subject: How This Simple Ball Can Rejuvenate Your Workouts [print this page] If you are anything like me, then you have probably been working with the same type of workout now for quite awhile. Sure you may have changed up an exercise here and there but it is still typically the same old routine. Why not change it up even more by adding in a medicine ball? I would guess that there are a number of individuals that know what a medicine ball is and how it is used, but I would also guess that there are a few that don't. This article will show how this simple, unique ball can be a very important contributor to your exercising to lose weight workout or even if you are just trying to stay in your current shape. Lets discuss what these uses are and some of their uses in your fitness routines.
A What Ball?
Let's give a bit of a description of what these balls consist of for those of you that have not had any experience with them. A medicine ball (or sometimes called an exercise ball) is a weighted ball that comes in different diameters, but is usually about the width of your shoulders. The one big difference with these types of balls compared to regular non-exercise balls are that they are not built to bounce. Coverings vary from cloth (nylon) to leather to even vinyl and their fillings can also be gel, sand or even lead shot. The outer covering is usually rough and dimpled (think basketball) to allow the user to maintain a firm grip on the ball during exercise. So as previously mentioned, these balls come in different weights. As you become more accustomed to using them in your workout, you will want to keep increasing their weights so that you get the maximum workout possible. Think of the weights as you would a barbell or dumbbell, as your body adjusts to one weight you want to up the weight to move past your bodies plateau.
So a common question asked is why should I go and get a set of medicine balls when I already have other workout equipment? The biggest reason comes from those folks that want a stronger core or better abs. Medicine balls are perfectly designed for these types of routines. Your core and all the muscles associated with it are absolutely key to keeping you injury free. The muscles in this area help provide a smooth translation of movement from you lower body up to your upper body and back down. Strong muscles in this area will help reduce your chances that an injury may occur in one of your other activities. Bike riding for longer distances and boxing are two activities that require a strong core.
Medicine Ball Exercises
Before commencing any workouts with a medicine ball (or any other piece of exercise equipment for that matter), you need to do some initial warm-ups to get your muscles ready for moving these weights around. A poor warm-up can lead to an increased risk of muscle injury. One neat feature of the medicine ball is that you can add them into practically any workout that you do. Let's modify a normal sit-up by adding in a medicine ball. For some people a sit-up is going to be hard enough to do on its own, but to increase that difficulty, let's now grasp the ball and hold it tight to our chests during the exercise. This adds quite a bit more weight that your abdominals now have to deal with. That increases the difficulty as well as the results immensely. Try doing these modifications every other workout as these are the best ways to lose weight by exercising.
So let's look at other types of exercises that could involve the medicine ball. These workouts are going to require another person to help you out. Your partner would throw you the medicine ball and you would catch it with your stomach muscles mostly while stabilizing the ball with your hands. This is a double benefit exercise. When you are tossing the ball you will need to use your core muscles, but when catching it your abdominals are the muscles at work. You can also use the medicine ball to help you perform some deeper stretching. Stretch as you normally would, but grasp onto the ball so that weight helps you get deeper into the move. The extra weight will help you stretch more fully and you will also be working on your stabilizer muscles as well.
So as you can see, a medicine ball can be used in quite a few different ways. These few examples were for illustration purposes only. There are many more types of exercise that could also be used. You will notice that the more you use a medicine ball, the stronger and firmer your core set of muscles become. If you are one of those individuals that is exercising to lose weight, then working out with a medicine ball followed up with a proper diet is the ultimate combination. Want to get the results that you have been dreaming of; use the medicine ball.
