Swiss Ball Exercises

The Swiss ball, also known as a balance ball, exercise ball or fitness ball, provides great variety to any workout routine.  Moderately priced at under $30, a swiss ball typically comes with an exercise chart with a heavy emphasis on stretching.

The first thing to be aware of with swiss balls is that they do come in different sizes, so be sure to get the one that corresponds to your height. 

And a word of warning for when you first use your new Swiss ball.  It's very easy to fall off it!  The best plan is to get comfortable by getting on it and slowly trying a couple of the recommended Swiss ball exercises.  Avoid incorporating the use of free weights until you're truly at ease with it.

When you attempt your first set of Swiss ball exercises on the ball you will findthat the exercises are more difficult than when done without eing on the Swiss ball.  What makes the exercises so tough is that you need to be able to stabilize yourself on it, and that is not easy initially.

Swiss ball exercises for your muscles

Any Swiss ball workout enables you to exercise several body parts. There are Swiss ball exercises for shoulders, neck, biceps, and leg muscles.  And Swiss balls are great for hip exercises.  I was really surprised when I started my core workout just how many hip exercises there are, designed to help you strengthen your hip extensors which in turn help your core and flexibility.

If there is a particular exercise you enjoy, think about how you would do it on an exercise ball.  Try it first without weights so that you can see if it might work.  For example, when doing bicep curls, try them sitting on the ball.  What happens is that your biceps get a workout, as does your core which stabilizes you on the ball.

Or even use the exercise ball for chest exercises.  Doing your dumbbell push ups while laying on your back on the ball is a great chest exercise, as well as being good for stabilizing your core.

Now although you can do most exercises on a Swiss ball, research has shown that some cases, particularly leg exercises, are more effective when not performed on a Swiss ball.  So stick with the exercise chart more the most effective Swiss ball exercise. 

There are lots of Swiss ball exercises to help with reducing lower back pain.  When you use the ball for lower back exercise, you tend to use a lot of muscles which help stabilize your spine.  For example, lying face down on the ball and raising your back is a great lower back exercise.  If you suffer from lower back pain, be sure to talk with your doctor or physiotherapist before using the ball.

Tips on buying a Swiss ball

You can find Swiss balls in every major sporting goods store and of course on the Internet. I prefer to buy mine locally becasue for such a low price, I want to be able to take it back to the store if something goes wrong.

That being said, Swiss balls are pretty durable and seldom need replacing.

After you have inflated the ball for the first time, make sure you put the pump away in a place that you can easily remember!  Over time, these balls deflate a little and may need pumping up before you start your Swiss ball exercises.

On a couple of occasions, I've been scrambling around at six in the morning trying to find the pump because the ball was too soft. 

Other uses for Swiss balls

In our home, I'm amazed at how oftne my wife or kids will watch TV  sitting on the ball.  There's something magnetic about it, so while your mind is getting numbed from watching the telly, at least your core is getting a Swiss ball workout at the same time!

Swiss balls are used in many exercise routines including yoga or Pilates.  Of course the ball is then renamed to Yoga ball or Pilates ball, but it's just the same thing.  So to expand your exercise repertoire, you might want to look into buying a yoga ball or Pilates ball DVD or video.