Exercise Ball Workout Spices Up
Your Toning Routine With New
Added Dimensions And Challenges

In Exercise Ball Workout, you Engage the use of Extra Muscles, some of which you may have Never Felt Before

Gee.....that's.... so cool!

Seriously, exercise ball workout, to my mind, is one of the best toning exercises as it provides me with the following benefits:

• Spicing up my toning routine by adding new dimensions and challenges
• I invariably develop new and better skills such as balancing, coordination, concentration and agility -

  Simply amazing!

  And all these due to the ball's "wobbliness" that puts my entire body and being to greater awareness and alertness!

• Exercise ball workouts have the essence of automatically correcting and improving my exercise quality
• If I practise bad posture, the exercise ball will roll or wobble, prompting me to correct my form
• Increasing the health of my back by strengthening it and also cushioning it against back injury
• Improving my posture through the act of balancing on the ball
• Developing strong core stability as the ball exercise targets deeply at my abdominal and spinal muscles (i.e. my core muscles)
• Providing a means to relax, release and rejuvenate my entire body
• I get a chance to do really a good toning workout through more extensive range of motion, movement and stretching because the exercise ball enables me to

How about these?

• Your health
• Your body fitness
• Your injury-prevention prescription
• You'll be looking and feeling great
• Keep you mobile, flexible, balanced and fit

Aren't all these enough plus points for you to get on the exercise ball?

What are you waiting for?

Since you're going to use and keep a lot of close contact with the exercise ball, I think it's good to know a few things about the ball, how to use, handle and maintain it.

• There's a whole riot of exercise balls out there in the market. They vary in sizes, colors, costs and most importantly, quality.

  Choose one that's of good quality, that's "anti-burst" as it's safer to use, is stronger and more likely to maintain its shape and size

Note: Cheaper and lower quality ball is often more shiny and slippery, making it less safe in certain exercise

• Choose a ball that is the right size for you.

  A general rule of thumb for right sizing:

  1. Heights under 1.58 m (5 ft. 2 in.) - 45 cm ball
  2. Heights 1.58 m - 1.73 m (5 ft. 2 in. - 5 ft.8 in.) - 55cm ball
  3. Heights 1.75 m - 1.90 m (5 ft. 9 in. - 6 ft. 3 in.) - 65cm ball
  4. Heights over 1.90 m (6 ft.3 in.) - 75cm ball

  Using a ball that's too small compromises your seated posture while a ball that's too big makes your exercises awkward

• When sitting on the ball, your knees and hips should be at 90-degrees or slightly higher
• The amount of air in the ball affects its size and the level of challenge it provides. So, inflate the right amount of air into the ball

  A rough guideline to use: the ball should be firm enough with a little give.

• Avoid using the exercise ball on a slippery surface
• Keep the exercise ball in a cool, dry place to prolong its life of use

Exercise Ball Workout 1: For The Leg

Getting Into Position

Sit tall on the ball. Place arms by your sides and relax them.

Draw back and down your shoulder blades while keeping feet hip-width apart, under your knees.

The Exercise

Tighten your abdominals, keep back straight and keep a neutral spinal curve.

Slowly raise one leg to knee height, straightening the knee.

Lower the leg, then repeat on the other side.

Do 12 times each side.

Exercise Ball Workout 2: For The Arm

Note: You need dumbbells to do exercises 2 - 4 featured below.

As a general rule of thumb, you should start off using no dumbbells. Then add 2 to 5 pound dumbbells when you're ready for more challenging workout

Getting Into Position

Sit on the ball holding a dumbbell in each hand.

Place elbows by your sides, bend them to 90 degrees.

The Exercise

Raise arms sideways until your forearms are parallel and same height with shoulders.

Lower arms back down, bringing elbows back to your sides.

Do 12 times.

Exercise Ball Workout 3: For The Shoulder

Getting Into Position

Sit tall on the ball, tighten your abdominals.

Hold a dumbbell in each hand besides your shoulders, ready to press to the ceiling.

The Exercise

Press the dumbbell upwards and towards each other.

Slowly lower them down by bringing your elbows slightly backwards and drawing your shoulder blades together to engage your upper back muscles.

Do 12 times.

Exercise Ball Workout 4: For The Triceps

Getting Into Position

Sit tall on the ball, Tighten your abdominals.

Hold the dumbbells in both hands, behind your head.

Keep elbows close to your forehead.

The Exercise

Press the dumbbell towards the ceiling, straightening your elbows.

Slowly bend elbows to lower the dumbbells back down behind your head.

Do 12 times.

Exercise Ball Workout 5: For The Butt

Getting Into Position

Stand with back to the wall, feet hip-width apart.

Place the ball between your lower back and the wall.

Lower yourself to a seated squat position, with thighs parallel to the floor.

Tighten your abdominals and keep your back straight.

Move feet away from the wall until you can see your toes just beyond your knees.

The Exercise

Stand up slowly, then sit back in squat position.

Do 12 times.

Exercise Ball Workout 6: For The Thigh

Getting Into Position

Position the ball between your lower back and the wall.

Place one foot as far forward as you can, the other foot at your back close to the wall with heel off the ground.

Keep back straight while leaning slightly forward so your tailbone touches the ball.

Tighten your abdominals.

The Exercise

Bend both knees, then lower yourself slowly until your front knee is bent to about 90 degrees.

Stand back up.

Do 12 times.

Exercise Ball Workout 7: For The Back

Getting Into Position

Lie supine on the ball, head and shoulder rested on the ball.

Place hands wherever you feel comfortable - under your head, by your side or resting on your hips.

Keep feet hip-width apart.

Your head, neck, spine and pelvis horizontal and in line.

The Exercise

Tighten your abdominals, lower butts towards the floor.

Press through your heels, contract your gluteals to raise hips back up to horizontal position.

Do 12 times.

Exercise Ball Workout 8: For The Abs

Getting Into Position

Lie supine on the ball, your lower back and pelvis rested on the ball.

Place hands behind your head with your elbows back.

Tighten your abdominals, draw your naval towards the ball.

The Exercise

Curl your upper body up to a position about half-way between lying and sitting.

Slowly roll back down over the ball.

Do 12 times.

OK.

These are basic exercise ball workouts and they do a fantastic job to condition, shape, balance and sculpt your body.....

Have real fun having a "ball" time with the ball!

Did you enjoy the "wobbling" sensation of the exercise ball workout?

Had a hard time handling the ball?

Don't worry, you'll get a "hang" of it after a few more times of exercising.

Good try, by the way....

Really.

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