What to Know about Stability Balls
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MontanaGirl
Posts: 1,251 Member
Q: I have just started working out with a stability ball. I noticed there are different sizes: What dictates what size ball to use?
A: Stability balls are those inflated rubber balls that look like they belong on a playground rather than in the gym. But don't be fooled, these are a serious training tool that can add extra challenge to a blasé muscle-conditioning routine. They are also known as Swiss balls, Resist-a-Balls, fit balls, balance balls and body balls.
What size your ball should be:
Your ball should match your height. When you sit on the ball with your feet flat on the floor, your hips should be at knee level and your thighs parallel to the floor.
Your Height Ball Size
Less than 5'2" 45 cm
5'2 to 5'7" 55 cm
5'8" to 6' 65 cm
6' + 75 cm
Your ball will come with a small hand pump, plastic tube and plug. You can purchase a more powerful upright pump that resembles one you’d use on a bike. Pump the ball until it is firm and does not compress if you push your finger into it. Insert the plug.
If you are a beginner, you may find using a smaller ball easier. You can also make the ball more stable by not inflating it fully. There are balls that come with a variety of bases or attachments that keep them from rolling away. The Bosu Ball is a half ball with one flat side. You can order balls online here and here.
Why use a stability ball?
The rock-and-roll element challenges your muscles more effectively. You can perform many upper and lower body weight moves and stretches on the ball—from seated bicep curls to ab crunches to back stretches. Sitting or lying on the unstable surface engages core ab, leg and back muscles that you might not use if you didn't need to stabilize during the move. Plus, the slope of the ball provides support in a bigger range of motion. If you lean back, you get a deeper stretch than if you were just flat on the floor, for example.
Good exercises to start with on the ball are to sit on top of the ball and perform arm exercises such as biceps curls or overhead presses while holding dumbbells. Move slowly since you will have to balance as well as move the weight.
But be careful. Especially when it comes to ab work, if you are not strong enough to cope with the added challenge on the ball, you may not just work your muscles, you could overstress your spinal discs. Try not to start out by doing ab work on the ball.
Instead, before you even start working out on the ball, do traditional isometric core strength moves for several weeks or even months. One such exercise is the plank. For the plank, get in the push-up pose and hold it for five to 60 seconds. (You might want to start off on your knees to build up to the full-body position.) The quadraped is another good exercise Get on all fours—balancing on your hands and knees. Then lift one leg up behind you and hold it at hip level. If you feel stable, raise one arm in front of your head, parallel to the floor. With both the plank and the quadraped, hold the position and engage your core ab and back muscles to help you stabilize. If you feel any strain in your lower back, decrease the weight bearing by taking it down a notch (get on the knees for a modified plank or dropping your arm in the quadraped).
When you’re ready for the ball, an excellent group of at-home workouts on video/DVD is the Stability Ball Series by Robert Sherman.
Read More About Fitness on MSN Health & Fitness:
Fitness: Make It a Family Affair
Make Your Exercise Fit!
Fitness Message Board
Find all articles by Martica.
Do you have a fitness or weight-loss question for Martica?
Send e-mail to experts@microsoft.com. Please include Ask Martica in the subject line.
Each of our experts responds to one question each week and the responses are posted on Mondays on MSN Health. We regret that we cannot provide a personalized response to every submission.
Martica is a Manhattan-based exercise physiologist and nutritionist and an award-winning fitness instructor. She has written for a variety of publications including Self, Health, Prevention, The New York Times and others. Martica is the author of seven books, including her latest, Cross-training for Dummies. (Read her full bio.)
A: Stability balls are those inflated rubber balls that look like they belong on a playground rather than in the gym. But don't be fooled, these are a serious training tool that can add extra challenge to a blasé muscle-conditioning routine. They are also known as Swiss balls, Resist-a-Balls, fit balls, balance balls and body balls.
What size your ball should be:
Your ball should match your height. When you sit on the ball with your feet flat on the floor, your hips should be at knee level and your thighs parallel to the floor.
