Regular aerobic exercise, core strength work, good posture, proper diet and good digestion, are all necessary to achieve a lean and toned body you can be proud of! Core strength work, improving posture, and generally toning all the body’s muscles can be achieved with a regular balanced routine using the very popular Swiss ball or stability ball.
Swiss balls are light, yet robust pieces of exercise equipment, widely available in gyms and studios, and also a perfect piece of home-exercise equipment, being easy to lift, move around and store, and relatively inexpensive too. Swiss balls are very easy and comfortable to use, and give good support too. Another great advantage of using a ball to exercise is that it somehow lowers the perception of actually “working out”! This is particularly useful for beginners, and of course, those who don’t particularly like, or take to exercise easily.
The Swiss ball is an especially good piece of equipment to improve the strength and tone
of the abdominals, as well as the lower back. Due to the fact that it’s somewhat unstable, a person must constantly adjust, focus and concentrate to remain balanced, using and exercising more muscles (especially deep core muscles), than if doing a similar exercise on a static machine, or bench. The use of the Swiss ball improves the functional strength, balance and flexibility of the entire body.
Other benefits of using a Swiss ball include…
* Improved posture and alignment – Using the Swiss ball engages many additional muscles during even the most basic of exercises, simply to maintain stability of the body. A major challenge posed by the ball is just that, to maintain, and improve overall “body balance”. As balance improves, alignment of the body parts is also improved.
* Great Abs! – For people working out to achieve great abdominal muscles, the Swiss ball deeply and effectively targets the abdominal area. Back muscles are strengthened too, as the abs and back muscles are worked simultaneously.
* Increased muscle strength and tone – All the major muscle groups can be exercised, strengthened and toned with the many, and varied Swiss ball exercises and routines.
* Stronger core and increased core stability – The major muscles that help stabilise and support all of the body movements are those of the back and the deep abdominal muscles. With the ball, these deep, core muscles are very effectively exercised.
* Effective for stretching – The ball is a great companion or prop during stretching exercises. You can easily move into and out of various stretching positions, and be well supported too.
Why is core stability and core conditioning so important?
The “core” or inner unit is a group of deep muscles that provide joint stabilisation of the spine. If the inner core unit doesn’t activate your spine properly at the onset or during “movement”, your spine, pelvis and other joint structures are placed under unnecessary stress, which can potentially lead to poor posture, injuries, and a protruding stomach. This can be evident with or without excess, overlying body fat, and simply be a result of weak “core unit”. A strong inner core is vital to all static and dynamic movements (from sitting to standing to twisting, and from walking to running to jumping), as well as proper exercise “form” and technique. Most importantly, a degree of “functional” strength must be achieved to prevent injury, avoid (and treat) lower back pain, and to counteract general degeneration and aging. Tone and strength of the abdominals can also improve the health and functioning of the bowels. Incidentally, the primary exercises used to improve core strength and inner core muscle activation are not the usual abdominal exercises you might see in gyms, such as “old style” crunches and sit-ups.
For those of you who want to begin training your core muscles, and doing more exercise using a Swiss ball, ask a trainer at your local gym or exercise studio to guide you through, “The plank”, “Side-plank”, Swiss-ball “roll”, or the Swiss-ball “jack-knife”. They may call them slightly different names, but should have a good repertoire of suitable exercises themselves to show you. Build them into your exercise routine, 2-3 times a week. Alternatively, there are many videos on line. Go to www.youtube.com and type in “Swiss ball training”. This link takes you straight to trainer Chris Comfort, who demonstrates and teaches some key effective Swiss ball exercises…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ad_ENrflPk
Swiss ball training is well worth the time invested, so good luck!
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They are great for core conditioning exercises!