Exercises with a gymnastic ball. Fitball for weight loss: effectiveness and exercises

20.10.201927.05.2017

Nowadays it is hardly possible to find a fitness club that does not offer fitball training. This equipment has gained great popularity because training with it is interesting and, most importantly, effective for losing weight. In addition, anyone can purchase a fitball and do the exercises on their own.

What can the projectile be used for?

A fitball is a large ball that is designed to do many things. physical exercise. At one time, the projectile was invented for people with back problems. But later the scope of the fitball began to expand, and now it is not only a simulator for rehabilitation. It can be used to effectively reset overweight, ball exercises are successfully used in fitness for weight loss.

Fitball exercises allow you to:

create and correct posture. When performing exercises on the ball, you must constantly maintain balance. Consequently, the work involves the torso muscles, which are often not loaded in many other workouts, but they are the ones responsible for straight posture. In addition, exercises with a fitball train the muscles that allow you to keep your body upright when walking or other movements;
strengthen the abdominal press. The need to maintain balance also involves the abdominal muscles. A additional exercises on the abs allow you to work this area much more effectively and make your stomach flat;
tighten your buttocks, and much more effectively than with other exercise machines;
increase body flexibility and stretching.

It should be noted that the fitness ball has no age restrictions: both children and the elderly can use it. In addition, fitball can be used by people with different physical training and health status.

What effect does exercise with fitball have on the body?

A distinctive feature of the projectile is that during training with it several apparatuses are simultaneously used: motor, vestibular, visual and tactile.

In order to even just sit on such an unstable object as a ball, it is necessary to include the muscles of the back, “core”, etc. in the work. Therefore, intensive strengthening takes place muscle tissue body and ligaments. In addition, he trains vestibular apparatus and coordination of movements improves.
Thanks to the round shape of the fitball, the range of movements increases when performing exercises. Accordingly, muscle stretching improves and joints warm up.
The ball tends to spring during training. Such oscillatory movements of the projectile allow you to stimulate work internal organs and systems: gastrointestinal tract, endocrine, nervous, respiratory and cardiovascular system.
Exercises with a fitball help speed up your metabolism. All metabolic processes in the body are activated, which promotes health improvement, strengthening the immune system and weight loss.

How to choose a fitball

The effectiveness and comfort of training largely depends on how correctly the equipment is chosen.. In addition, a well-chosen ball will eliminate possible injuries and sprains.
The size of the fitball is selected depending on the height of the person or the length of his arm, which is measured from the shoulder to the tips of the outstretched fingers.

Table: fitball diameter

If there is no centimeter nearby, then the ball can be picked up using another method. You need to sit on the top of the fitball, with your knees bent at an angle of 90° and your feet pressed firmly to the floor. If you can maintain this position, then the size of the fitball is suitable for training.

When purchasing a ball, you need to pay attention to the following points:

There should not be any pungent odor, which indicates the presence of components harmful to health in the rubber. During training, breathing becomes more intense and deeper, and inhaling toxic substances will cause significant damage to health;
the density of the rubber must be high enough, otherwise there is a possibility that the fitball may burst under dynamic loads;
the rubber from which the ball is made must be uniform over the entire surface, otherwise, over time, bulges or depressions may appear on the projectile;
the seams on the fitball should not be too noticeable, much less stick out;
the nipple must be firmly pressed into the surface of the ball;
It is desirable that the fitball be equipped with an anti-burst system. Then, if there is an accidental puncture or cut, the ball will simply slowly deflate. The document for such a product will be marked ABS (Anti-Burst System) or BRQ (Burst Resistant Quality);
a good projectile should have antistatic properties. This eliminates the accumulation of dust and dirt on its surface;
A high-quality fitball should be warm to the touch.

When choosing a projectile, you should also focus on who it will be intended for. There are several types of ball:

smooth fitball is universal;
fitball “with horns” - used in training children and pregnant women. “Horns” are needed to maintain balance and additional support;
a projectile with spikes allows you to additionally combat cellulite deposits.

Workouts with a fitball for weight loss at home

Exercise with a ball includes a mandatory warm-up, during which all muscle groups warm up. Then comes the main training to strengthen muscle tissue. Particular attention is paid to problem areas: abdominals, hips, buttocks. The final stage of the session should be stretching.

To lose excess weight and give your figure a toned appearance, exercise with a fitball should be repeated 2-3 times a week. In this case, the training duration should be 40–60 minutes.

In order for the exercises to bring the expected results, you need to breathe correctly:

you cannot hold your breath;
all efforts must be made as you exhale, and as you inhale, return to starting position.

