A set of exercises for losing weight with a fitness ball. A set of exercises on a gymnastic ball for the back and spine

Hello, our dear lovers of a healthy lifestyle. In today's article we will tell you about such an amazing sports equipment as the Swiss ball. People often call it fitness ball or fitball, and so as not to confuse you, we will also call it that.

A fitness ball is a universal sports trainer, and it proved this when in 2008, at one of the world sports exhibitions, the fitball was named the most useful invention in the entire history of the fitness industry. And the results achieved by those training with fitball confirm this high-profile title. Just imagine, doing just one exercise on a fitness ball, almost all your muscles work, plus your coordination and flexibility develop, and your posture will become ideal after a couple of months of training.

In general, if you delve into history, fitball has been used in aerobics since the 1950s, but it was used mainly by doctors and physiotherapists. They actively used ball exercises in the treatment of patients with paralysis. Then, in the 1970s, physiotherapists from the USA became interested in fitball. They borrowed it from their Swiss colleagues and began to use it in the treatment of their patients. It was American doctors who gave impetus to the popularization of exercises with fitballs. And already in the 90s, the Swiss ball was firmly entrenched in the fitness industry.

Below we will tell and show you the most popular set of exercises on fitball that will allow you to lose weight and become slimmer, and we will also tell you which fitball to choose if you buy it in a store.

Exercises with a fitness ball

Well, let's now look at why we have gathered here. Namely, let's look at the most popular exercises with a fitball that will help you lose weight, strengthen your posture, make your abdominal muscles more prominent and simply lift your mood.

The set of exercises on a fitball presented below consists of the most effective movements. We have collected them specifically in one place so that you no longer need to surf the Internet on dubious sites that contain very strange exercises. Well, enough words, let's see what exercises with a fitness ball will help you lose weight.

Be sure to warm up before your workout. Jump rope, dance, or just do regular circular movements with your arms and legs.

Pelvic lifts

The first exercise works the core muscles, that is, it makes your abdominal and lower back muscles stronger. The muscles of the buttocks and legs are also involved here. Place the ball, lie on your back in front of it, and put your feet on the fitball. In the starting position, the feet should not touch the gymnastic ball (A). Now lift your pelvis up, rolling the ball towards you with your feet. Having reached the highest point, stay there for a couple of seconds (B) and return to the starting position.


At first, help yourself keep your balance by resting your hands on the floor. Perform 10 of these lifts.

Side bends

Lie on your back again, place the fitball between your legs and lift your legs up with it, rest your hands on the floor (A). Now tilt your legs to the left without lifting your shoulders off the floor (B), then tilt to the right and return to the starting position (A). You've done one repetition.


Do 12 more reps and move on to the next exercise.

Crunches with a fitball

Continue lying on the floor. Hold the gymnastic ball between your legs, as shown in figure (A), with your hands behind your head. Do crunches by lifting your legs and pelvis up (B). While doing this, pull in and tighten your stomach. This is a great abdominal exercise on a fitball.


Complete 12 repetitions and move on.

Reverse push-ups

Place your hands on the exercise ball as shown in (A). Be careful not to put your hands on the very edge so that your hands don't slip off the ball and you get injured. Push up (B) slowly. This exercise works your triceps well.


Do 12 reps.

Push ups

Take a lying position, place your feet on a fitball (A). Push up slowly (B). As you progress, you can make the exercise more difficult by placing your feet closer to the edge of the exercise ball. This is a great exercise with a fitball for weight loss.


Do 10 push-ups.

Leg raises

Take the starting position as in the previous exercise, only you should place your feet as close to the edge of the ball as possible (A). Now lift your left leg as high as possible (B). Then return to the starting position (A). This movement works great on the buttocks.


Do 15 lifts on each leg and move on to the last exercise.

Crunches on a fitness ball

Lie down on the exercise ball with your arms crossed over your chest (A). Now rise up, continuing to keep your hands on your chest (B). When rising, you should roll back slightly on the ball, this will allow you to avoid falling off the ball.


Do 10 repetitions.

