Bosu, medicine balls and fitballs, that is ... You’ve seen them at the gym, spied them at the physio and they may even be masquerading as desk chairs in your office. But do you know what to do with these bouncing beauties?
Your abs have done the rounds. Crunches, pilates, planks, you name it, you’ve tried it. But you’re still waiting for that whittled waist of your dreams. What next?
The fitball
The fitball (sometimes called the Swiss ball) could be the answer. By exercising on a fitball, as opposed to a flat, hard surface, your body has to respond to the instability of the ball. It does so by activating the deep stabilising muscles around the mid-section. Over time, these muscles become stronger to keep you balanced. They also support your spine better, leading to less risk of injury. And the increased muscle tone improves your shape – no more saggy belly!
Researchers from Dalhousie University in Canada analysed an array of abdominal exercises, ranging from crunches to ab roller curl-ups. Studying electrical activity, they found that curl-ups on the fitball resulted in greater muscle engagement than all the other abs exercises and significantly greater effort than curl-ups on the floor.
However, to make the most of your inflatable buddy, you’ll need to do more than simple crunches. So we’ve put together a core workout with a fitball – tackle it this week and reap the rewards.
Medicine balls
Older than Buddha – we kid you not – the medicine ball has been helping people stay fit for nearly 3,000 years. Of course, we’re not suggesting you do as the ancient Persian wrestlers did and take a sand-filled bladder to your local gym. But the modern version, similar to a weighted basketball, can really propel your workout.
Medicine balls are around 30cm-40cm in diameter and vary in weight from 1kg up to 10kg. They are important in strength training, especially for sport-specific power.
The balls can be adapted to a huge range of movements. This manoeuvrability allows trainers to mirror movement patterns in sport. For example, if you’re a tennis fan, throwing the ball with a torso twist would parallel the backhand and forehand stroke.
In general exercise, lifting the ball or using it in exercises such as sit ups or leg raises can increase the stress on a particular muscle, forcing it to work harder and giving you quicker results.
Pick up a ball in the gym and you might not know where to start. That’s why we’ve put together the perfect beginners workout using the medicine ball – give it a try this week.
Bosu balls
It looks like a flying saucer and the bosu could shoot your workout into the stars. Developed in 1999, the bosu consists of a blue rubber hemisphere attached to a rigid platform. The name refers to the equipment’s ability to be used both sides up (bo-s-u) and it’s a boon for balance training.
You wouldn’t construct a whole workout around this relatively new fitness tool, but integrating it into some of your current moves could make your muscles work harder to steady your deep stabilising muscles, the ones that can be difficult to engage. The result? A stronger spine, better balance ... and that whittled waist you’ve always wanted. The bosu pointer exercise is a fantastic place to start.