Abdominal Strengthening

Video: abdominal exercises

Passing the ball

This exercise allows you to effectively tighten your stomach. It can be recommended to women who want to recover after the birth of a baby.

Lie down on the floor, stretch your arms behind your head and take a fitball (position A).
Tighten your stomach and rise, bring the ball to your feet and grab it with your feet (position B).
Place your arms and legs on the floor (position C).
Rise up again and take the fitball with your hands.

Number of repetitions: 8–12 times.

Abs + thighs

The exercise allows you to tighten your stomach and adjust your hips.

The fitball should be clasped with your legs (position A).
Pull your legs towards your chest, while raising your pelvis (position B).
Hold for 2-3 seconds. and smoothly return to the starting position.
For those who want to complicate the exercise, you can simultaneously raise your shoulders with your legs, holding your hands behind your head.

Do 8-10 reps.

Making your waist thinner

To reduce your waist size, you should also work on your oblique abdominal muscles.

Sit on a fitball with your feet shoulder-width apart and your hands behind your head.
Turn your torso to the right, while raising your right leg.
Return to starting position. Repeat turns 12–15 times.
Then do everything in the same sequence in the other direction 12–15 times.

Working on the buttocks

Buttocks + hamstrings

The fitball should be pressed tightly between the lower back and the wall (position A).
Then you should squat deeply (position B) and rise to the starting position.

When performing the exercise, you noticeably feel the muscles of the buttocks tense and back surface hips. Squats should be repeated 8–12 times.

Buttocks + outer thighs

When performing this exercise, not only the muscles of the buttocks and outer thighs are tightened, but also the oblique abdominal muscles.

You need to kneel down and lean your right side against the apparatus, clasping it with your right hand.
Raise your left leg.
On the count of “one”, pull your left knee towards the ball, on the count of “two” straighten your leg to the side.

Repeat the exercise 8-12 times, and then change sides.

Pelvic lift

After just a few workouts, the results will be noticeable.

Lie on the floor with your arms outstretched and your feet on the ball (position A).
Raise your hips above the floor (position B).
As you exhale, bend your knees. In this case, the ball should remain under the feet (position C).
Inhale and straighten your knees.

Repeat the exercise 8–10 times. In order for the buttocks to receive maximum load, the hips should be kept in constant support.

We strive for slender legs

Legs will not look slender if the inner thighs are not toned.

While standing, place the ball between your legs.
Bend your knees, tighten your abdominal and buttock muscles, keep your back straight.
Squeeze the fitball tightly with your knees for two to three seconds.

Hello our dear fans healthy image life. In today's article we will tell you about such an amazing sports equipment like a Swiss ball. People often call it fitness ball or fitball, and so as not to confuse you, we will also call it that.

The fitness ball is universal sports simulator and he proved this when in 2008, at one of the world sports exhibitions the fitball was called the most useful invention in the entire history of the fitness industry. And the results achieved by those training with fitball confirm this high-profile title. Just imagine, doing just one exercise on a fitness ball, almost all your muscles work, plus your coordination and flexibility develop, and your posture will become ideal after a couple of months of training.

In general, if you delve into history, fitball has been used in aerobics since the 1950s, but it was used mainly by doctors and physiotherapists. They actively used ball exercises in the treatment of patients with paralysis. Then, in the 1970s, physiotherapists from the USA became interested in fitball. They borrowed it from their Swiss colleagues and began to use it in the treatment of their patients. It was American doctors who gave impetus to the popularization of exercises with fitballs. And already in the 90s, the Swiss ball was firmly entrenched in the fitness industry.

Below we will tell and show you the most popular set of exercises on fitball that will allow you to lose weight and become slimmer, and we will also tell you which fitball to choose if you buy it in a store.

Exercises with a fitness ball

Well, let's now look at why we have gathered here. Namely, let's look at the most popular exercises with a fitball that will help you lose weight, strengthen your posture, make your abdominal muscles more prominent and simply lift your mood.

The set of exercises on a fitball presented below consists of the most effective movements. We have collected them specifically in one place so that you no longer need to surf the Internet on dubious sites that contain very strange exercises. Well, enough words, let's see what exercises with a fitness ball will help you lose weight.

Be sure to warm up before your workout. Jump rope, dance or just do the usual circular movements arms and legs.

Pelvic lifts

The first exercise works the core muscles, that is, it makes your abdominal and lower back muscles stronger. The muscles of the buttocks and legs are also involved here. Place the ball, lie on your back in front of it, and put your feet on the fitball. In the starting position, the feet should not touch the gymnastic ball (A). Now lift your pelvis up, rolling the ball towards you with your feet. Having reached highest point, stay there for a couple of seconds (B) and return to the starting position.

