Exercise Ball Exercises - The Benefits of Incorporating One In Your Workout Routine

Performing exercise ball exercises are a great way to ad variety and challenge to your workout routine. An exercise or stability ball is one of those big over sized kick balls you see at many gyms. The stability ball comes in various diameters, some brands have a rubber strip surrounding the outside of the ball others are covered with little rubber massaging bumps meant to massage your body as you use the ball. Choosing the right exercise ball to use in your routine is pretty simple. There are normally 2-3 sizes to choose from: 55cm, 65cm, 75cm. I normally recommend that people under 5\'5\" use a 55cm ball, people between 5\'5\" and 6\'2\" use a 65 cm ball and people over 6\'2\" use a 75 cm ball. You can also choose based on your level of comfort when using each size. To get maximum benefit, choose a ball that is fully inflated and then simply look it over for potential weaknesses in the surface of the ball.

The exercise ball can be used to introduce a new challenge into your exercise program when you know how to use it correctly. The various activities you can incorporate your stability ball into are: abdominal/core exercises, balance & stability training, stabilizing the spine, all types of stretching, weight training, and more! You can even use it as an office chair if you want (I do!).

Most exercise ball exercises will challenge the core and teach you to stabilize your spine. Sitting or lying on a ball challenges the nervous system and increases demand from core muscles. In addition, using a ball requires increased mental focus to ensure you maintain the appropriate form throughout the entire exercise. These new challenges introduce variety into your workouts and make them more fun.

Developing core strength and improved balance are part of a \'functional\' fitness program. Functional fitness is a training style that strengthens muscles for real-world body movements like lifting heavy objects or picking up children (lift & twist at the same time).

Functional training is meant to prevent injuries outside the gym, ones that can occur just by living everyday life. Random injuries can happen to anyone even if you\'re a runner or walker with great cardiovascular health. Something simple like lifting your suitcase to put it into the trunk can cause you to throw your back out. Why? Most often, you trained one-dimensionally, following the same program month after month. This can lead to muscle imbalances and weak links in the body. Functional fitness training focuses on preventing injuries similar to this.

In addition to functional benefits, exercise ball exercises challenge your core strength & improve muscle development through the core without any fear of getting \'bulky\'. Since muscle burns dreaded fat, you can expect improved metabolism and leanness as an added benefit of using the ball.

If you are interested in making your workouts more interesting and effective, I recommend using a stability ball to replace the standard workout bench or exercise mat. While using the ball, make sure you are near a mirror, where you can monitor your posture and ensure your back is straight and your abs are tight. Always strive for perfect posture when using the ball to perform any exercise other than stretching. When you begin to use the ball, you\'ll most likely be very off balance and a little timid. As your nervous system adjusts, you\'ll become more confident and have the ability to challenge yourself in new and different ways. You\'ll soon find that exercise ball exercises are fun and hopefully you will enjoy them as much as I do.

If you want to learn more about fitness & exercise ball exercises, visit the exercise ball exercises category of my blog.

Jessica Dawn is a fitness professional who has been studying health & fitness for over 10 years. In addition to actively participating in fitness, Jessica has a degree in Kinesiology (exercise science) which allows her to understand both the scientific and behavioral aspects of weight loss and fitness.

Jessica Dawn is a leader in teaching health & fitness through the internet. You can also visit her blog @ http://visfitness.com/category/exercise-ball-exercises to learn more about exercise and stability ball exercises.

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