Beneficial Yoga Ball Exercises

Category: Yoga |

In recent years the yoga ball has become an extremely popular aid to a variety of workout styles. It is particularly useful for building balance and core strength: both requirements of yoga. If you are interested in finding out about how yoga ball exercises could improve your performance, then read on.

Firstly, make sure you have purchased your yoga ball from a reputable dealer, so you can be assured of its quality. This way you will also be able to get information about how much to inflate the ball. There are different exercises with yoga ball designed to target different areas of the body. Don’t continue with anything that feels painful or is making you feel exhausted (you should always consult your doctor before starting a new exercise program anyway).

A good choice of yoga ball ab exercises is stomach crunches. Sit on the ball with your feet flat on the ground and knees slightly apart. With your hands behind your ears, and elbows pushed out, lie back slowly until your shoulder blades touch the ball. Raise your head and shoulders slowly until your shoulder blades are off the ball, and then gently lie back again. If this is too much of a balancing act, lie on the floor with your feet on top of the ball, then raise and lower your upper body in the same way.

One of the best yoga ball exercises for strengthening your back is the ball bridge. Here you crouch down with the ball behind your shoulder blades and your feet on the floor. Your buttocks should not touch the ground, and arms should be across your chest so that the right hand touches the left shoulder and the left hand touches the right shoulder. Extend your back up and over the ball so that your spine is parallel to the floor, and you are using your back muscles to hold your balance. Go back to crouching after a few seconds and repeat.

For toning thighs and calf muscles, lay on your back with the ball underneath your calves and resting against the back of your thighs. Gently squeeze the ball between your calves and thighs, and hold the pose for a few seconds before releasing. Repeat this several times.

There are many different yoga ball exercises you can perform, and most can be adapted to suit different physical needs. The ones described here target the areas we most often hear people wishing to improve. As always, make sure you consult your doctor and a qualified instructor before you start any new exercise. Good luck, this is a fun and effective way to keep fit!