Do you use an exercise ball and/or a bosu?

[zoebartlett]

If you use an exercise ball (physio ball, stability ball, Swiss ball...), what exercises do you do on it? How about a bosu?

My trainer has me doing a few different things on the physio ball:

1. squats
2. crunches
3. bridge (laying on the floor, feet and lower legs propped up on the ball and then raising yourself off the floor, using the ball to stabilize you)
4. marches (laying on the ball, rolling yourself out until your head and shoulders are propped up. Keep legs at approx. 90 degrees, feet spread apart. Lowly raise one foot and then bring it down back to the floor. Repeat with the other foot. It''s harder than it seems.)
5. "physio ball fly" -- laying on the ball as if you were going to do the above mentioned marches. Using free weights, raise your arms above your chest and bring them down to the side, until you can feel your shoulders touch the ball. Bring your arms up, in a wide motion, back to your chest)
6. Sitting on the ball while using a few of the machines (cable pull downs, etc.)


On the bosu, I stand on it (with the rounded part facing up) to lift free weights. I also do marches on it. That''s about it right now. I might ask my trainer what else I should try.

How about you?

 

[Skippy123]

Hi Zoe, I have an exercise ball and love it. I use to do a bosu class when the bosu came out about 4 yrs ago; I don't anymore because my knees are not how they use to be.

The exercise ball I sometimes use instead of a bench to strengthen the core. I love it to work the behind. Lie on the ground and put your heals on top of it and roll the ball out and in while you lift your pelvis if that makes sense. Or for the lower back I put my heals against the wall and place my tummy on the ball and lift up with my back while squeezing your behind. Also use it as a bench press while holding everything tight.
The bosu you can use it for lunges, sit ups. You can do squats, and turn 45 degrees while jumping and stick it going the one direction and then reversing. Gosh, typing this out doesn't sound the same as showing someone. I bet if you googled bosu exercise they show demos. Do they have classes at your gym? I would sign up for a class, they are fun!

 

[emeraldlover1]

I love my bosu classes. Some are harder than others but I really like it because it keeps me interested and my body isn''t doing the same thing all the time. I ditto what skippy said there are so many exercizes that it is hard to explain typing them out.

 

[zoebartlett]

Thanks Skippy and EM1! My gym has a ton of classes, so I would imagine that there would be a bosu class. I''ll have to check it out. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[Elmorton]

I''m obsessed with the bosu! When I had a trainer before my wedding, I was on the bosu when I did all of my exercises with hand weights so I''d work my arms and core at the same time. Love it - I cheered aloud the first time I saw one out at my new gym.

Also - sometimes while I had my sessions with the trainer, there would be a guy who did TONS of yoga who would stand on the bosu (ball-side down) and then do all sorts of cool one-legged yoga positions. It was crazy to watch - I''d ask my trainer if we could wait for next week to try one of those moves, haha.

 

[dianne]

I recently had to have an injection into my spine for a herniated disk...and it has worked really well, but, per doctor advice, I want to do core strengthening exercises. Went to dtr today and he suggested a physio ball. I will have 1-2 physical therapy classes to find out what exercises to do and make sure I have the proper form. My big questions is...I''m a big girl...those physio balls have a weight limit?

 

[Elmorton]

Dianne, at my heaviest I was 225 and was fine on the ball. There are few exercises where you have all your weight on it, and it''s super sturdy - while I''ve heard they can pop, that''s typically due to the ball being worn out, not the weight of the user. I wouldn''t stress - if a trained professional suggested it for you, then I''m sure it''s okay. Good luck with your therapy!

 

[dianne]

Elmorton: Thank you for the response. I have physical therapy scheduled for this afternoon, just for me to learn the proper core-strengthening exercises and I will talk to the therapist about my concerns with the physio ball, too.