At first, help yourself keep your balance by resting your hands on the floor. Perform 10 of these lifts.

Side bends

Lie on your back again, place the fitball between your legs and lift your legs up with it, rest your hands on the floor (A). Now tilt your legs to the left without lifting your shoulders off the floor (B), then tilt to the right and return to the starting position (A). You've done one repetition.

Do 12 more reps and move on to the next exercise.

Crunches with a fitball

Continue lying on the floor. Hold the gymnastic ball between your legs, as shown in figure (A), with your hands behind your head. Do crunches by lifting your legs and pelvis up (B). While doing this, pull in and tighten your stomach. This is a great abdominal exercise on a fitball.

Complete 12 repetitions and move on.

Reverse push-ups

Place your hands on the exercise ball as shown in (A). Be careful not to put your hands on the very edge so that your hands don't slip off the ball and you get injured. Push up (B) slowly. This exercise works your triceps well.

Do 12 reps.

Push-ups

Take a lying position, place your feet on a fitball (A). Push up slowly (B). As you progress, you can make the exercise more difficult by placing your feet closer to the edge of the exercise ball. This is a great exercise with a fitball for weight loss.

Do 10 push-ups.

Leg raises

Take the starting position as in the previous exercise, only you should place your feet as close to the edge of the ball as possible (A). Now lift up left leg up as far as possible (B). Then return to the starting position (A). This movement works great on the buttocks.

Do 15 lifts on each leg and move on to the last exercise.

Crunches on a fitness ball

Lie down on the exercise ball with your arms crossed over your chest (A). Now rise up, continuing to keep your hands on your chest (B). When rising, you should roll back slightly on the ball, this will allow you to avoid falling off the ball.

Do 10 repetitions.

Perform all the exercises one after another, in the order in which we have written them. The entire training takes place in the " circuit training " That is, do the exercises one after another, with the number of repetitions indicated. After completing all the exercises, you will do 1 circle. Now rest 3 – 4 minutes and start a new circle. Between exercises, try rest as little as possible. Ideally, don't rest at all.

Exercises with fitball on video

Which fitball to choose?

Let's figure out how to choose the right fitness ball. What should you pay attention to first?

Of course, you won’t notice a huge difference when doing exercises on an expensive or cheap fitball, but still, we would like to teach you how to choose a quality ball. After all, you see, quality things always please our eyes. So, the first thing you should pay attention to when choosing a Swiss ball is the abbreviation ABS. This is an indicator of the quality of the ball, ABS from English means " anti-explosion system", that is, if you accidentally puncture your fitball, it will not explode, but will slowly descend. This will allow you to avoid injury if you fall if the ball explodes during practice. Cheap balls, as a rule, are made from low quality materials and cannot boast of such a system.

The next thing we pay attention to is the diameter of our ball. There are six types of balls of different diameters: 45, 55, 65, 75, 85 and 95 centimeters. To choose among them a ball of exactly the diameter you need, you just need to know your own height. For example, if your height is 163 centimeters, then you need a fitball with a diameter of 65 centimeters. That is, when choosing a ball, you must subtract the number 100 from your height and then you will find out what diameter suits you.

Well, the last point that we pay attention to when choosing a fitness ball is its color. Choose a ball of a color you like, otherwise, if you don't like the color of the ball, it may negatively affect your mood.

To make losing weight in the gym or at home more active and interesting, exercises can be done using a fitball. This sports unit is a large ball with medium density and high elasticity. Fitball helps to cope with spinal problems, straighten posture, and reset extra pounds, therefore, a fitball for losing belly fat is especially valued. This sports ball was first invented back in 1950 in Switzerland. Then it was intended for the rehabilitation of people with problems with the central nervous system, and it was also used to restore the physical health of people who had suffered a spinal injury. Its effect on the body of sick people was more than effective.

The Swiss ball also helped in the process of losing weight for these patients. Over time, fitball migrated to gyms. Exercises for losing belly fat using a fitball help not only tighten the abdominal muscles, but also help break down fat on the sides, buttocks and legs. But before you do exercises on a fitball, you need to know how to choose this sports equipment correctly. The quality of weight loss training depends on its height, density and diameter. Therefore, this article will provide answers to a number of questions. How to choose the right fitball for home workouts? What exercises are the most effective? You will receive answers to these and many other questions.

It would seem that by jumping and pumping on a ball, you cannot quickly lose weight, but this is absolutely not the case. Due to the fact that the body acquires a static position, its muscles work with even greater force than during normal training. Sports trainers claim that exercising with a fitball doubles the load on the muscles.

To fix your body on the fitball, you need to sweat a lot. Due to the high firmness and elasticity of its surface, it is quite difficult to choose a comfortable position to sit and relax. During training on the fitball, it is used twice more muscles than with regular dance aerobic gymnastics.

