LilSugar

Stretch It: Spinal Stretch on the Ball

FitSugar — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 10:00:32 -0800

Hands down, this is one of my favorite stretches to do on an exercise ball. It feels good on your back, but also gives your abs, chest, and shoulders a wonderful stretch. It's the type of stretch you do and immediately say, "ahhh."

To learn how to do this relaxing stretch read more.

Sit on an exercise ball, lean back, and walk your feet out so the ball is now underneath your spine. Keep your knees bent and your feet hip distance apart for stability.
Slowly walk your feet away from you to straighten your legs.
Extend your arms overhead to increase the stretch.
Stay here for 30 seconds, breathing deeply as you lengthen through the spine.
To release, walk your feet in and sit up.

I try to do this stretch after spin class or long bike rides. It's a great antidote for hunching over handlebars.

Get on the Ball: Side-Leg Lifts

FitSugar — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 03:30:00 -0700

Using an exercise ball when strength training is a great way to add a little bit more challenge to basic exercises. Since you have to work hard to keep the ball in place, you end up using more muscle groups. This exercise will tone your thighs, especially your inner thighs and also your core.

For instruction read more.

Lie on your side on the floor with your arms crossed in front of your body. If this is uncomfortable, bend your bottom elbow and rest your head on your hand.
Place a large exercise ball in between your feet and slowly lift the ball up toward the ceiling using only your hips and butt. Return to the start position. This counts as one repetition.
Complete three sets of 15 reps.

How to Choose and Use an Exercise Ball

FitSugar — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 10:00:00 -0700

Yoga ball, exercise ball, gym ball, fitness ball - whatever you call it, it's a must have for all active people. An exercise ball can be used for both stretching and toning exercises, but if you're new to this piece of gym equipment, here are some things you should know.

When choosing an exercise ball, you should know they come in three sizes, depending on your height. Check the list below to see which size is right for you before purchasing one.

4'11" to 5'4" height: 55 cm ball
5'4" to 5'11" height: 65 cm ball
5'11" to 6' 7" height: 75 cm ball

Now that you know which size ball to use, here are some ways you can use it:

Use the ball as a weight bench. Lie across it on your back and do chest presses, tricep presses, or lying pec flies to work your upper body. Since you're using your legs to keep your body stable, you end up toning your glutes, quads, and hamstrings as well.

To see the other exercise ball ideas, read more.

Use it to elevate parts of your body. Raising your upper or lower body on a ball can help target specific muscle groups more effectively. Try doing push-ups or bridge leg lifts with a ball and you'll end up working many muscles at one time.
Do ab work. Crunches, abdominal twists, and bicycle crunches are so much more challenging on a ball, since lying on one engages your abs even before you start doing any exercises.
Do yoga and Pilates moves. You can tone and increase flexibility by using a ball to do basic poses and exercises. Do backbends and back strengthening exercises such as prone leg raises. A ball can also support your body weight to help you balance when trying challenging poses such as Scorpion.

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Fit Tip: Trade Your Office Chair For an Exercise Ball

FitSugar — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 14:30:00 -0800

I really don't believe we evolved to sit all day long. Sitting creates tight hips and hamstrings, causes a tight neck and shoulders, and often leads to back pain. If you suffer from these ailments, ditch your regular office chair and replace it with an exercise ball ($27).

When you sit on a firmly inflated ball, you'll improve your balance and tone your core muscles from your desk. It allows you to focus on keeping your spine long, and you can even use the fitness ball for wall squats or other exercises during the day. Sitting on a ball has also been proven to help kids focus and do better in school. If it works for them, it'll work for you, too.

If you're worried about the ball being too roly-poly, and not having a back support to lean on, then check out Gaiam's BalanceBall Chair ($99). I know it's kind of pricey, but if it can prevent discomfort while you work, then isn't it worth it? To see a video of this ball in action read more.

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Get on the Ball: Push-Up With Tuck Crunch

FitSugar — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:00:00 -0700

Looking for a fun a challenging way to work your abs and upper body at the same time? Then check out this move using an exercise ball.

To find out how to add some ab work to your push-ups, just read more.

Place your belly on a ball and walk your hands out so the ball is under your shins.
Now bend your elbows and slowly lower your chest to the floor, doing a push-up.
Then straighten your arms and draw your knees forward into your chest. This will send your pelvis up and bring the ball closer to your face.
Extend your legs straight back, and repeat this sequence for a total of 15 to 20 times.

