Classes for the elderly on a gymnastic ball. Fitball exercises

Fitball is a new direction of fitness in our country, it has practically no contraindications, but it has a huge number of advantages.

Even very lush young ladies can practice fitball, since all the exercises recommended in this direction of gymnastics or aerobics are gentle on the joints.

Like any other physical education projectile, the fitball must be correctly selected. What color it will be is your personal choice, but the size must strictly correspond to the growth. Fitballs are sold in five sizes in 10 cm increments - from 45 to 85 cm in diameter
For young ladies up to 165 cm, it will be adequate to buy a ball with a diameter of 55-60 cm. Taller ladies can afford 60-65 cm. Well, for a lady with the growth of a fashion model, giant balls from 70 cm are suitable.

✔ For check sit on the ball with your feet flat on the floor. Your knees should be bent at a 90 degree angle.

Has the ball been purchased, delivered to the house without incident, inflated and ready to perform feats with you? Then remember that the success of your classes is based on two rules: training should be regular - this is one, and no one has canceled - this is two!

✔ Find a suitable place to use the fitball. It must be a large spacious room. Remove all sharp and large objects to minimize the possibility of accidents.

✔ Cover the ball with rolled up towels or a few pillows. Place towels at the base of the ball to make it more stable. When you learn to balance, remove the towels. You can also ask a friend to hold the ball while you do the exercises.

✔ Pay attention to your breathing. Trying to keep your balance, you can hold your breath. Avoid this, try to breathe evenly.

✔ Learn how to properly sit on a fitball. Sit on the ball with your feet together. As you engage your abs, try to keep your back straight.
Sitting on a ball is an exercise that all beginners need to do.

✔If you are just starting to practice with fitball You should first master fitball exercises for beginners.

When doing these exercises for the first time, hold onto a wall or the ball itself for added balance.
Do 1-3 sets of 10-16 reps of each exercise, increasing the reps as your fitness improves.
Avoid doing exercises if they cause pain or if you are not sure how to do the exercise correctly.
If you have any injuries or diseases of the musculoskeletal locomotive apparatus, then before starting the exercises, consult your doctor.

Fitball can really replace an entire gym. Only now, for the "fitball" miracle to happen, it is not enough to purchase this fitness ball and drag a new assistant home. You also need to know how to use it.
Let's figure out what and how to do so that the fitball exercises are effective, and what mistakes beginners most often make.

beautiful chest

You can improve the shape of the breast (tighten or enlarge) with the help of the following exercises on gymnastic ball:

Leaning your hands on the floor (palms slightly wider than your shoulders), put your feet on the ball (it should be located under the shins).

The back is straight and is in line with the legs. Push-ups - bending your elbows, slowly lower yourself as low as possible. Then straighten your arms just as slowly.

Mistakes: arching in the lower back (if your arms or hands are not strong enough, try either spreading your fingers wide or doing push-ups on your fists).

Advice: if it’s hard for you to maintain balance on the ball, lean on it not with your shins, but with your hips, gradually moving the ball closer to your ankles.

Lie on the ball with your shoulder blades. The back and hips are parallel to the floor, the legs are bent at the knees and rest on the floor. Put your feet wider than your shoulders - it will be easier to maintain balance. Grab the dumbbells and hold them with your arms extended straight up over your shoulders. Inhale and slowly bend your elbows, lowering the dumbbells to your shoulders. Exhaling, lift them up.

Mistakes: try not to connect the dumbbells together and keep your back and hips straight.

Advice: make sure that your hands with dumbbells do not lean back behind your head, which also cannot be folded back - keep it in weight.

Perfect press

Exercises for the press on the fitball are not only effective, but also less traumatic than the classic ones. After all, the ball "removes" unnecessary stress on the lumbar spine. In order to make the press perfect, use "twisting":

We develop the upper part of the press. Sit on a fitball and cross your arms over your chest for convenience (more advanced option: hands on the back of the head, but do not clasp the hands together)

Stepping over your feet, roll the ball under your back and buttocks.

The legs are bent at the knees, the distance between the feet is wider than the shoulders.
If you are using towels to stabilize the ball, lie down on the ball until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Your body should be extended in a straight line from head to knees.
Raise your upper torso up (twist your torso forward) by raising your head, neck, and shoulders.

Tilt your chin to your chest and lift your shoulders and head until you can see your knees. Do not sit on the ball completely; lean on the ball with your lower back and chest.

Hold this position for 2-3 seconds, then slowly return to the starting position.

Mistakes: the constant tension of the press is not maintained throughout the exercise.

Advice: the lower you lower the body to its original position, the more effectively you will feel the stretching of the muscles.

We strengthen lower part press . Lie on the floor so that your feet and calves are on the ball, your hips and buttocks are in contact with it, and your knees are bent. Hands along the body. While tensing your abs and pressing your lower back against the surface, pull your knees to your chest, lifting your pelvis and holding the ball with your feet.

Mistakes: constant tension of the press is not maintained throughout the exercise; do not help yourself with your hands, try only due to the work of the muscles of the lower abdomen to raise the pelvis above the surface.