Exercises on this gymnastic ball contribute to:

formation of correct and even posture,
development of abdominal muscles, buttocks and legs,
improvement of the vestibular system,
increasing muscle elasticity and flexibility,
accelerating metabolism during weight loss,
normalization of the functioning of intervertebral discs,
acceleration of blood circulation.

Fitness classes are often based on the use of a fitball. Often this ball makes training more varied, but no less effective. Exercises on a Swiss ball can reduce the size of your hips and waist. Due to constant tension, the abdominal muscles work with double the load. In addition, in order to fixate on this ball, you need to tense your entire body.

How to choose the right fitball for yourself?

If a person is faced with the purchase of this gymnastic ball for the first time, he needs to pay attention to 4 main points, namely:

uniformity,
elasticity,
density
size.

When choosing a ball for training, you need to carefully consider its homogeneous structure. There should be no patches or seals on it. It should be intact and elastic. The denser it is, the greater the likelihood that microcracks will not appear on it in the future. Also, the fitball must be elastic. Sufficient flexibility of the material will allow you to perform abdominal exercises of any complexity. It will be convenient for pumping jumps, abdominal pumping, squats, etc. It is better to buy a fitball that will withstand weight up to 150 kg. One of the most important aspects when choosing a gymnastic ball is its size. When buying a fitball, you need to sit on it. In this case, the legs should be bent at the knees at an angle of 90°. While sitting on it, a person should fully touch the floor with their feet.

If you do not adhere to these rules, training on a fitball can create a negative impact on your joints and spine. And this especially cannot be allowed during training for pregnant women; people who have varicose veins veins and arthritis. Also important role human height plays a role. Due to the different anthropometric characteristics of tall, average and short people, fitballs are produced in different diameters. The most popular diameters are: 45 cm, 55 cm and 65 cm.

Table of dependence of fitball diameter on human height

Exercises on a gymnastic ball for losing belly fat can be assembled into a whole complex, which may consist of:

bending the body while sitting on the ball,
press swings,
jumping on the spot,
pumping,
push-ups.

Before you start training with a fitball, you need to do some exercises. To do this you need to knead well cervical vertebrae circular rotations to the sides, up and down. After this, you need to stretch your shoulder joints. To do this, you can swing your arms. You can't help but stretch lumbar region. To do this you can carry out circular rotations housing in different sides, turns and tilts. You can finish the exercise with squats, jumping and stretching. The duration of charging before the main workout can be 10-15 minutes. When doing exercises, you need to warm up your whole body well. A signal that the body is ready for more serious stress will be increased blood flow and a rapid heartbeat.

Lifting the ball with our feet

For this exercise, you need to take the starting position - lying on the floor, with your feet on the fitball, lightly holding it with your feet. Fix your hands in one position behind your head. Raise the ball with your feet as high as possible, lifting while exhaling. The number of repetitions is 10-15 times.

Doing squats

In the initial standing position, you need to put the ball behind your back, while supporting it with your lower back so that it does not fall. Carry out squats so that the heels do not come off the floor, while smoothly returning to the starting position. A right angle should form between the shin and thighs. The number of repetitions is 10-15 times. Keep your hands behind your head.

Exercise “Fitball is a moving bar”

To fix the body in the starting position, you need to place the fitball in front of you, and the position of the body should resemble a bar. But in this exercise, keep your palms on the fitball. The abs need to be tense as much as possible, the legs, buttocks and back should be straight. It is necessary to carry out pumping from the starting position from the palms to the elbows, while the head should look forward. Number of repetitions 10 times.

Exercise “Looking for balance”

This exercise Suitable for both tummy tuck and tightening gluteal muscles. To do this, the ball must be placed under the chest in its original position. The left arm and right leg should just touch the floor, and the right arm and left leg should be raised up as much as possible. The head should look forward. In this static position, you need to balance on the ball. In this case, the stomach should be as tense as possible. The duration of such an exercise should be as long as possible; the faster and longer it takes to find balance on the ball, the better.

Roll the ball back and forth

This type exercises for losing belly fat can only be done by those people who do not have inflammatory processes in the back. To perform this exercise, you need to take the starting position - kneel. Keep the ball in front of you, touch it only with your palms. Press your toes to the floor. To perform the fitball, you need to roll it as far away from yourself as possible, while your knees cannot be lifted off the floor. When the ball is as far away as possible, it needs to be rolled back to its original position. This type of exercise helps tighten the abdominal muscles.

