The Exercise Ball

August 13, 2010, By Catherine Couretas 0 comments

Working out with your kids can be fun, whether they’re sitting on your back while you do push-ups or holding your feet and counting while you do sit-ups. Usually it’s too dangerous to have them around workout equipment, so why not buy equipment you can both use? An exercise ball is the perfect medium.

The Exercises

An exercise ball can be used in a variety of ways and it’s something fun for your kids to play with as well.

Abs/Core: There are a variety of crunches and leg lifts you can do with an exercise ball.

• Crunches. Sit on the ball as you would if it were a chair, scoot your feet forward and let it roll forward as you lean back. You’re now in the perfect position for sit-ups.
• Ball lifts. Lie on the floor and pick up the ball with your feet. With your knees bent at a 90-degree angle, lift the ball towards your head and back down again.

Upper Body: From shoulder extensions to curls, you can get a good upper body workout.

• Push-ups. Place the ball anywhere between your hips and feet while your hands are on the floor. The closer the ball is to your feet, the more challenging the push-up.
• Plank Walks. Begin like you were going to do a push-up with the ball under your ankles. Keeping your body in a flat position, walk your hands backward until the ball is as close to your chest as you can get it without breaking position. Repeat and try to walk farther each time.

Lower Body: Working your legs with an exercise ball is a lot simpler than you might think.

• Squats. Prop the ball up between your lower back and a wall, making sure to put enough pressure on it so that it doesn’t fall down. Bend your knees and hips, leaning over slightly, while keeping the ball propped up.
• Leg Lifts. Lie on one side, squeezing the ball between your feet, and lift your legs up. Make sure to do the lifts on each side.

The Sizes

Exercise balls come in a variety of sizes, so you’ll want to make sure you get the right one depending on your height. All sizes can be found for less than $15, though some are a bit higher priced and a bit sturdier.

• 55-centimeter ball: for those 4’11” to 5’3” tall.
• 65-centimeter ball: for those 5’4” to 6’0” tall.
• 75-centimeter ball: for those 6’1” to 6’’9” tall.

Using the incorrect size will not be nearly as beneficial. When it comes to push-ups and ab workouts, the ball needs to be proportional to your body for the exercise to work correctly. If you’re doing squats and the ball is smaller than recommended, it may fall and you run the risk of injury.

The Kids

Having a giant bouncy ball in your family room can make for loads of fun for your kids. Though it might be as tall or taller than your little ones, pushing the big ball back and forth and showing them how high you can bounce it can be entertaining for hours.

The Benefit

You’ll use the exercise ball when you least expect it and that has health benefits as well. Sitting on the ball while you watch TV helps improve posture and rolling back and forth can give your legs a mini-workout while you’re not even trying. Having an exercise ball is an easy way to get a workout in when you can’t get to the equipment you want on any given day, or when you’d rather spend the time at home with your family.

Catherine Couretas is a freelancer at Barefoot Proximity and a regular contributor to ManoftheHouse.com.