Balance Ball

These are some things you can do : Using your exercise ball to improve balance Sit on the ball and move your hips in clockwise circles. Reverse the movement - rotate hips in counterclockwise circles Tip: Watch your posture: sit tall and easy, chin in and shoulders square. Using your exercise ball to increase flexibility Begin in a near-sitting position with your ball behind you. Curl backwards and move your feet outward until you are lying comfortably over the exercise ball. Your head, neck, back, and shoulders should be arched over the ball and supported by it. Extend your arms out at your sides so they are parallel with the floor. Hold this position for 20-30 seconds while breathing normally - don't hold your breath. Lower your arms to your sides and roll back to the starting position. Using your exercise ball to build strength To get in position to do push-ups: Lie across the top of the ball, face down, with your abdomen on the ball. Place your hands palm down on the floor, directly beneath your shoulders. Extend your legs straight behind you. Keep your chin down so the back of your head is parallel with your spine. Using your exercise ball to improve balance Sit on the ball and move your hips in clockwise circles. Reverse the movement - rotate hips in counterclockwise circles Tip: Watch your posture: sit tall and easy, chin in and shoulders square. Using your exercise ball to increase flexibility Begin in a near-sitting position with your ball behind you. Curl backwards and move your feet outward until you are lying comfortably over the exercise ball. Your head, neck, back, and shoulders should be arched over the ball and supported by it. Extend your arms out at your sides so they are parallel with the floor. Hold this position for 20-30 seconds while breathing normally - don't hold your breath. Lower your arms to your sides and roll back to the starting position. Using your exercise ball to build strength To get in position to do push-ups: Lie across the top of the ball, face down, with your abdomen on the ball. Place your hands palm down on the floor, directly beneath your shoulders. Extend your legs straight behind you. Keep your chin down so the back of your head is parallel with your spine. To do a push-up: Slowly lower your chin to the floor, bending your arms at the elbows. Slowly raise yourself back to the starting position. Tip: Make sure your chin is down, and the back of your head is parallel with your spine.

I do crunches on mine. I also heard that just sitting on it can help too. I know it sounds dumb, but I sit on it while on the computer or watching tv. I can actually feel my abs tighten as I try to keep my balance.

Lay on your back, and you can get leg strength by raising up and down on your toes. And your stomach can be hardend with pelvic tilts laying on your back on the ball.

I will have to check out those links. I got one this past fall but have hardly used it because the exercise video that came with it seems really lame. These are also good when you have a pregnant friend come over for dinner, they are more comfortable to sit on then a regular chair.

It is great for abs workout since it conforms to your body contours so your back is well-supported and you won't have back pains when you do crunches. Balancing yourself while on the ball also uses a lot of your muscles so all in all you are hitting on multiple targets when using the ball. You may browse through exercise magazines and websites to keep you guided with the best routines that you can follow. Just be careful though as the ball is really hard to master. So I suggest you ask someone to watch you while doing some difficult routines. You should also start with the easy ones and go for the more difficult ones when you are accustomed to balancing on the ball.

I do have time to do exercise daily, what a pity.