6 Fun Ways to Use Your Exercise Ball - Get Results

                                                              photo from WebMd

I love my exercise ball. The exercise ball is a great and very inexpensive way to get in shape! I use the following exercises at least three times a week and boy do I get results.  I suggest you start off easy.  Perhaps do the below routine twice a week and begin to increase until you are doing the routine 5x a week.  As always if you haven’t exercised for awhile make sure you consult your health practitioner before starting any kind of exercise.

Crunches

Using an exercise ball while doing crunches is an excellent way to really tone your abs. To do them, position yourself in front of a wall, so that there’s a brace when you place your feet flush against the floor. Place your ball behind you so that when you lean back, it supports your back. At this point, the floor should form a parallel with your thighs and torso. After that, it’s simple, just do your crunches as you normally would and make sure your abdominal muscles are the only things lifting your upper body away from the ball.

Butt Lifts

If you’re looking to firm up your derriere, there are lots of effective ways to use an exercise ball. In fact, there’s an exercise specifically meant to lift your butt! All you do is essentially sit down and then lie back, so that your head, your neck, and your shoulders are on your ball. Bend your knees and make sure your body is in the classic table top pose. Next, keeping the exercise ball in place, lower your butt and hips down toward the ground. After that, use your glute muscles to push back upward, until your spine is more or less straight and your upper body is relatively straight.

Push-ups

Push-ups really tone your arms, give you more core strength, and get your heart going. By adding a medicine ball to the mix, you get a fantastic workout, one that helps keep your spine more aligned, more so depending on the size of the ball you use. In addition, it helps work your abs, your arms, and even your chest. Essentially, you assume the traditional push-up position, with your toes against the floor (if possible; again, that depends on the size of your ball), and place the ball at some point between your ankles and your hips. The closer the ball is to your ankles, the more challenging the workout.

Squatting

WebMD has another great way to use an exercise ball: squatting. Squats strengthen your legs and tone your butt, but doing them with an exercise ball works your muscles even more. You need to stand in front of a wall, place your feet forward and slightly parted as you lean against the ball. Position it between you and the wall, your lower spine. Prop your hands on your hips or just let them hang down, then assume the squat position using your hips as well as your knees. With this variation, the movement should place you in a seated position. Make sure the exercise ball stays in place as you bend and as you once more assume your starting position.

Use As A Chair

One of the best ways to use an exercise ball is to sit on it. A lot of people use exercise balls in place of chairs, because doing so really strengthens your core. Believe it or not, doing so also aids in weight loss by helping you burn more calories. Your balance improves, your posture gets better, and your spine gets straighter and more properly aligned as well. And all you have to do is sit down on it! What could be better!

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