Top Tips for Rounding Out Your Workout Routine

All opinions are mine and mine alone.

Effective Exercise Balls: Top Tips for Rounding Out Your Workout Routine

Workouts don’t have to be grueling or boring. It takes the right kind of trainer or routine that involves fun and interesting equipment and movements. You may have seen some guys and gals doing a number of exercises that involve a ball, kind of like the ones you may have used in gym class as a child. Here you’ll find ideas to round out your workout and get effective in using a variety of exercise balls.

Large Balls

Balls come in different sizes and the largest are reserved for core training and balance exercises. It also makes a number of other workouts more challenging. For example, dumbbell curls are usually done standing or sitting. However, sitting on a ball and lifting the weights is more challenging, for form and balance are both crucial. Also, since one must remain stable, stabilizer muscles get worked.

Mini Balls

Mini balls serve a similar purpose but are used a bit differently due to the smaller size. For example, a person may do pushups while leaving one hand on the ground and the other on a mini ball. The person has to fire their chest, arm, shoulder, and back muscles to perform a pushup while working balance and stabilizer muscles to keep the ball from rolling out from underneath them.

Medicine Balls

Medicine balls are probably the most historically tied to working out. However, medicine balls are not used for sitting or balance. Rather, being filled with sand or other materials to add considerable weight, they are used to throw, catch, and twist. The extra 8 to 15 pounds adds challenge to the arm and torso.

Bosu Balls

Bosu balls are great for increasing one’s sense of balance, yet rather than sitting, people stand on the bosu while squatting, balancing on one foot, lifting weights, etc. Additionally, a Bosu ball can be used with other accessories such as a resistance strap, which serves as an alternative to weights.

Toning Balls

Some prefer to do more repetitions per set, electing for a leaner figure as compared to a bulky, muscular frame. Genetics plays a part in how one develops muscle but a lot has to do with the way one exercises. Toning balls are lighter, so people can lift them more times than traditional hand weights. However, those who are looking to body build, need to lift heavier weights.

Massage Balls

Rather than force being placed on your body for a massage, rolling body parts on top of a ball simulates the relaxing feeling. It’s a great way to increase flexibility and the ability to stretch. It’s also soothing to the muscles to roll them over small balls that remain on the floor while you maneuver your body on top.

Foot Massage Balls

Using the same principle as above, foot massage balls allow for a relaxing sensation due to the contours of the small ball. Keep the ball on the floor as you roll the bottoms of your feet on top. It increases blood flow and stimulates the 7,000 plus nerve endings in the foot.