Core Strengthening using and Exercise Ball
The use of a stability or exercise ball is an excellent way of improving core muscle strength. See slide show at end of page.
Benefits
- Focus on building deep inner strength in core muscles
- Technique is easy to master once correctly instructed
- Adds variety to what could otherwise be a boring exercise programme
- Can be used for any age group
- Teens and kids love it
- Can be used in pregnancy
- Once you have a ball it is a visible reminder to do your exercises
- Ball can be used as a posture tool
- It’s versatile – Allows a very intense or easy routine be developed
- It’s fun
Dangers
If correctly taught, the exercise or stability ball is a very safe form of exercise. Unfortunately many people just jump right in –
- they just buy a ball and follow the instructions on the leaflet,
- use a friend’s ball and just do what they do
- go to an exercise class and join in without having firstly been given very strict instructions on how to recruit their inner core muscles correctly before moving on to using the ball
- Do exercises which are way beyond their capabilities
Incorrect technique can be harmful
- Can cause possible back damage
- Can cause possible neck injury
Recommendations
In Kilkenny Physiotherapy & Sports Injury clinic we teach the use of an exercise ball in a very controlled manner.
We use three basic exercise progression principles over and above the principles applied in our Pilates teaching click here for more information on our Pilates.
These Basics are:
- Maintain the body and ball in alignment and stationary
- Maintain the body and ball in alignment while moving the body only
- Maintain the ball in alignment while moving the ball only
Using these principles we direct you through a series of structured exercises which will give your core muscles a thorough workout and enable you to progress the exercise routine so that it remains challenging but achievable without putting your body at risk.
We recommend that you always have core exercises and stability ball exercises taught by a chartered physiotherapist with experience in that field.