Perform all the exercises one after another, in the order in which we have written them. The entire training takes place in the " circuit training" That is, do the exercises one after another, with the number of repetitions indicated. After completing all the exercises, you will do 1 circle. Now rest 3 – 4 minutes and start a new circle. Between exercises, try rest as little as possible. Ideally, don't rest at all.

Exercises with fitball on video

Which fitball to choose?

Let's figure out how to choose the right fitness ball. What should you pay attention to first?

Of course, you won’t notice a huge difference when doing exercises on an expensive or cheap fitball, but still, we would like to teach you how to choose a quality ball. After all, you see, quality things always please our eyes. So, the first thing you should pay attention to when choosing a Swiss ball is the abbreviation ABS. This is an indicator of the quality of the ball, ABS from English means " anti-explosion system", that is, if you accidentally puncture your fitball, it will not explode, but will slowly descend. This will allow you to avoid injury if you fall if the ball explodes during practice. Cheap balls, as a rule, are made from low quality materials and cannot boast of such a system.

The next thing we pay attention to is the diameter of our ball. There are six types of balls of different diameters: 45, 55, 65, 75, 85 and 95 centimeters. To choose among them a ball of exactly the diameter you need, you just need to know your own height. For example, if your height is 163 centimeters, then you need a fitball with a diameter of 65 centimeters. That is, when choosing a ball, you must subtract the number 100 from your height and then you will find out what diameter suits you.

Well, the last point that we pay attention to when choosing a fitness ball is its color. Choose a ball of a color you like, otherwise, if you don't like the color of the ball, it may negatively affect your mood.

0 3504 1 year ago

Fitball or gymnastic ball has long occupied a special place in fitness training. It is easy to use, and exercises with a gymnastic ball effectively affect all muscle groups. Pregnant women, people who want to correct their figure, and simply sports fans can use fitball in their training. After all, the methods of its use and the set of exercises directly depend on the purpose of the training.

Benefits of training

The advantages of training with a gymnastic ball are as follows:

In addition, exercises on a gymnastic ball will diversify your workouts, improve your mood, and relieve stress. Only this projectile contributes to the harmonious functioning of the vestibular, motor, tactile and visual apparatus.

Exercises on a gymnastic ball for weight loss

As a complex aimed at reducing body weight, circular training is perfect. The elements here are constructed in such a way that they allow you to work out all muscle groups in one circle, aimed at getting rid of excess calories. The effect of the training also lies in the fact that there is no rest between elements.

So, to lose weight, you can perform a number of the following exercises:

• Lifting the pelvis. Lie on your back and place your feet on the ball. Raising your pelvis, slowly roll the ball towards you. At the maximum point we linger for several seconds. We do ten repetitions. The buttocks, legs, lower back and abs work here.
• Tilts. Holding the ball between your legs, we lie down on our back. We raise our legs together with a fitball. Alternately tilt your legs in different directions. The upper body should remain on the floor. Twelve repetitions will be enough. The same muscle groups are involved as in the first element.
• Lying crunches. We throw our legs back onto the ball and squeeze it with them. We place our hands under our heads. Holding the fitball, pull your knees towards your stomach. By the end of the twelfth repetition, your abs should literally be on fire.
• Push ups. We do regular push-ups from the floor, placing our feet on the ball. Ten repetitions will work your arms perfectly.

• Seated push-ups. We continue the load on the arms - the triceps are connected. We squat on the edge of the fitball, leaning our hands on it from behind. We begin slow squats. You will also need 10-12 repetitions.

Tip #1! To prevent the ball from rolling away, you can lean it against the wall.

• Leg raises. Let's move on to the buttocks and legs. We lie down facing the floor, place our palms on the floor, and place our ankles on the ball. We begin to slowly lift our legs one by one. Fifteen repetitions should be given to each limb.
• Twisting lying on your back on a ball. We lie down on the ball, crossing our arms over our chest. We begin slow rises to a sitting position. In ten repetitions you will have time to work your abs and lower back.

Tip #2! To maintain balance, you can roll back slightly when lifting.