Downloading the press

To tighten your abdominal muscles in this exercise, you need to lie on the floor; put your hands behind your head; Place your legs bent at the knees on the ball. You need to lift your body from the starting position so that your elbows touch your knees. The legs must be pressed as close to the ball as possible. The number of repetitions is 15-20 times.

Exercise “Building a bridge”

This exercise helps you lose weight abdominal muscles and buttocks. To perform it, you only need to place your heels on the ball. Lie with your back on the floor, place your arms next to your body. Keeping your feet on the ball, you need to raise your hips as high as possible so that a straight line appears. You need to lock in this position for 5-10 seconds. Number of repetitions 8-10 times. Now you know how to exercise on a fitball to lose weight at home. When performing such physical exercises, the main thing is to choose the right diameter of the ball for exercise. The quality, load and effectiveness of exercises depends on this. At the same time, we must not forget about exercises before training. Fitball is a universal sports equipment that helps to lose weight in the abdomen, thighs, buttocks and legs.

Today all fitness clubs are equipped with fitballs. What is it, how to choose the right fitball, does it help you lose weight, exercises on a fitball and answers to other questions can be found in this article! I'm telling from personal experience, because I have a fitball at home and I often work out on it.!

What is fitball?

A fitball is a special ball that is used to perform a wide range of physical exercises. It was originally developed for people with back problems. This ball helped strengthen the corresponding muscles, improve posture, and restore after operations and injuries. The championship in the development of fitball, according to sources, belongs to a Swiss physiotherapist. But soon the sphere of application of the ball began to grow, leaving the group of rehabilitation equipment. That’s why fitballs began to appear in fitness centers and even at home.

How is fitball useful?

Regular exercise on fitball - great way strengthen the muscles of the whole body, improve posture, cope with problem areas and even lose weight. The result is a toned, slender body.

What exactly do exercises on fitball provide? Replies from:

Correct posture: every exercise on a fitball, not to mention specially designed complexes, strengthens the back muscles without overloading it. The muscles that make up the corset for the spine are involved. Physiotherapists note improved posture after regular exercise on a fitball. Try it too!

The fact is that after active physical exercise, you can relax on the fitball itself, stretch your back and all your muscles. This, as I personally think, is the health-improving effect of a fitness ball.

Increased endurance and muscle strength : exercises on a fitball involve all muscle groups (tested it on myself). Increases muscle tone and strength.
Trained vestibular apparatus and good coordination movements: even if you only exercise your abs on a fitball, you still need to keep your balance. It’s even difficult to do for the first time basic exercises, which looks so beautiful and easy in pictures in fashion magazines. The fitball will continually try to roll away from you. You need to get used to being concentrated. Soon you will stop noticing that all your muscles are toned, and you can easily do the second or third repetition of the exercise on the fitball without falling off it.
Flexibility: Exercises on a fitball allow you to very effectively stretch your muscles and knead your joints.
In addition, exercises on a fitball, namely the shock-absorbing function of the ball, relieve the spinal column, improve metabolism and blood supply to all parts of the body, internal organs, and strengthen the functioning of the cardiovascular, respiratory, and nervous systems.
Good mood: practicing with a big bright ball is very fun and interesting)

Fitball is the only equipment whose exercises require simultaneous coordinated motor work. vestibular, visual and tactile apparatus.

I would like to note that exercises on a fitball are not exhausting and quite gentle (unless, of course, you do not take into account special aerobic complexes on). They do not put “wrong” load on the legs and back. For this reason, people can exercise on a fitball different ages, gender and health status. Nowadays, ball exercises for infants and pregnant women are very common. Elderly people in European countries are not far behind them. This direction is just developing here. Exercises on a fitball can be performed by people with varicose veins.

Probably every person at the beginning of classes was afraid that the ball would burst. Don't be afraid! A properly selected fitball will support not only your weight, but also more!

Fitball exercises. Contraindications

Despite the miraculous effect of fitball on the entire body, exercises on it still have some contraindications. Doctors do not recommend exercising on a fitness ball for those who have: severe illnesses cardiovascular system; herniated intervertebral discs; pathologies of internal organs.

I would like to note that there are different techniques for performing exercises on a fitball. You can choose the ones that are most suitable for your case. There are calmer complexes, there are strength and cardio workouts that promote weight loss (of course, with a normal daily routine). Before you start exercising on a fitball, consult your doctor and trainer! Also choose the time when you.

As I already noted, a fitball correctly selected in size will help good results workout. Yes, and it’s more convenient to practice on it. On a ball that is too large, the exercises will not be performed fully; you will roll off it and not reach the floor with your feet and hands (in a lying position, sitting). small ball will put a lot of stress on the legs, joints, and slip out. Therefore, there are two main ways to determine the size of the fitball you need.

