HEALTH KNOWLEDGE

Have you ever been flipping through the channels on your TV and come across one of the stations airing infomercials? If so, there’s a good chance you’ve seen at least some of the dozens of ‘latest and greatest’ pieces of exercise equipment continually flooding the market. Most of them, as evidenced by their showing up for resale at so many garage sales, are pieces of junk that don’t really work and are a waste of money. There is one, however, which is anything but. It may indeed be the single best piece of fitness equipment ever developed. It’s called the core exercise ball.

Known also as a fitness ball or sometimes as a stability ball, this device is a large rubber ball that is inflated and will support a weight of nearly half a ton. It’s used in conjunction with specific exercises that have you lying, leaning or sitting on the ball in various positions.

Its use has become so widespread that it’s a ‘must have’ item for personal trainers and exercise gurus. It’s easy to use and inexpensive to acquire. Exercise balls may be the single most efficient means for developing your core muscle groups. Properly strengthening your core muscles will make every other exercise you do more effective.

Core muscles refer to the muscles within the center or torso of the body. They include the abdominals (in front of the stomach), the obliques (on either side of the stomach), the erector spinae (neck and back), the hip flexors, and lower trapezius (back and shoulders). These muscles are responsible for the origination of all body movements. Strengthening your core benefits and provides support for your entire body.

The key in training with an exercise ball is the need to maintain balance to keep from rolling over and falling off. To be able to do this, the core muscles are required to flex constantly. The more you practice the easier it will be and the fitter you will become.

If you’ve ever wondered how some people are able to get those ’six-pack abs’, here’s some news for you. Sit-ups won’t do it. In fact, this particular exercise has been found to be detrimental to your body, especially the lower back and spine. But a similar exercise, done with the aid of an exercise ball, will help you get exactly what you’re looking for — fat loss and harder abdominal muscles. What’s key is working the core muscles properly.

Fitness balls are available in various sizes and the proper size for you personally depends on your height. You should be able to sit on the ball, with your feet flat on the ground, and your knees should be at an approximate ninety degree angle. If not, go to a different sized ball. Be aware that the firmer the ball the more difficult it will be to use so beginners are advised to start off with a softer one.

Originally devised to help rehabilitate sufferers of spinal injuries and those with neurological disorders, the core exercise ball has grown to become on of the most effective fitness aids of all time. There is no better way to do effective abs exercises. It can help you to acquire awesome abs and rid yourself of the unsightly fat that’s been hiding them for so long.