It is advisable to do three such circles, resting as little as possible between them. This set of exercises on a gymnastic ball will strengthen all the muscles necessary to maintain an impeccable skeletal shape.

Technique for performing elements for the back

Exercises with a gymnastic ball for the spine are aimed at aligning the spinal column, increasing its flexibility, strengthening the spinal muscles and preventing curvature. The complex will not only relieve tension and strengthen muscles, but also increase joint mobility.

You can do a number of the following exercises:

• Movable hip joints. We sit down on the ball with a straight back. We roll on the fitball in different directions and back and forth, describe circles with our hips in different directions and begin to gently jump on the ball. Everything about everything - five minutes.
• Stabilization. We remain sitting on the ball with our arms spread to the sides. We raise our left leg and begin to jump on the ball and roll on it in different directions. The right leg will act as a stabilizer. We change the leg.
• Spinal extensors. Lie on your stomach on the ball, stretching your arms at chest level. We rest our straight legs against the wall. As you inhale, lifting your chest, we open up. At the same time, we squeeze our shoulder blades and spread our arms back. As you exhale, lower your arms in front of you. The legs remain straight throughout the exercise. Ten repetitions will be enough.
• Alignment. We squat down, placing our hands on the ball. Exhaling, we roll the ball away from ourselves. At the same time, the spine is extended along with the ball as much as possible. Inhaling, we return to the starting position. Also ten times.
• Side hood. We sit on the fitball. Leaning to the left, we extend our outstretched right arm above our head. We do the same in the other direction. Here it is important to stretch the side muscles as much as possible. You will need ten repetitions for each side.

The training will not only restore the mobility of the back muscles, but also relieve pain. At the same time, in the early stages of back diseases, using a fitball can prevent their further development.

Abdominal exercise technique

Simple and effective, they keep muscles toned and make it possible to make your figure beautiful and sculpted. The set of elements on a fitball can be as follows:

• Rifles. We take a position as for push-ups: we rest our hands with our palms on the floor, we place our ankles on the ball. Carefully walking with our hands, we move backwards on the ball so that it is under the stomach. Legs should always be kept straight and not lowered to the floor. Stepping forward with your hands, we return to the starting position. Repeat until slightly tired.
• Crunches while sitting on a ball. We sit on the ball with a straight back. We take small steps with our feet forward so as to lie on the fitball with our shoulder blades. We hold our hands behind our heads. Twenty repetitions are enough.
• Twisting while turning. This is where the oblique muscles work. We lie on the ball with our shoulder blades, bending our knees. Arms spread wide apart, feet flat on the floor. We make turns of the entire body, first in one direction, then in the other direction. We connect our hands while turning. We make fifteen turns in each direction.
• Crunches with legs raised. We lie on our backs and put our legs on the fitball. Placing your hands behind your head, we begin to pump up your abs. We do half of the training with bent legs, the other half with straight legs, as different abdominal muscles work.
• Hyperextension. We train the lumbar region. We lie down on the ball with our stomachs, clasping our hands behind our heads. We stretch the body into a line, resting our toes on the floor. We tilt the body forward downwards, and then back up as much as possible. We return to the starting position in one line. We do three approaches ten times.

Fitball is an excellent tool for pumping up the abs. The main thing is to be systematic, and the result will not take long to arrive. Another good thing about a gym ball is that while working on the abdominal muscles, we also involve the buttocks, hips, back and legs in the training.

Contraindications to working on a fitball

A gymnastic ball is a universal equipment that has virtually no disadvantages in use or contraindications. With caution and with prior consultation with a specialist, classes should be carried out:

• in the first trimester of pregnancy;
• for diseases of the cardiovascular system;
• with herniated intervertebral discs;
• with curvature of the spine.

For everyone else, classes are not only shown, but also useful.

How to choose the right fitball: some practical tips

There are several parameters that you need to pay attention to when choosing a gymnastic ball:

• Seams. They should not be obvious, otherwise during training they may rub the skin and, accordingly, reduce the effect of the training.
• Material. To avoid allergic reactions, the product must contain antistatic agents.
• Size. As a rule, balls come in 55 cm, 65 cm and 75 cm. You need to select the size based on the height of the player. The first are suitable for heights of 149-164 cm, the second – 164-171 cm, the third – above 180 centimeters.

