Don’t have the time to go to the gym for a full workout?

Relax, your not alone…

We all know how daily work sucks all our energy, leaving us too tired to visit the gym after work hours. To be honest, life can be exhausting!

Luckily there are a lot of solutions out there ready to have you sweating like crazy within the comfort of your own home. One of them; the good ol’ stability ball!

Yes! Using the stability ball a few minutes a day can help you veer away from living a sedentary life, -without the need of leaving your house or wearing more than your underwear…

So, with no further ado. -Lets check out some benefits of stability ball exercises:

A Very Brief Look At The Stability Ball History

Before we proceed, let’s first get to a short history on the origins of the stability ball.

The stability ball – also known as physio ball, therapy ball, and gym ball – has become a staple equipment in gyms and fitness centers all over the world. Also called ‘Swiss ball’, it was first used in Switzerland in the 1960s to treat patients with cerebral palsy.

Nowadays, its purpose has evolved into an exercise equipment meant to strengthen core muscles and improve your overall balance.

Reaping The Benefits of The Stability Ball

Exercising using stability balls offer tons of benefits and we’ll discuss the major ones here.

We’ve grouped them into 4 categories listed below:

Improved Balance And Stability

Sitting on a ball while balancing your weight and maintaining your posture will surely improve your overall balance.

Ball exercises are said to improve your “proprioception” – the ability to sense your body parts’ relative position and actual motion.

When you put your arm above your head, you know it’s above your head even if you’re blindfolded. That’s proprioception in action.

You see:

Maintaining your balance on the stability ball enables your body to naturally train its proprioception by constantly reevaluating the position of your limbs and then correctly coordinating them to keep you from falling onto the floor.

Reinforced Core Strength

Core muscles refer to the muscle group located in your midsection which includes those on the front, sides, and back portions. They’re important in maximizing the force exerted during movement and at the same time minimizing the load on joints caused by various activities like running, lifting, and throwing.

Strengthening the muscles of your lower back, abdomen, hips, and pelvis will help your spine and other muscles handle the impact of doing strenuous work.

The fact is:

The unstable surface of the stability ball forces your core muscles to exert extra effort in keeping your whole body balanced while exercising. The elevation the ball provides also allows you to perform a wider range of motion, tapping smaller muscle groups you won’t normally be able to when doing the same actions on a flat surface.

“Far too many people associate stability balls with boring crunches, goofy stretches and childlike bouncing, but this versatile piece of exercise equipment provides some of the best ways to test your balance and work up your core strength.”

Reference: huffingtonpost.com – 9 Of The Best Stability Ball Exercises You’re Probably Not Doing

Be prepared to feel sore in muscles you earlier did not know existed!

Flexibility

The rounded surface of the stability ball gives your muscles that added stretch you won’t get from exercising on flat ground.

Your body naturally adapts to the ball’s shape, slightly adjusting the position of joints and expanding specific muscle parts just to maintain your balance.

There are also several stretching techniques you can perform with the ball and some of these greatly improve your spine’s range of motion.

Improved Spine Alignment

Stability ball exercises can also improve your spine’s health.

Sounds strange?

They reinforce the muscles that support your spinal structure, improving not only your posture but also your lower back strength. Maintaining your balance on the ball forces you to retain proper posture which coincidentally improves your spinal column’s condition.

And to add some more good effect to your back:

You can also use the ball exercises to alleviate lower back pains… Lower back exercises introduce small movements to the spinal discs, improving the blood flow around them and letting fluids in and out of the system. It’s like heating up a motor to prevent grease from getting stuck.

For treating back pains, the exercises and ball type you need may be different, depending on the prescription of your professional spine specialist. These guys can help you achieve proper form and execute the correct technique to avoid worsening your lower back’s condition.

Time to Get Started

Now that you know the advantages of working out using something as simple as a stability ball, it’s time to start including it in your routine.

By the way, sorry:

You can’t use the “too tired to go to the gym” excuse anymore…

Go get yourself your own stability ball and get those muscles working instead of rotting in your couch. You don’t even have to leave your living room!

This equipment takes little space, it’s easy to set up, and it’s quite portable – features ideal for home use.

For starters, here are some exercises you can do with your stability ball:

• Dumbbell chest press
• Bulgarian split squats
• Reverse hyperextensions
• Back extensions
• V-Pass
• Roll-out
• Plank shoulder taps
• Single-leg press
• Abdominal crunch
• Squat and reach
• Plank and advanced plank

These are simple enough that you can even do them a few minutes a day while watching your favorite TV show.

But always remember:

Make sure your exercises are progressive and include some variations to maximize their benefits. There are many workout guides online that can help you in this area.

Make sure your exercises are progressive and include some variations to maximize their benefits.
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So what are you waiting for? Stop reading!

Go purchase one NOW and start sculpting a better version of yourself! 

Further reading

Recommended Resources

• hometraininghero.com – Screw The Gym – Get Fit With 6 Pieces Of Easy & Affordable Home Gym Equipment!
• huffingtonpost.com – 9 Of The Best Stability Ball Exercises You’re Probably Not Doing

The post Benefits of Stability Ball Exercises? The Science Behind Their Effectiveness appeared first on HomeTrainingHero.