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What is it?
A series of exercises that can be carried out with the ball and may or may not be backed by music. Although it appears to be similar to a children's game, it is a perfect technique for firming up and stretching all parts of the body. Persons of any age and physical condition can do it as it is a low-impact activity whose exercises adapt to your personal level thanks, in part, to the originality of working with a ball which moulds itself to varying shapes and body weights allowing the entire muscular system to work without subjecting the joints to heavy loads.
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Reasons for trying it
- The mouldable capacity of the ball acts as a self-massage system able to reduce tension and soften muscle spasms.
- The large ball helps to keep your back in a rigid and straight posture. This helps to stabilise and strengthen the back muscles, the centre of the entire body.
- A fitball session increases your capacity to know, listen to and understand your body, as corporal conscience is linked to muscular work.
- The diverse positions adopted allow secure and effective stretching. They also aid joint mobility, whose inactivity may cause back and cervical pains.
- Ball exercises also improve balance, stability and motor coordination.
- Finally, this is an ideal activity to do at home.
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Choosing a good ball
The ball chosen must be proportionate to the user's dimensions if it is to be stable. As a general rule the following test can be carried out: sit on the ball before purchasing; if you can bend your legs without difficulty and your pelvis, knees and ankles form a right angle with your feet when flat on the floor, then the size is correct. The following table, which compares a person's height to the size of the ball, may also help:
������Person's height ������ �Ball's diameter
�������1.50 metres ���������� �������45 centimetres
��� ���1.60 metres ���� ��� ���� ����55 centimetres
��� ���1.70 metres ��������� ����� � 65 centimetres
���� ��up to 1.80 metres ��� �����75 centimetres
Beginner's exercises
Once the correct ball has been found, you can try out the following exercises. They should all be done slowly to not lose your balance, above all at the start. Before beginning you should first warm up. Finally, it is best to leave the stretching with the ball exercises for last; this procedure guarantees that you will not suffer from stiffness.
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1. Firmer body. Lie face down with your stomach on the ball, stretch your legs back with your feet on the floor and also support your hands on the floor on the other side of the ball. Move your left arm forwards while stretching your right leg backwards. The rest of the body should be kept stiff so as not to lose balance. Hold on for two to three minutes and then try with the other side.
2. Flat abdomen. Sit on the ball with your feet either side. Slide your feet forward while allowing the ball to slide backwards until your back is fully supported by the ball. In this position, bend your legs until they form a right angle, put your hands behind your neck and lift the upper part of the body as much as possible. Keep your back straight. Repeat 10 times and rest.
3. Relaxed back. Lie face down on the ball, and allow the ball to bear your full weight. Relax your neck by moving your head towards the floor and also relax the legs, arms and back. Hold for 30 seconds.
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