Tip #3! When choosing a ball, sit on top of it. Hips and knees should form a right angle with the floor surface.

• Anti-break function. When purchasing, pay attention to the abbreviations: ABS, BRQ and “anti-rupture system”. This indicates that the ball will not suddenly break.
• Weight. Pay attention to the maximum possible weight that the gymnastic ball can support. This is relevant for overweight people and athletes who want to exercise on a fitball with heavy weights.
• Pump. The presence of a pump in the kit greatly simplifies the procedure for using the ball. Otherwise, you will have to start looking for him, because... You need to inflate the ball yourself. When inflating, make sure that the air is distributed evenly.

Conclusion

Exercises on a gymnastic ball can replace any workout. By correctly compiling a set of elements, you can pump up the necessary muscle groups, lose weight or recover from injuries. Fitball is a universal exercise machine that is suitable for any person. And you can practice it at home and at any time. The ball can also be easily taken with you - just deflate it and put it in the box.

Exercises with a spinal ball will help you safely strengthen your back at any age. A ball – or fitball – is an ideal tool for physical exercise both at home and in the gym.

Back strengthening tactics

Before we talk about how to exercise on a fitball, what exercises there are for this, and how to do them, let’s look at one point.

Strengthening your back consists of two components: working with the abs and working with the back muscles.

The vertical position of the body is maintained due to the balanced tension of the abdominal and back muscles. If one side is stronger than the other, there will certainly be poor posture, chronic stoop, and headaches.

To prevent all this from happening, your back needs to be trained in parallel with your abs. Both can be strengthened with a fitness ball.

How to choose the right fitball

There is an opinion that the ball must be a certain size and must correspond to your height. On the one hand, this is important for pregnant women, so that the most comfortable conditions are created for them. On the other hand, for a person outside this position, this is not so important. Naturally, if the ball is very small, you will not be able to keep your balance on it.

Therefore, among the assortment of balls with diameters from 45 to 90 cm, you need to choose your individual ball. Experts advise choosing the size this way: sit on the ball, bend your knees. If the angle at the knee is about 90 degrees, this is definitely your ball.

Once you have decided on the size, check the elasticity of the fitness ball. A ball that is too elastic will not allow you to maintain balance on it during the exercise. At the same time, a deflated fitball will not provide the necessary support for your body.

We conclude: pump up the fitness ball so that it bends a little under you.

For whom will fitball be useful?

First of all, a fitness ball is necessary for people experiencing pain in the spine. They will be very useful for hernia and osteochondrosis.

For athletes, this is a good way to relieve stress on the back after a hard workout. For older people, this is an opportunity to safely strengthen the muscles of the lower back, back and abdominal muscles both at home and in the gym.

For people with disabilities who have difficulty moving, this is a chance to exercise.

Back exercises

Let us remind you that in parallel with your back, you need to train your abs on a fitball. The fitball is ideal for strengthening the lateral abdominals, which is very convenient for many categories of exercisers.

Hyperextension

If you have a herniated spine, you need to train your back very carefully. Of course, the back muscles need to be strengthened. It is necessary! But right away, for example, or, is not possible. Regular hyperextension may also be too “rough” an exercise.

Fitball helps a lot in this case. When you exercise on it, you get a bit of shock absorption. This makes the job easier. In addition, you lie comfortably on a soft surface.

To do this exercise, you need to lie on a fitness ball with your stomach down. The fulcrum should be on the hips and lower abdomen.

Don't be afraid to lay down on the ball. It is strong enough not to burst. Moreover, it cannot burst unless it is pumped to the limit. The material is too strong and the ball is designed specifically to withstand heavy weights.