Method one. Sit on a fitball. Place your feet together in front of you, keep your back straight. In this case, the angle at knee joint should be exactly 90 degrees. It is worth noting that the degree of “inflation” of the fitball plays a role in this. The ball should not be hard, and on the contrary, it should not bend much under your weight. Perhaps you need to deflate or inflate the fitball a little, then the desired degree will be equal to 90 degrees.

Method two. This method is more accurate and correct, in my opinion. This way you can even buy a ball as a gift. All you need is the person's height.

Fitballs differ in diameter. There are balls from 45 to 85 centimeters in diameter. Each indicator corresponds to a certain human height.

I present to you table “How to choose a fitball”, where the first column will contain the size (diameter in centimeters) of the fitball, and the second column will contain the corresponding human height:

45 cm – below 152 cm
55 cm – from 152 cm to 164 cm
65 cm – from 164 cm to 180 cm
75 cm – from 180 cm to 200 cm
85 cm – from 200 cm

Each ball indicates the maximum permissible weight of a person. You can jump, lie on your fitball - it won’t burst)

There are several types of fitballs:

a simple smooth ball is the most common option for fitness clubs and for home use;
a ball with ears - for additional support and balance (most often used for children's activities and for exercises by pregnant women);
ball with knobs - massage fitball.

The fitball is inflated with a special pump, which is often included (manual). You can buy a fitball in any store sports equipment or online store. Prices vary depending on the manufacturer, size, configuration and purpose.

Fitball exercises. I want a slim and toned figure!

All exercises on a fitball can be collected in complexes. There are a huge number of them: to improve flexibility, to strengthen the back muscles, for the abs, for the legs, for the arms, for tightening the buttocks, for working out pectoral muscles and shoulder muscles... There are countless types of exercises: crunches, planks, walking, turns, push-ups, passing the ball, squats, bridges, lunges and others. In addition, you can combine exercises on a fitball with, for example, exercises with dumbbells.

Doing exercises on a fitball CORRECTLY is not easy. Especially at the beginning of your acquaintance with a sports instrument. Maintaining balance, straining all your muscles so as not to fall off the ball, and even performing turns, twisting or planks requires a lot of effort. Therefore, exercises on a fitball lose weight they help too. As a result, you will get not only slim, but also toned body With beautiful reliefs(To REGULAR classes need to add and ).

I offer you several useful videos exercises on fitball. Full body exercises:

Fitball exercises for weight loss. Very energetic workout:

Do you use fitball? What results have you achieved?

Currently gymnastic balls (fitballs) due to their excellent health-improving qualities, they are present in almost any fitness center and are very popular among people with musculoskeletal disorders, overweight people, as well as among pregnant women and children, starting from infancy. Workouts with gymnastic ball are not considered strength exercises, and therefore are excellent helpers in the fight against diseases of the cardiovascular system, varicose veins, etc.

The right choice

In order to start training with a gymnastic ball, you need to choose it correctly. When purchasing, you should keep in mind that high-quality balls are made from high-strength elastic material - ledraplasty, which can be sold through orthopedic salons or sports stores. It is in these places that it is better to buy a fitball.

As a rule, the product is deflated and packed in a box. In order to inflate a gymnastics ball, you will definitely need a pump: be it a special one, a bicycle pump, or a “foot” pump. It doesn't matter. When inflated, the ball can support up to 300kg of weight, so don't worry about it bursting as soon as you sit on it.

Focus your attention on the color of the ball. If you suffer from low blood pressure and for this reason you feel a lack of vigor, take an orange or red fitball, and if you are constantly tense and subject to frequent stress, take a blue or green one. Without attributing healing properties to individual colors, it should be noted that this little thing plays an important role in shaping your mood. In any case, you need to choose colors that will not irritate or strain your eyesight.

And most importantly, how to choose the diameter of the ball? The correct thing to do in this matter would be to focus on your own height and arm length.

Dependence of ball diameter (in.m.) on height:

Storage Features

The gymnastic ball should be stored away from flammable substances and any heat sources, and, despite the fact that the fitball is not so easy to puncture and deflate, its contact with cutting or piercing objects and sharp surfaces should be avoided.

The essence of the exercises

In one case or another, exercises with a fitball bring enormous health benefits and are an effective prevention of many diseases. Exercises using it:

improve the vestibular system,
strengthen the muscle corset,
stimulate blood circulation,
promote weight loss,
normalize metabolism,
have an analgesic effect,
increase intestinal motility and stomach function.

What other benefits do exercises with a fitball have, we will look into further, as we will present some examples of the use of the ball by people who want to improve their health, lose excess weight, as well as by pregnant women and infants. Of course, this does not mean that the gymnastic ball cannot be used for recreational purposes by other categories of the population. Training with it is very useful for children of any age, people who are very busy and hard work, elderly people, etc.

