Going to the gym these days involves much more than just pumping iron or running on a treadmill. Modern gyms come equipped with a wide range of exercise props, from StairMasters and rowing machines, to computerized elliptical trainers and bicycles with Internet access.

But among the high-tech fitness equipment is one tool that couldn't be more simple -- the humble exercise ball. Long used by physical therapists, these large vinyl balls seem like they would be more useful at the beach. Instead, they're intended to strengthen muscles and increase your sense of balance. After following a few instructions, anyone who is in good health can use a ball safely. Here are some tips that just might help you have a ball at the gym.

If you don't have any injuries or underlying conditions, it's safe to start with some simple balancing exercises, says Phillip Zinni, D.O., an osteopath and fellow of the American Osteopathic Academy of Sports Medicine. If you've purchased an exercise ball to use at home, for example, it will generally come with an instructional booklet or video. Here's one exercise you can try while watching TV:

Practice sitting on the ball while lifting one foot off the ground and balancing. If that's too easy for you, lift both of them! "All of a sudden you're going to find what muscles you have to use not to roll off of it," laughs one trainer.

Exercise balls are also great for abdominal exercises and weight training, but get proper training or follow the written instructions. Without guidance, you have no way of knowing exactly which movement caused you soreness, explains Zinni. And just as untutored workouts on any equipment can cause injuries, you can easily fall or suffer sprains and strains on an exercise ball if you don't take proper precautions.

Your local gym may have directions for safe, basic exercises on the ball. If not, ask a trainer on staff to help you. Feel free to ask a trainer what his or her qualifications are. You're probably in good hands if the trainer is certified by either the National Athletic Trainers Association, the American College of Sports Medicine, or the American Council on Exercise (ACE). Pilates classes -- offered at many gyms and fitness centers -- also use exercise balls as props.

Exercise balls work on our neglected midsections. "We in the fitness industry have been so consumed with training extremities that we've ignored the center of our bodies," says Patricia Lee, an ACE-certified personal trainer and exercise instructor based in Roseville, California. "The ball forces you to use the core muscles whether you like it or not."

The ball works the muscles that are neglected when you exercise on firm ground. A study published in the journal Physical Therapy suggests that exercises done on a medicine ball give your muscles a greater workout than the same exercises performed on solid ground. Eight healthy men in their 20s did the same curl-up exercises they usually did on a stable surface on the ball and on a "wobblie" board (a round wooden panel with a small metallic rolling ball centered underneath). Electrodes hooked up to their abdomens and backs measured the activity of specific muscles during the exercises. The participants’ muscle activity was two to four times greater on both the ball and the wobblie board than on stable surfaces.

You've probably noticed that the balls come in different sizes. The correct size for you is determined by your height: The taller you are, the larger the ball you’ll need. For example, someone between 5 feet 1 inch and 5 feet 6 inches would use a ball that's 22 inches wide, whereas a strapping 6-footer would need one closer to 26 inches.

Gyms usually list the range of heights that correspond to each size, which may vary, depending on the manufacturer. You can also ask a personal trainer on staff to help you find the right size. If you're using a ball at home, the label should specify which size corresponds to your height.

For those who are skeptical about whether an exercise ball will give you a decent workout, consider this: Exercise equipment usually focuses on biceps or other individual muscles. Exercise balls work many muscles at one time. "In everyday life, when do you use one muscle at a time?" Lee asks. "The answer is, you don't."

-- Laurie Udesky is a frequent contributor to Consumer Health Interactive.

Further Resources

American Osteopathic Academy of Sports Medicine

http://www.aoasm.org

American College of Sports Medicine

http://www.acsm.org

References

First published December 16, 2003
Last updated November 15, 2007
Copyright © 2003 Consumer Health Interactive

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