So, here we go:

1. Lay down on the ball as we wrote earlier, with your toes resting on the floor. The legs are straight and next to each other.
2. Hands behind your head, look straight ahead and up.
3. Bend your lower back so that your pelvis moves up. Maintain this bend throughout the exercise.
4. Tilt your body down to its maximum possible position. If you notice that your lower back begins to round at a certain point, then you should not reach a greater angle now. There just wasn't enough stretching, it happens.
5. Do 10–15 of these bends and rest.

Everything needs to be done smoothly, slowly. Don't be afraid that you will fall. You have plenty of counterbalance in the form of your legs, and the fitness ball makes it even more secure.

Fitball boat

Not everyone can do the “boat” element on a mat, let alone a fitness ball. This is already aerobatics.

The exercise is performed in the same way as the classic version on the floor. Only your stomach rests on the unstable ball.

The difficulty of the exercise is that you need to maintain balance when your feet leave the floor. At this point, your body will rest solely on the ball, which can roll. We do not recommend this exercise for older people. We also do not recommend it for people undergoing rehabilitation after spinal injuries.

Pushing your legs back on a fitball

You need to lie on your stomach on a fitness ball, rest your hands on the floor:

1. When you have taken the starting position, lift your straight right leg as high as possible. At the same time, you will feel tension in the buttock and lower back. We will be interested in the lower back, since this is the most vulnerable place in case of spinal hernia.
2. Hold your leg in this position for several seconds.
3. Lower it, then lift the other leg.
4. For both legs you need to do 10-15 lifts.

After any exercise, roll over onto your back and lie on the ball, arching your back and relaxing it. Using the efforts of your legs, roll back and forth, left and right, massage your lower back and part of your back. This will give you a little back massage and cool down after your workout.

Back massage with fitball

It is especially useful to do this on a fitness ball if you have a herniated spine. Let's take a closer look at what we started talking about in the previous section:

1. Sit on an exercise ball with your feet at shoulder level.
2. Lower your back onto the fitball, throw your arms back behind your head.
3. Bend over and let the ball completely form the curve of your back.
4. Now you need to ride back and forth - 10 times, right and left - also 10 times.
5. After everything, just lie down in a relaxed state.

That's it, the exercise is over.

Fitball exercises for children

If your child has poor posture, you can buy him a small fitball and start practicing. We are talking about children aged 10 years and older. Children from younger age groups may have difficulties, since for them the ball will become just a toy that can be rolled around the house.

Provide your child with insurance; if necessary, hold him by the legs. Usually children calmly play on the ball and do everything themselves without the help of their parents. It will be useful and safe for the child.

Of the exercises, it is best to perform hyperextension - this will be the most interesting for children.

Insurance and safety issues

The ball is a round thing, it rolls on the floor. Accordingly, you can fall from it. For some, this fall will be just a funny event, but for others it will be a reason to go to the doctor.

Therefore, for elderly people and those who are not confident in themselves, it is better to use insurance. Anyone can insure. Just ask him to lightly hold your feet, for example.

The fitball relieves stress from your back. This is a huge plus of working on your back with a hernia. Since the load is removed, the pain syndrome is also relieved.

With a hernia, even hyperextension can lead to pain of varying degrees. On a fitball this is not felt so acutely.

This complex includes:
exercises for spine flexibility
Spinal alignment exercises
exercises to strengthen the muscles of the spine
exercises for spinal curvature (initial stage)
Exercises with a fitball allow you to relieve your back, strengthen your muscles, and develop joint mobility. When used instead of a chair or armchair, it helps maintain proper posture. While not stable, the ball forces you to constantly maintain balance, thus forcing the body to “work.” Thus, almost effortlessly, the abdominal muscles, muscles of the lower back, pelvis and inner thighs are worked out. One of the advantages of a gymnastic ball is that it is suitable for absolutely everyone. To complicate or simplify the exercise, simply vary your body position, increase your support on the ball or on the floor.
The gymnastic ball is successfully used for:
physiotherapy
rehabilitation after injuries
relieving stress from the spine and lower back during pregnancy
strengthening the stabilizing muscles of the spine
prevention, as well as treatment of various pathologies of the spine

Exercises with a ball for the spine:

1. We develop mobility of the hip joint area

Turn on reggae music, sit on a fitball, keep your back straight. To the rhythm of the music, roll back and forth, left and right, make circles with your hips in both directions, then gently jump with a small amplitude. Do the exercise for a few minutes.