Advice: choose a small fitness ball - the smaller the size, the greater the load on the abdominal muscles.

We work on the oblique muscles of the press. Sit on a fitball, put your feet flat on the floor, bend your knees. Stepping your feet forward, lie back on the ball, hands on the back of your head.

Tightening the muscles of the buttocks, lift the pelvis up. Pull in your stomach and lift your upper body. Then turn your left shoulder to the right.

Slowly return to the starting position. Rotate your shoulder to the left.

Mistakes: jerky movements - the exercise must be performed smoothly and slowly.

Advice: keep the press in tension all the time; when you contract the muscles, draw in the stomach, lowering the ribs to the pelvic bones; watch your breath - first take a deep breath, then exhale, perform lateral "twisting".

Lie on your back, place the ball between your legs . Put your hands behind your head and cross at the back of your head.

Engaging your abs, pinch the ball between your legs.

Keep your legs straight and lift them up to a vertical position.
Stop when your feet are perpendicular to the floor.

Lower your legs without touching the floor. The distance to the floor should be 2-3 cm.
Do 10 reps.

Mistakes. When doing the exercise:
- legs bent at the knees;
- the lower back is not pressed tightly to the floor (there is a deflection)

Advice: If you find it difficult to perform the exercise, then in lowest point the ball can be lowered to the floor (for starters: o)

Tight buttocks and slender legs

These fitball exercises will not only strengthen the muscles of the legs and buttocks, but will also become an additional load for the press:

Sit on the fitball with your feet at some distance from it. Keep your back straight to keep your balance.

Raise one leg and straighten it; the shin should be parallel to the floor.

Freeze in this position for 10 seconds. Use your other leg and abdominal muscles to keep the ball steady.

Thanks to this exercise, the muscles of the thigh and back are strengthened.
Lower your leg to the floor and lift your other leg. Do 10 repetitions for each leg.

Errors:- the outstretched leg is not straightened at the knee or not parallel to the floor:
- body leans back.

Advice: check the correct posture by turning the body to the left and right (without lowering the leg)

Lying on the floor, take your arms to the sides and press your palms to the floor. The legs are straight and located on the ball - lean on the fitball with your heels and calves, and pull your feet towards you. Straining your muscles abdominals, lift your buttocks up. Hold this position for 2-3 seconds and slowly return to the starting position.

Mistakes: constant tension of the press is not maintained throughout the exercise; when lifting, make sure that the body forms a straight line, squeeze the buttocks and keep the straight position of the legs.

Adviсe:- if you find it difficult to perform this exercise, put your legs so that the ball is under your knees:
Cross your arms over your chest to increase efficiency.
- as your muscles strengthen, do the exercise by placing only one leg on the fitball, and the other can be bent at the knee and lowered to the floor.

The starting position is the same. Raise your pelvis and, bending your knees, roll the fitball towards you. Without dropping, roll the ball back.

Rolling the ball, leaning on it only with the heels. Then repeat this exercise, but now roll the ball with your socks.

Mistakes: constant tension of the press is not maintained throughout the exercise; squeeze your buttocks and do not lower them to the floor until you finish the set, and when you roll the ball away from you, straighten your knees to the end.

Advice: as your muscles strengthen, do the exercise by placing only one leg on the fitball, and the other can be bent at the knee and lowered to the floor.

Stand with your back against a wall. Place the ball between the wall and the lower back.

Take 1-3 steps forward while holding the ball with your back. The number of steps will depend on the length of your legs.

Engaging your abs, bend your knees to a sitting position, allowing the ball to roll down your back. Squat down, trying to hold the ball until your thighs are parallel to the floor.

Freeze in this position for 10-20 seconds . Return to starting position.

Errors: The knees should not protrude beyond the line of the toes.

Advice: If your knees drop below your ankles, reverse the position of your legs by moving them forward.

And you can also replace your work chair with a fitball and sit on it like on a chair. Constantly controlling yourself so as not to fall off the ball, you will learn to keep your back straight, and the load on the spine will decrease significantly.

With the help of a fitball, you can tighten almost all parts of your glorious body, so include exercises for all muscle groups in your training program. If you have a problem tummy, still do not forget to work on the chest, back and legs too! An integrated approach in fitball will be of great benefit.

Try to fall in love with fitball, then the process of losing weight will bring you not only pride in your willpower, but also the pleasure of feeling the strength of your own body!
based on materials

Reading time: 29 min

Fitball is an inflatable rubber ball with a diameter of 45-95 cm, which is used in fitness to work on muscle tone.

We offer you a unique selection: 50 fitball exercises for all problem areas with photos! Thanks to the proposed exercises, you can strengthen the muscles of the arms, abdomen, thighs and buttocks, improve your figure, get rid of sagging and cellulite.

Before moving on to the list of fitball exercises, let's remember how to properly exercise with a rubber ball so that the workout is effective and of high quality. We offer you 10 useful tips for training with a fitball at home or in the gym.