Your Height Ball Size
Less than 5'2" 45 cm
5'2 to 5'7" 55 cm
5'8" to 6' 65 cm
6' + 75 cm
Your ball will come with a small hand pump, plastic tube and plug. You can purchase a more powerful upright pump that resembles one you’d use on a bike. Pump the ball until it is firm and does not compress if you push your finger into it. Insert the plug.
If you are a beginner, you may find using a smaller ball easier. You can also make the ball more stable by not inflating it fully. There are balls that come with a variety of bases or attachments that keep them from rolling away. The Bosu Ball is a half ball with one flat side. You can order balls online here and here.
Why use a stability ball?
The rock-and-roll element challenges your muscles more effectively. You can perform many upper and lower body weight moves and stretches on the ball—from seated bicep curls to ab crunches to back stretches. Sitting or lying on the unstable surface engages core ab, leg and back muscles that you might not use if you didn't need to stabilize during the move. Plus, the slope of the ball provides support in a bigger range of motion. If you lean back, you get a deeper stretch than if you were just flat on the floor, for example.
Good exercises to start with on the ball are to sit on top of the ball and perform arm exercises such as biceps curls or overhead presses while holding dumbbells. Move slowly since you will have to balance as well as move the weight.
But be careful. Especially when it comes to ab work, if you are not strong enough to cope with the added challenge on the ball, you may not just work your muscles, you could overstress your spinal discs. Try not to start out by doing ab work on the ball.
Instead, before you even start working out on the ball, do traditional isometric core strength moves for several weeks or even months. One such exercise is the plank. For the plank, get in the push-up pose and hold it for five to 60 seconds. (You might want to start off on your knees to build up to the full-body position.) The quadraped is another good exercise Get on all fours—balancing on your hands and knees. Then lift one leg up behind you and hold it at hip level. If you feel stable, raise one arm in front of your head, parallel to the floor. With both the plank and the quadraped, hold the position and engage your core ab and back muscles to help you stabilize. If you feel any strain in your lower back, decrease the weight bearing by taking it down a notch (get on the knees for a modified plank or dropping your arm in the quadraped).
When you’re ready for the ball, an excellent group of at-home workouts on video/DVD is the Stability Ball Series by Robert Sherman.
Read More About Fitness on MSN Health & Fitness:
Fitness: Make It a Family Affair
Make Your Exercise Fit!
Fitness Message Board
Find all articles by Martica.
Do you have a fitness or weight-loss question for Martica?
Send e-mail to experts@microsoft.com. Please include Ask Martica in the subject line.
Each of our experts responds to one question each week and the responses are posted on Mondays on MSN Health. We regret that we cannot provide a personalized response to every submission.
Martica is a Manhattan-based exercise physiologist and nutritionist and an award-winning fitness instructor. She has written for a variety of publications including Self, Health, Prevention, The New York Times and others. Martica is the author of seven books, including her latest, Cross-training for Dummies. (Read her full bio.)
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Replies
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Q: I have just started working out with a stability ball. I noticed there are different sizes: What dictates what size ball to use?
A: Stability balls are those inflated rubber balls that look like they belong on a playground rather than in the gym. But don't be fooled, these are a serious training tool that can add extra challenge to a blasé muscle-conditioning routine. They are also known as Swiss balls, Resist-a-Balls, fit balls, balance balls and body balls.
What size your ball should be:
Your ball should match your height. When you sit on the ball with your feet flat on the floor, your hips should be at knee level and your thighs parallel to the floor.
Your Height Ball Size
Less than 5'2" 45 cm
5'2 to 5'7" 55 cm
5'8" to 6' 65 cm
6' + 75 cm
Your ball will come with a small hand pump, plastic tube and plug. You can purchase a more powerful upright pump that resembles one you’d use on a bike. Pump the ball until it is firm and does not compress if you push your finger into it. Insert the plug.
If you are a beginner, you may find using a smaller ball easier. You can also make the ball more stable by not inflating it fully. There are balls that come with a variety of bases or attachments that keep them from rolling away. The Bosu Ball is a half ball with one flat side. You can order balls online here and here.
Why use a stability ball?