2. Stabilization

While sitting on the ball, spread your arms horizontally to your sides. Raise one leg. Helping with your remaining foot on the floor, jump up/down a little, and then roll from side to side, back and forth, in a circle. Switch legs and repeat the exercise. Do 10 approaches.

3. Lateral traction

Sit on an exercise ball with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Bend from side to side, extending the opposite arm above your head. Try to stretch your side as much as possible, direct your gaze from under your shoulder upward.

4. Alignment

Sitting on your heels, your hands rest on the ball. Exhale - roll the ball away from you, stretching your whole body, straightening your spine as much as possible. Inhale - take the starting position. Repeat several times.

5. Strengthen the extensors of the spine, abdominal muscles and hips

Lying on the ball with your stomach, straight legs rest against the wall, folded arms extended in front of the chest. Inhale - lift the upper body up, opening the chest as much as possible and spreading the arms out to the sides back, trying to bring the shoulder blades closer to each other. Turn your palms forward, thumbs pointing upward. Exhale - slowly lower yourself, fold your arms in front of your chest, do not bend your legs. Repeat 10 times, gradually increasing the load as you can.

6. Strengthen the lower back muscles

Starting position: lying with your back on the mat, straight legs on a fitball, arms along the body. Raise your pelvis so that your body is extended in one straight line. Stay in this position, lower your pelvis. Repeat 20 times.

7. Coups

Lie on your stomach on the ball. Roll over your side to a supine position and then back again. Repeat on both sides several times.

8. Crunches

Starting position: with your back on a fitball, legs bent at the knees, arms clasped and extended above your head. As you stretch behind the crown of your head, carefully perform twists, first in one direction, then in the other direction.

9. Lower back

Lie on your back on the mat, support yourself on your arms, bent at the elbows, with a fitball between your legs. Sliding your left foot over the ball, move it to the right and then to the left. Try to engage only your lower torso without bending your shoulders.

10. Stretching the back muscles

Sit on the ball, round your back, hugging yourself under your knees. Stretch your shoulder blades upward, then relax the muscles of your neck, shoulders and back. Exhale - gently tilt your body towards your legs, do not strain. Stay in this position for at least 30 seconds. Repeat the exercise several times, bending lower each time.

11. General relaxation

Lie with your back on the fitball, legs straight, slightly apart, feet pressed to the floor, arms extended behind your head. Breathe calmly and deeply. You should feel a gentle stretch with each breath.

When performing exercises for the spine at home, it is recommended to maintain a moderate, comfortable pace of exercise. Beginners do not need to train too intensely; the load should be increased gradually. In all exercises, watch your breathing, keep it deep and even. Vary the number of repetitions depending on your feelings.
If you have any pathologies, before performing the complex, you must consult with your doctor and draw up your own training program.

Fitball is a unique exercise machine. In order to simply sit on it, you need to literally strain every muscle group. By exercising on it, you train your whole body, strengthen your back and hip muscles, and pump up your abs.

Regular exercise will help you relieve neck pain and burn fat deposits on your back and stomach.

Exercises on a fitball for the back and spine help improve body flexibility, develop the vestibular system, relieve stress from the spine, strengthen the muscle corset, and improve posture.

• If this is your first time using a fitball, don’t try to master the whole set of workouts at once. First get to know the ball - sit comfortably and jump. By doing this simple exercise, you will learn to maintain balance.
• Ball needed choose according to your height– then exercising on it will be comfortable and healthy.
• You can’t hold your breath - breathe freely!
• If you have problems with your spine, consult your instructor physical therapy and find out which ball exercises for the back will be useful for you, how to perform them and at what pace. Ask yourself how many exercises you need to do to achieve optimal results.
• Before training, you need to warm up or exercise - for example, intense jogging in place. This will prepare the muscles and ligaments and speed up the metabolism.