Exercises with a slimming ball

Exercises with a ball for weight loss, or just to keep fit, should be done at least 3 times a week. Exercises with a ball (fitball) are practically no different from a regular workout, it just has a unique load-trainer in the form of a ball. As a rule, we perform the usual bends, movements, but with the help of a fitball.

Before you start exercising, it is important to choose the right ball for training. We will tell you about this and much more in this article.

Effective exercises with a ball for weight loss

A slimming ball, or fitball, or Swiss ball – it was initially used as a training device for rehabilitation in case of spinal injuries. However, over time, the benefits of a fitball for weight loss became so obvious that the ball began to be used en masse, and now it can be found in almost any fitness club.

What effect can we expect from the ball? Or in other words, how does it work?

• Setting the correct back position. To maintain the balance of the body during training with the ball, the muscles of the upper and lower back are involved, which contribute to the development and fixation of the correct posture.
• Abdominal muscle training. Maintaining balance on a fitball helps to tone the abdominal and lower back muscles.
• Developing muscle flexibility. Simultaneous exercise and balance maintenance helps to stretch the muscles additionally. Thus, we also get effective stretching.
• Weight loss effect. How do we achieve weight loss when exercising on a fitball? The complex combination of physical activity, maintaining balance and stretching muscles speeds up metabolism, which promotes active consumption of fat reserves in the body. In addition, considering how fun and unnoticeable the time of training with the ball flies, we lose weight quickly, getting a lot of pleasure from this process.

A set of exercises with a ball for weight loss

The slimming ball is used for effective training of almost all muscles of the body. Thanks to the ball, you can strengthen the muscles of the abdomen, back, limbs, and also the pectoral muscles.

Start with simple exercises, gradually mastering the fitball. When you feel confident with it, then move on to more complex exercises.

1. One of the easiest exercises: hold the ball in front of you with your arms outstretched. Squat down little by little until your hips are parallel to the floor. Straining your abdominal muscles and standing still, slowly turn your body as far to the right as possible and as far to the left as possible. Hold each position for a few moments, taking three deep breaths. Practice 5-6 turns left and right.
2. Let's move on to the next exercise: lie down on the mat (on the back area), holding the ball in outstretched arms. Simultaneously with the arms, raise your straight legs and "pass" the ball from your hands to the space between your shins and fix it. Then take the starting position and, raising your legs and arms again, pass the ball in the opposite direction, legs to hands. Repeat the exercise - about 10 times.
3. We train balance: we lay our stomach and lower third of the chest on the fitball. Legs together, arms stretched out in front of us. We try, without helping with our arms and legs, to stay on the fitball for about half a minute. Repeat – 5 times. At first, you can use a footrest, then try to maintain balance without using your limbs.
4. We do squats: they will help us strengthen the gluteal muscles, hips and knees. To do the exercise, we will need a wall and, actually, a ball. We stand with our back to the wall surface. We place the ball between the wall and the lower back. Without letting the ball fall out, we squat until the hips reach the level of the floor surface. Then we slowly rise to the starting position: the ball does not fall out, but rolls along the back. We do up to 10 repetitions.
5. We train the muscles of the thighs and buttocks: we lie on our back, put our feet on the ball with the heels, slightly bent at the knees. We put our hands on the floor, along the body. Leaning on our hands and heels, we raise the pelvis, forming one line of the body. We fix the position, take 3 breaths and lower ourselves to the floor. We perform up to 10 such repetitions.
6. We stretch the muscles of the back and abdomen: we put the ball on the floor, kneel in front of it. We place our hands with palms on the ball. We lean on the ball, slowly roll it along the arms to the chest. We return to the starting position. During the exercise, the muscles of the back should be relaxed, and the muscles of the abdomen tense. We perform up to 10 repetitions if possible.
7. We perform an exercise for the upper limbs and shoulder girdle muscles. We lie on the ball with the lower part of the chest. We rest our hands on the floor. We roll on the ball until it reaches the level of the feet. Then we move in the opposite direction until the ball reaches the level of the chest. We perform up to 12 repetitions.
8. We train the arm muscles. We place the ball closer to the wall, sit on it (with our back to the wall). We rest our hands on the ball in the hip area. Continuing to rest our hands, we move the pelvis forward from the ball, holding the weight only with the help of our hands. We lower the pelvis down until it touches the floor, then return to the starting position. We do up to 12 repetitions.
9. We develop the back muscles: we are kneeling in front of the ball. Hands behind the head, in a "lock". We lay the lower part of the chest on the fitball. Continuing to hold the hands behind the head, we return to the starting position. We perform up to 15 repetitions.
10. A difficult exercise is push-ups with support on the ball. This exercise can be done in two variations: feet on the floor, palms resting on the ball, or feet on the ball, and hands resting on the floor. Do this exercise if you are already confident enough in your abilities.
11. Pumping up the abdominal muscles: lie on your back on the mat, legs bent at the knees and resting with the shins on the ball. Clasp your hands behind your head and, tensing the abdominal muscles, reach for your knees. Perform up to 12 repetitions.
12. The same exercise, but a little more complicated: lie down with your lower back on the ball, legs straight out, resting on the floor. Lower your upper body back, bending towards the floor, then return to the starting position. Perform up to 10 repetitions.

Such simple exercises with regular training will help to correct the figure and achieve the desired changes in weight. In addition, you will strengthen the spine, stabilize the posture, tighten the muscles. The set of exercises with a ball for weight loss has practically no contraindications: classes are held even with children and pregnant women. However, the set of exercises may differ slightly.

Reviews of exercises with a ball for weight loss

The quality of reviews of exercises with a weight-loss ball directly depends on how regular and intense these exercises were. Of course, there is no point in expecting results from one or two exercises. However, the absence of laziness, creating motivation for weight loss, regular training will soon do their job and lead you to the loss of hated kilograms.

What can be done to achieve your cherished dream faster?

First, go to a sports store and choose the right ball. It should be noted right away that prices for fitballs can vary, and, first of all, this affects the quality of the ball. Balls costing from $10 to $15 are not always of high quality: you should be especially wary if the ball is unpleasant to the touch and smells strange - this is one of the indicators of cheapness of the product. Do not forget that the ball you choose must be strong, otherwise it simply will not withstand your weight and will burst, which, believe me, is not very pleasant.

The ball should have its maximum size (Ø) marked on it. This indicator is important, as it determines whether it will be comfortable for you to exercise on the fitball.

To select the ball size you need to know your height:

• Ø 45 cm – height less than 150 cm;
• Ø 55 cm – height from 150 to 165 cm;
• Ø 65 cm – height from 165 to 180 cm;
• Ø 75 cm – height from 180 cm to 2 m;
• Ø 85 cm – height more than 2 m.

If you don't know your height, you can do it easier. Sit down on the ball so that it is comfortable for you and place your legs, bent at a right angle, in front of you. Fix the position: your knees should be at the same level as your pelvis, or slightly lower.

Once you have picked up the ball, you can start training. And to make weight loss more effective, follow these rules:

• When exercising with a fitball, do not forget about proper nutrition: eat a little every 2-3 hours;
• drink enough water, about 8 glasses a day;
• the body does not tolerate overload: if you feel that it is difficult for you, take a break, rest, so that later you can start exercising with renewed strength;
• leave enough time for recovery: sleep should be sufficient and of good quality.

Start your slimming ball exercises with 10-minute sessions twice a day. When you get used to the workouts, you can increase the duration and intensity of the loads. If you do everything correctly, the results will not take long to come. Be healthy!