I feel so tough after doing this exercise, do you?

Lil Tip: Bouncing Balls

babysugar — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 11:00:03 -0700

You've probably seen the birthing videos of laboring women using large exercise balls as a prop to help them through contractions. When I went into labor, I sat on the bad boy hoping for relief. Unfortunately, it gave me the opposite sensation.

However, I found a better use for the bouncing tool. During one of my early-morning feedings, I sat on the ball for a change of pace and quickly found that my newborn loved to be bounced to sleep. Sometimes it was the only cure for her fussing. My husband and I have been preaching to new parents about the importance of an exercise ball ever since. So far, all our friends' tots are fans. And, it doesn't hurt that mommy gets a little glute and hamstring workout at the same time!
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Get on the Ball: Ab Twist

FitSugar — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 11:45:00 -0700

Looking for a great exercise to work your abs without straining your neck? Try this move on an exercise ball. It'll also work your glutes and thighs.

Place your upper back on the ball, feet about a foot apart, with your heels underneath your knees to help you stay balanced.
Straighten your arms up above your chest, and touch your palms together. Engage your abs and press your pelvis up so your thighs and belly are in one straight line.
As you exhale, slowly rotate your torso with control allowing your arms to follow the motion until they are parallel with the floor. Your bottom shoulder will be touching the ball.
Then as you inhale, return to your starting position, bringing your torso back to the center and your arms pointing straight up. Exhale and rotate to the other side. Be sure to keep your abs, glutes, and thighs engaged the entire time.
Repeat so you do a total of 30 on each side.

Get on the Ball: Crunches

FitSugar — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 08:30:00 -0800

Although many people don't enjoy it, no one would ever tell you that abdominal work is not important. If you want a strong body, you need a strong center. Chances are high you want to make every bit of your abdominal workout count so to make your crunches most effective you need to move them onto a ball. A recent study ranked traditional crunches as the 11th most effective abdominal exercise, but ranked crunches on an exercise ball the most effective. Crunching on the ball made the abs work 24 to 38 percent more. And in this case more is good! To balance on the unstable surface of the ball, your core is stimulated to recruit more muscle fibers.

If you are new to using an exercise ball for ab work, to get some important details read more.

Ab Crunch on a Ball:

Sit on a well-inflated and anti-burst exercise ball. Size wise, you should be able to sit on an exercise ball with your hips and knees both bent to 90 degree angles (here is more on ball size).
Place your hands behind your head, and walk your feet away from the ball so you start to roll your torso onto the ball. The ball should support your hips and the curve of your lower back. Your legs should form a bridge with your knees bent at right angles.
Exhale and lift your upper body by about 45 degrees, pulling the deep abs in toward the spine and return to starting position.

So get on the ball already!

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Get on the Ball: Side Raises for Your Shoulders

FitSugar — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 15:30:00 -0800

Looking to strengthen your shoulders and upper back? Supporting your body on an exercise ball while using weights allows you to stabilize your torso, but it also challenges your balancing abilities.

Place the gym ball on a flat surface and put your hand weights on the ground, on either side of the ball.
Now place your belly on the ball. Straighten your legs behind you and make sure your feet are slightly wider than hip distance apart. Your legs will be working to keep you balanced on the ball, so roll the ball back far enough to keep your toes firmly planted. For extra support you can put your heels against a wall.
Pick up the hand weights with your elbows pointing straight back (as shown in the first picture). As you inhale, straighten your arms out diagonally (as shown in the second picture). As you exhale, bring the weights back to the first position.
Do a total of 15 reps, and repeat 3 times, using a 3-5-lb. weight. Try to breathe deeply so your movements are slow and controlled.

Fit's Tip: The neck position in these photos is not great, try to keep you neck aligned with your spine so you will be looking down at the floor.

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Lil Tip: Exercise Ball

LilSugar — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 04:00:36 -0800

If there's one practical piece of workout equipment to purchase after you bring home baby, it's an exercise ball. The soft bouncy ball ($15-26) can be used for strengthening abs and hard-to-reach muscles as well as improving balance and coordination. Best of all, unlike pricey treadmills and elliptical machines, even if you don't end up using the ball, lil ones love to tumble around with them.