What kind of use of exercise ball?
The first thing to be mentioned is that do not use an exercise ball as a chair. You can check the graphic on the left if you don’t know what I mean. Exercise ball was designed for its particular usage – such as sit-up, back hyperextension, and so on (the list goes on).
Don’t even think about using it like an office chair or a sofa because it will lead to injury.
What kind of injuries may we get from using exercise balls?
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1. When we lean forward and put all our weight onto the abdomen (also called ‘hyperextension’), the muscles that support the lower spine (called multifidus) will stretch under high pressure then break down, thus injuring the lower spine.
2. When we sit on it and lean backward, the muscles which support the upper spine (called erector spinae) will stretch under high pressure then break down, thus injuring the upper spine.
3. After a workout, the skin of the exercise ball may have impaired blood circulation, which may lead to skin inflammation or infection if not treated carefully enough. Furthermore, this lousy blood flow can also affect the other parts of the body so that even more injuries may be caused – such as muscle fatigue and torn muscle fiber, etc.
In short, you must pay attention to those injured areas after the exercise ball training session. Below is an example from real life:
Procedures for using an exercise ball as a tool for exercising :
1. Sit down on an exercise ball and lift both your legs up to 90 degrees. Place your right hand behind your head and your left hand behind your lower back (as shown in the picture above).
Then push yourself out slightly with both of your arms while keeping your knees straight. Return to the original position and repeat 8-12 times before switching to another side.
2. Sit down on an exercise ball and keep both your legs fully extended, then roll it backward and forwards about ten times before you begin different exercises such as sit-up, etc.
3. Lie on an exercise ball with all fours, then try pushing the floor away with your hands while keeping your buttock touching the ball all along (if you can’t do that, it’s okay because this exercise is not for everyone). And then you can do your favorite abdominal workout.
Take action immediately if you feel something wrong during training sessions!
If any of the following symptoms appear when you are exercising, stop what you are doing right away and call up your doctor as soon as possible:
-Muscle stiffness or pain doesn’t go away after sleep, rest, or applying heat.
-Skin inflammation or infection around exercise ball.
-I was feeling unwell in general, having fever/chills, etc.
-You feel pain and tightness in your chest and have difficulty breathing.
How to Use an exercise ball to lose weight?
An exercise ball is an excellent tool for a whole body workout. However, the question of How to Use an exercise ball to lose weight? It is not easy to answer since it may depend on different people’s body structure and fitness state.
The best thing you should do before using an exercise ball for doing the abdominal workout is to check the graphic below:
Suppose your skin temperature around the waist can keep normal when lying down on an exercise ball. In that case, that means your skin vessels are generally open and will not be quickly closed under high pressure, thus leading to injuries such as muscle fatigue and torn muscle fiber, etc.
So if you feel any one of the following symptoms during or after exercising with the exercise ball, stop what you are doing immediately and see a doctor!
What does sitting on an exercise ball do??
Sitting on an exercise ball may help someone be more conscious about their body posture while sitting in the office. It’s believed that correct posture can lead to less pressure on spinal disks and thus preventing or delaying the onset of low back pain.
Sitting on the ball makes you feel like being tied up, which may make it harder for you to slump down. However, if you don’t have good abdominal strength, your center gravity will constantly move around during exercising, making it harder to balance yourself.
What are the best exercises for using an exercise ball?
You can do many different workouts with your exercise ball, including abs workout, leg workout, ab & leg roller combo workout, etc. Please check out our website for more information.
Is it okay if I use an exercise ball as a chair?
Yes, you can. It’s better than sitting on a chair for hours and staring at a computer screen because:
1. When using an exercise ball as a chair, your spine is subjected to less pressure from sitting down since the ball helps you balance your weight around it. Moreover, when you sit on an exercise ball, your hip flexor muscle is in its lengthened position, and your low back muscles are in a shortened position, which may help you improve posture.
2. Sitting on an exercise ball helps you strengthen the ab & gluteal (butt) muscle even when sitting down!
3. Exercise ball is an excellent tool for a whole-body workout. However, it’s best to use an exercise ball combined with other weight loss exercises such as crunches, squats, etc.