If you’ve ever done crunches on the floor you know how uncomfortable it is and how hard it is to stay committed to exercises that make your workout harder than it has to be. Most people who do dozens of crunches are operating on willpower and that doesn’t often last very long.
With the stability ball, you can reap all the rewards of crunches with added benefits without the strain and actually have a much more productive workout. You can do many more abdominal exercises than just crunches with a stability ball and best of all, you can get up off the floor and enjoy a much more productive workout.
Not to say that crunches are bad. In fact, you can do these abdominal exercises on the exercise or stability ball. You can do the type of crunch where the ball stays in one place or you can make the ball roll back and forth as you do the crunches which will target more abdominal muscles than are targeted when you do the floor crunches.
You also have choices when you do abdominal exercises on the stability ball as to the incline at which you place your body which can alter your routine considerably.
The stability ball is a great place to start if you are just beginning to do abdominal exercises. There are workout videos and quick start guides that will guide the newcomer to these types of abdominal exercises and you can also get creative and make up your own exercises.
There are health benefits to doing abdominal exercises with the stability ball as opposed to the hard floor. For one thing, if you’re doing crunches on the floor with your hands behind your neck, you could be experiencing unnecessary neck strain which could lead to injury.
Many people use their neck instead of their abdominal muscles to pull themselves up when doing crunches on the floor. By using an exercise ball instead, you’re sure to notice the difference.
Another benefit to using the stability ball for abdominal exercises is that you’re able to target more of your abdominal exercises than you can by doing the traditional crunch. With a broader range of abs targeted, you’ll realize more benefit from your hard work and reduce the risk of injury as well.
There are a broad range of stability balls on the market and while they are great for abdominal exercises, they are also used to target other muscle groups as well. When shopping for a stability ball, safety is the most important concern but you’ll want one that is flexible enough to accommodate different types of abdominal exercises as well as a broad range of other exercises.
Look for a stability ball that is burst resistant. Some of these balls will burst when punctured and this could cause injury either by suddenly dropping you to the floor or by a piece of the ball hitting you in the face.
Rather, look for the kind that will slowly deflate if punctured. This at least gives you enough time to get off the ball and certainly prevents flying pieces hitting you in the eyes or face. In addition, if you are going to be traveling with your stability ball, make sure to get one with a good hand pump that inflates and deflates easily.
Some of these balls also come with patches in the event of a puncture or tear. This is important if you’re investing a lot of money in your stability ball. You can also find kits that have the ball, workout DVDs and a pump all together. Read and follow the directions before you use your new stability ball and notice the weight limitations if any.
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