Exercises for different muscle groups

The first gymnastic ball appeared back in the 50s of the last century in Switzerland with the aim of rehabilitating patients with cerebral palsy. In the 80s, the ball was used mainly to treat patients with problems with the musculoskeletal system, so first let’s get acquainted with some exercises that have a beneficial effect on various groups muscles.

Pectoral muscles

Focus on straight arms, and place the gymnastic ball under your shins. The back should be straight and in one straight line with the legs. Place your palms slightly wider than your shoulders. Bend your elbows and lower yourself as low as possible, then return to the starting position. If you find it difficult to balance on the ball, lean on it not with your shins, but with your hips. Over time, move the ball closer to your ankles. You should not bend at the lower back.

Muscles of the buttocks and legs

Stand with your back to the ball. Stretch your arms forward. Raise the foot of your right leg and keep it at a height of 20-30 cm above the floor. Then slowly bend the knee of your left leg and squat until your buttocks lightly touch the surface of the ball. Secure the ball so that it does not jump out from under the body. You must keep your head straight. The exercise is repeated 10-15 times with alternate use of both legs.

Back muscles

Lie on your stomach on an exercise ball with your palms on the floor shoulder-width apart. Using your hands, move your body slightly forward, with the ball under your knees and your body forming a straight line. Legs should remain straight. Feet should be kept together and hands under shoulder joints. To maintain balance, try to tense your core muscles, but keep your neck and head relaxed. While in this position, tense your abs and lift your hips up (while your legs should not be bent) so that your feet rest against the ball. Very slowly return to the starting pose. Repeat the exercise 8 – 10 times.

Abdominal muscles

Sit on an exercise ball. Place your feet flat on the floor, crossing your arms over your chest. Stepping your feet, carefully lower yourself forward so that your back is on the ball and your knees are under your ankles. You should keep your head suspended and not tilt it back. Then begin to gradually “twist”: first tuck your head, then your shoulders and finally the middle of your back - until you feel a complete contraction of the abdominal muscles. Slowly return to the starting pose. The exercise is repeated 8 – 10 times.

Arm muscles

Lean on the ball with your arms straight. Hands should be shoulder-width apart. After this, step back and spread your legs wide. Tighten your abs and lower yourself down, bending your arms. At the same time, try to keep your elbows as close to your body as possible. Return to the starting pose. The exercise is repeated 10 times. It is necessary to keep your back straight.

Exercises for slimness

In formation slim figure Balls that have a textured surface and provide a massage effect during exercise help a lot. You need to exercise regularly (2-4 times a week). You need to take breaks between classes so as not to
There was no feeling of overexertion and fatigue. One workout should last 30-60 minutes depending on the individual level of readiness. There are a lot of exercises with a fitball. You can do a “squeeze” for yourself and practice, periodically replacing some exercises with others.

As a warm-up, take 30 side steps in each direction, and then, picking up an exercise ball, repeat them. With each step, extend your arms with the ball in the direction of movement, raising it to shoulder level.
As initial exercise lie on the floor, stretch your legs and place your heels on an exercise ball. While in this position, lift your hips up, tensing your abdominal and buttock muscles, while simultaneously rolling the ball towards you using your heels. At the top point, the body to the knees should be in the form of a straight line, and the knees should be bent at a right angle. Take the starting pose. Do the exercise 10-15 times. This exercise will help remove all the “extra” from the hips.
While in a standing position, as hard as possible inner surface With your thighs, hold the exercise ball between your legs. Then, pulling your stomach in, tighten your thigh muscles and hold this tension for about a minute. After this, without releasing the ball, do 20-30 jumps on your toes. This exercise is aimed at improving the condition of the hips and abdomen.
Now you can do push-ups on an exercise ball. To do this, lie face down and place your hips or feet on the ball. Hands should rest on the floor, elbows should remain straight. Then tense your abs and use your hands to lower yourself to the maximum depth without your shoulders touching the floor. The back should remain straight at all times while performing the exercise. Repeat 10-12 times.
Stand directly in front of an exercise ball. Place your left foot on it. The knee should remain straight. Roll the ball to the side until your body looks like the letter “T”. The right leg should be slightly bent. Stretch your arms forward and from this position do 20 squats. Then switch legs and repeat. This exercise helps tighten your buttocks.

Exercises for pregnant women

Exercises with a gymnastic ball are recommended for pregnant women because they develop flexibility and reduce muscle pain, improve blood circulation, provide a surge of strength, etc. By exercising, pregnant women strengthen not only their own health, being in any trimester, but also the body of the unborn baby. The only contraindications for exercising with a ball are complications during pregnancy. When planning to exercise, be sure to consult your gynecologist.

