Balancing Act!
Training With a Swiss Ball
Photography by Keith Munyan
Presenting the Swiss ball workout. It turns easy exercises into much more challenging maneuvers, forcing you to do them while balancing on the ball in some way. This brings many more muscles into play, forcing you to not only concentrate on balance, but maintain strict form once properly aligned.
Performing resistance exercises with a ball is a much more effective way to train for sports, since in any kind of competition you are in motion and often off-balance. While weight machines isolate certain muscles and strengthen them, those muscles are never actually used in such a confining manner, whether playing a sport or in just daily life.
OVERALL BALANCE
Ball Balancing
Kneel on the ball on all fours to begin, holding for a minute. Once you’ve mastered that, extend arms out to sides for a minute. Once you’ve mastered that, do it with your eyes closed.
CHEST & ARMS
Push-Ups
Place your hands on top of the ball with arms bent at 90-degree angles, the legs out behind you and extending up on toes. Proceed to push up to arms’ length. Pause, then return to starting position. Perform 8 repetitions.
HIPS & GLUTES
Hip Raises
Lie on your back with legs straight, feet on the ball and arms out to sides. Keeping the upper and lower bodies aligned, proceed to roll the ball toward you with the feet, bending the knees and raising your hips. When legs are bent at 90-degree angles, pause, then return to starting position. Perform 8 repetitions.
HIPS & ABS
Single-Leg Raises
Lie with your upper back and head on the ball, arms out to sides, the left leg bent and the right leg straight. Proceed to raise the right leg up and hold for 15 seconds. Pause, then return to starting position. Do 8 repetitions, then change leg positions for another set with the left leg rising.
OBLIQUES
Side Bends
Lie with your right side on the ball, left leg over right and hands by the sides of the head, elbows out. Proceed to bend upward as high as possible. Pause, then return to starting position. Perform 8 repetitions, then lie on your left side for another set bending up the other way.
ABDOMINALS
Crunches
Lie with your back on the ball, with legs bent, feet flat and hands by head. Proceed to raise the head and shoulders up a few inches. Pause, then return to starting position. Perform 8 repetitions.
THIGHS
Back Squats
Stand with the ball between your back and a wall. Proceed to slowly squat down until thighs are almost parallel to the ground. Pause, then return to starting position. Perform 8 repetitions.