The rock-and-roll element challenges your muscles more effectively. You can perform many upper and lower body weight moves and stretches on the ball—from seated bicep curls to ab crunches to back stretches. Sitting or lying on the unstable surface engages core ab, leg and back muscles that you might not use if you didn't need to stabilize during the move. Plus, the slope of the ball provides support in a bigger range of motion. If you lean back, you get a deeper stretch than if you were just flat on the floor, for example.
Good exercises to start with on the ball are to sit on top of the ball and perform arm exercises such as biceps curls or overhead presses while holding dumbbells. Move slowly since you will have to balance as well as move the weight.
But be careful. Especially when it comes to ab work, if you are not strong enough to cope with the added challenge on the ball, you may not just work your muscles, you could overstress your spinal discs. Try not to start out by doing ab work on the ball.
Instead, before you even start working out on the ball, do traditional isometric core strength moves for several weeks or even months. One such exercise is the plank. For the plank, get in the push-up pose and hold it for five to 60 seconds. (You might want to start off on your knees to build up to the full-body position.) The quadraped is another good exercise Get on all fours—balancing on your hands and knees. Then lift one leg up behind you and hold it at hip level. If you feel stable, raise one arm in front of your head, parallel to the floor. With both the plank and the quadraped, hold the position and engage your core ab and back muscles to help you stabilize. If you feel any strain in your lower back, decrease the weight bearing by taking it down a notch (get on the knees for a modified plank or dropping your arm in the quadraped).
When you’re ready for the ball, an excellent group of at-home workouts on video/DVD is the Stability Ball Series by Robert Sherman.
Read More About Fitness on MSN Health & Fitness:
Fitness: Make It a Family Affair
Make Your Exercise Fit!
Fitness Message Board
Find all articles by Martica.
Do you have a fitness or weight-loss question for Martica?
Send e-mail to experts@microsoft.com. Please include Ask Martica in the subject line.
Each of our experts responds to one question each week and the responses are posted on Mondays on MSN Health. We regret that we cannot provide a personalized response to every submission.
Martica is a Manhattan-based exercise physiologist and nutritionist and an award-winning fitness instructor. She has written for a variety of publications including Self, Health, Prevention, The New York Times and others. Martica is the author of seven books, including her latest, Cross-training for Dummies. (Read her full bio.)0 -
I have a DVD called 10 minute solutions for the fitness ball and I love it! It has 10 minute works outs for arms, legs and butt, abs, cardio and stretching. I have 2 (bought myself one that was too small, oops) and my 3 1/2 year old son does it with me, sort of. Then the 10 month old son laughs and laughs at us. I like it, different than the elliptical. Highly recommend it the fitness ball - very fun. Also entertains children!0
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Thanks for the post montanagirl! Now I'm confused about the size. I checked 4 different websites before I purchased mine. I am 5'7" and they all recommended a 65 cm so that's what I bought. It does seem a little large:ohwell: Maybe I'll just let some air out. (of the ball, that is)0
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Thanks for the post montanagirl! Now I'm confused about the size. I checked 4 different websites before I purchased mine. I am 5'7" and they all recommended a 65 cm so that's what I bought. It does seem a little large:ohwell: Maybe I'll just let some air out. (of the ball, that is)
Uh-huh Sure - out of the ball :laugh: This one said up to 5'7" 55cm and 5'8" - 6' 65 cm. Maybe that was closer to right for you? I just ran across this on MSN this afternoon and remembered some earlier discussions on stability balls and confusion. I don't know if they work as well if you let some of the air out . . .
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I'll try some of the smaller balls at my gym tomorrow and give them a good comparison. I am on the case and will report back if necessary to give my expert opinion. Over and out.0
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I'll try some of the smaller balls at my gym tomorrow and give them a good comparison. I am on the case and will report back if necessary to give my expert opinion. Over and out.
We will await your findings, Sarg. Over and Out.0 -
I'll try some of the smaller balls at my gym tomorrow and give them a good comparison. I am on the case and will report back if necessary to give my expert opinion. Over and out.
We will await your findings, Sarg. Over and Out.
:laugh:0
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