The gym ball, swiss ball, fitness ball, stability ball or whatever other name it comes under, seems to have taken the fitness world by storm. These balls can be purchased in most sports shops, department stores, tv shopping channels, chemists and even supermarkets. They cost between £5 and £15, come with their own pump and usually an instruction leaflet or DVD.
Fitness balls come in a variety of sizes, 42, 45, 55, 65 and 75cms and you should select your size depending on your height. For safety reasons, the rubber material has been designed to deflate slowly in the event of unexpected damage, so the ball should not burst suddenly, leaving the user in a heap on the floor.
Pumping up the ball, with the hand pump provided does take a little time and the novice user may be unsure of how firm it should be. I'm not sure how the manufacturers could explain the desired firmness. Once inflated, the ball should be left to "rest" for a couple of days, then topped up with more air before use.
You will now find inflatable plastic balls in almost every gym in the country and even on maternity wards, apparently they can assist mothers in labour. There are numerous videos and books on the market explaining the benefits of core stability and training.
I work in the fitness industry and have attended several core training seminars and courses. Most people will use their ball for basic stomach crunches, but the beauty of this apparatus is that it can be used to exercise almost every muscle group in the body and may suit those who prefer to train using their own body weight as opposed to free or fixed weights machines.
The ball can be used for squats, press ups, lunges, hamstring curls as well as a variety of abdominal and oblique exercises. If you choose, you can also incorporate your ball into a weights programme, using dumbbells or barbells whilst lying or sitting on it.
I purchased my own ball a few years ago and was using it religiously, however, I live in a small flat and it did take up alot of space. Also, being red in colour, it clashed with my decor a bit. It now happily resides deflated in a cupboard.
I would recomend a fitness ball. However, it may be a little advanced for those people who have limited or no exercise experience. Getting a fitness professional to demonstrate and check your technique and stability on the ball would be advisable before investing in one. Afterall, falling off it could be painful and embarrasing.
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Jul 23rd, 2007
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