Sit on a gymnastic ball and, maintaining balance, lean your hands on it. It is necessary to rock the pelvis in different directions. This simple exercise can also be done without using your hands.
Sit on the ball. Your arms should be extended and resting on the ball. After this, turn to the right, placing your left hand behind your right leg. Lock yourself in this position. Turning in the other direction, repeat the exercise.
Sit on an exercise ball and bend forward with your arms extended in front of you. Straighten up. Raise your arms up, slightly spreading them to the sides (it is not recommended for pregnant women to hold their arms straight above their heads).
Sit on the ball. Legs should be bent at the knees and flat on the floor. Extend your right leg, placing it on your heel. After this, stretch your whole body towards it so that you can touch the sock with your hand. Repeat the exercise using your left leg.
In a standing position, extend your right leg forward and your left leg back, holding a gymnastic ball with your left hand. Bend your left leg at the knee (while left hand should rest on the ball) and straighten up again. Perform in the other direction.
Sit on the ball and move your right leg to the side. Right hand reach out to right leg. Take the starting position, and then perform the exercise in the other direction.
While standing, bend your back and rest your hands on the gymnastic ball. Place your feet shoulder-width apart. Roll the ball forward, moving your hands, and then return back.
Sit on the ball and try to lie on it with your back, while slightly spreading your legs to the sides.
Sit on an exercise ball with your hands on your hips. Start moving on the ball with springy movements, first forward and backward, left and right, and then in a circle.
In a standing position, hold the ball with your arms extended forward. Squeeze it in your hands and try to bring it as close to you as possible, and then move it away from you again.

Exercises for infants

Fitball exercises are incredibly useful for infants, regardless of whether they have health problems or are healthy in all respects, especially since such pro
Problems such as intestinal colic, as a rule, do not bypass any of them. The point is that with the help of “fitball” exercises, the motility of the gastrointestinal tract is stimulated in a child, it is formed and functions normally. nervous system, the tone of the flexor muscles decreases, the musculoskeletal system develops correctly, flexibility is trained, and the immune system, the functioning of the liver, adrenal glands and other organs improves. It is not necessary to perform exercises every day - 2-3 times a week is enough.

do not work with the baby if the umbilical wound has not healed,
do not work with your child if he is sick and has a high temperature,
postpone the lesson if the baby is not in the mood,
do not force your child to do activities if he does not like them,
conduct classes with your child in the morning,
conduct classes with your baby 1-1.5 hours after eating,
start with a few minutes, gradually increasing the time,
If your child has any disease, consult your pediatrician about it before starting classes.

1 – 6 months

Place your child on an exercise ball, tummy down. Then take it by the arms or legs and begin to rock it slightly - back and forth, to the sides. It is important to remember that the baby’s joints are still very weak, so you should not pull on his feet or hands.
Turn the baby onto his back. Then, holding his chest and tummy with your palms, rock him from side to side.
Lay the baby on his tummy or back, and then, pressing lightly on the body and holding both of his legs with the other hand, begin to make jerking movements, pressing on the ball.
Place the child on your lap or any hard surface, and roll a gymnastic ball to his feet, which he will immediately begin to push away.

6 – 12 months

This exercise requires 2 adults. The baby should be placed on his tummy. One adult should take him by the arms, another by the legs. Then you need to alternately pull the child towards you so that he touches the ball with his arms and legs.
Place the gymnastic ball so that it does not slip out from under your baby’s feet, as you will have to give him the opportunity to jump. To do this, simply grab the child’s body with both hands and hold him there until he gets tired.
Place your baby on the ball, tummy down. In this case, its handles should rest against the ball, and its body should be in an elevated state. Take the child by the legs and gently rock him back and forth and to the sides.
Place your baby on his tummy and hold his legs. Then lower the child so that he can get the toy from the floor.
Place your baby on his tummy with his legs facing you. Then grab them and roll them first towards you, bending the baby’s legs at the knees, and then away from you, pushing and straightening them.
Place the child with his back on the gymnastic ball and hold him by the forearms. Then, lightly pulling them, sit the baby down and hold it for a few seconds, then lower him back onto his back. This exercise can be started from 9 months of age.

And finally...

Don't forget to do a short warm-up before starting your workout, which will prepare your muscles and ligaments for the load and also prevent injury.

After finishing your workout, do relaxation exercises for a few minutes, which will help consolidate the positive results.

And one more point: in order to increase the effectiveness of training, adults can even use a gymnastic ball instead of a chair or armchair.