Exercise Ball (Stability Ball) Guide

Exercise Ball (Stability Ball) Guide
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=John_Mealer]John Mealer

Does Size Matter? Guide to Picking the Right Stability Ball

The Stability Ball, or Exercise Ball, is a fairly new addition to fitness equipment that has only been around for a few years now. The idea is that sitting, kneeling, or just bracing yourself on an unstable surface, activates more core muscle recruitment. It is a great piece of equipement that really makes the midsection work to keep you balanced on the ball. But there are so many different sizes out there. You just need to find the size that is right for you.

A good basic guideline is that you should pick a ball that when inflated, your knees make a 90 degree angle when sitting on the ball. It should be mentioned that the more air in the ball, the difficult the exercise will be. But for a beginner, if you are under 5'5 you would work best with a 55" ball. If you are over 5'5, you would get the most out of a 65" ball.

Remember that anything you do with your regular workout, can be done with a stability ball. The only difference is that your abs will need to focus more on keeping your body from falling over. The most common exercise for an exercise ball is the exercise ball crunch. There are many different ways to do this exercise to increase the tension on the abs. One is, as stated above, inflating the ball more; and another is that as you lay on the ball, the farther apart you spread you legs, the less tension is on the abs and more on the legs stabilizing the body. The closer your feet are to each other, the more stabilizer muscles you use in your midsection and less on the legs.

Remember: under 5'5 uses a 55", over 5'5 uses 65". Your legs should make very close to a 90 degree angle when sitting on the ball. And proper form is always key.

Stout | [http://www.gymmonsters.com] - Home for your fitness, training, dieting and nutrition needs. Updated daily.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Mealer [http://ezinearticles.com/?Exercise-Ball-(Stability-Ball)-Guide&id=1423703 ]http://EzineArticles.com/?Exercise-Ball-(Stability-Ball)-Guide&id=1423703