of your body. Lift your legs at 90 degrees, then lift your torso to pass the ball from your hands and place them between your feet. Only your buttocks and hips should rest on the floor at this point. Move your hands and legs back to the starting position, with the exercise ball positioned between your feet. Repeat this for 6 to 10 reps, unless you are advised differently.
Based on the measurement of the diameter, exercise balls are of three types to suit the height of individuals, objective of each exercise, etc. Individuals between 4’11” and 5’4” should usually opt for a 55 cm gym ball, individuals between 5’4” and 5’7” should usually opt for the 65 cm ball, while 5’11” and 6’7” should use the ball with 65 cm diameter. It is essential to select the size that is the most suited for you for best results. But, for certain exercises, it may be more effective to use the exercise ball of the smaller or the larger diameter, as per the recommendation of your fitness instructor.
A quick tip for selecting the right fitness ball is to ensure that your knees are at right angles to the floor while you are seated on the ball. Ensure that you are seated upright with your knees are directly over the ankles and legs hip-width apart. You may place them wider if you need to balance yourself better.
A slightly deflated ball might help, especially if you are a beginner. This is because an exercise ball that is inflated to its maximum has more air pressure that makes gym ball exercises more challenging. Inflate it till the level when it can hold your body weight but are yet to get filled completely. You can fill it up with more air pressure once you have mastered the gym ball exercises.
One of the benefits of exercising with an exercise ball is the convenience of it being suitable for indoor and outdoor use. If you don’t have the time to hit the gym, you can consider purchasing an exercise ball and planning your fitness routine at home. All you need to keep in mind is that the space where you plan to use it is spacious enough and does not have heavy or sharp objects in close proximity to prevent avoidable accidents.
Remember that you need to breathe in through your nose and breathe out through your mouth during gym ball exercises. Also, take care to breathe in and out gradually and smoothly.
There are mostly three types of gym balls based on their diameters, customised to suit the height of individuals performing gym ball exercises. Individuals between 4’11” and 5’4” should usually opt for a 55 cm gym ball, individuals between 5’4” and 5’7” should usually opt for the 65 cm ball, while 5’11” and 6’7” is usually advised to use the 65 cm ball. It is essential to choose the correct size for maximum results from gym ball exercises. But, for certain exercises, it might be more effective to use the exercise ball of the smaller or the larger diameter. However, you should follow these variations only on the recommendation of your professional fitness instructor and never take such decisions on your own.
Make the most of the fun element of gym ball exercises, and your workout routine wouldn’t ever be as boring as it may sound. Most importantly, you not only get to embrace health, but also become the centre of attention wherever you go!
Disclaimer: The tips & exercises suggested are the personal opinion of the writer. Kindly consult a licensed physician/dietitian/practitioner before implementing the same.