Features of performing exercises with fitball:

During exercises with a fitball, you should be focused on the muscles, feel their tension. Try to train not for speed, but for quality.
Use in your workout not only exercises for your problem area but also exercises for the whole body. For successful weight loss, it is necessary to work in a balanced way on all muscle groups, and not just on the stomach or only, for example, on the hips.
remember, that the more the fitball is inflated, the more difficult it is to perform the exercises. If you are just learning to train with the ball, do not inflate it for the first time to full elasticity.
If you do not know how to build a workout, then use the circular principle. Take 5-6 exercises and alternate them with each other in several rounds. The second part of the article offers specific exercise programs that can be taken as a basis.
All 50 fitball exercises that we offer are divided into 4 groups: for the upper body (shoulders, arms, chest), for the core (back, abdomen), for the lower body (thighs and buttocks), for the whole body (all major muscle groups are involved).
Fitball exercises are especially effective when working on, so even exercises with a ball for the hips and buttocks help strengthen the muscles of the abdomen and back as well.
For most of the proposed exercises, you will not need any other additional equipment other than a fitball.
If you find it difficult to repeat some exercise with a fitball (e.g. due to insufficient balance), then either modify it to a more simplified version, or do not do this exercise at all yet.
Fitball exercises are An excellent tool for the prevention of pain in the back and lower back.
Read more about the benefits of a fitball, as well as how to choose it correctly, in the article: Fitball for weight loss: effectiveness, features, how to choose.

To begin with, let's recall once again what is the use of training with a fitball:

strengthening the abdominal muscles, arms, legs and buttocks
burning calories and accelerating fat burning
strengthening the deep abdominal muscles and muscle corset
improve posture and prevent back pain
fitball is a simple and affordable inventory for everyone

50 of the best fitball exercises

All exercises with a fitball are presented in GIFs so that you can clearly see the execution process. GIFs tend to speed up the process of the exercise, so don't try to rely on the speed that is shown in the images. Practice at your own pace, with focus and full concentration.

Fitball exercises for the abdomen and core

1. Twisting on a fitball

2. Lifting the body on a fitball

3. Oblique twists

4. Crossing legs

5. Body rotations

6. Raising the legs on the fitball

7. Hyperextension on a fitball

Or this option:

8. Side Plank Knee

9. Side plank against the wall: for advanced

10. Dumbbell crunches

11. Double crunches

12. Passing the ball from hand to foot

13. Bicycle

14. Leg lift

15. Scissors

16. Leg twists

17. V-pleat with one leg

18. V-pleat

19. Rolling a fitball on your knees

Exercises with a fitball for the hips and buttocks

20. Butt lift

21. One Leg Butt Lift

22. Rolling fitball on the back

23. Side knee raise

24. Lateral leg raise: a more difficult option

25. Leg swings to the side

26. Leg raise back

27. Squat

28. Sumo Squat

29. Wall Squat

30. Squat on one leg

31. Reverse Lunge

Fitball exercises for the upper body

32. Push-ups with support on the floor

33. Push-ups based on fitball

34. Fitball plank

35. Breeding dumbbells for chest muscles

36. french press with dumbbells

Fitball exercises for the whole body

37. Plank Knee Pull-ups

Hello everyone. You probably think that in order to improve the silhouette and strengthen the muscles, you will have to buy exercise equipment at home. different types and dumbbells? Not at all, one ball is enough, but a big one. What is a fitness ball, how to choose it, a set of exercises on a fitball. To whom these exercises are intended and what health problems they will help to cope with, you will learn all this from this article.

Sports for the whole family

Fitball was invented by Swiss physiotherapists, and initially it was not created at all as a fitness simulator: it was supposed to be used for the rehabilitation of people with spinal injuries and diseases of the central nervous system. But he very quickly migrated to gyms and became a favorite sport for women, men, not to mention children.

Who can practice on the ball

When, to strengthen,
When problematic
During pregnancy,
After childbirth,
With loss of joint mobility,
To improve blood flow
With varicose veins.

Thanks to balance, the unique projectile develops the vestibular apparatus, strengthens all muscle groups, even those that are not involved in other workouts.

At regular performance, you will achieve strengthening of the muscular corset, which means alignment of the spine.

Due to the elasticity of the ball, spinal unloading, improving metabolism and blood flow, which leads to an improvement in the functioning of all body systems. In older people, the work of the heart system is getting better, the mobility of the joints returns.

For women with diseases of the genitourinary system, the simulator will help to get rid of them forever. But training on the right ball will help to achieve excellent results.

Which ball is right for you

How to choose a fitness ball? This is the first question that interests beginners. After all, you will fall from an overly large ball, and a small projectile will jump out from under you. To prevent this from happening, choose a fitball with spikes or with ears.

The first way to choose the right projectile:

Sit on the ball;
Put your feet in front of you, straighten your back;
The knee bend angle should be 90 degrees. The ball should not sag too much under the weight of your body.

Method two. The size of the ball can be selected according to the height of a person using the table:

With growth less than 1.52 cm - 55 cm
From 1.52 to 1.64 - 65 cm
From 1.64 to 1.8 - 75cm
From 1.8 to 2 m - 85 cm.

Those who have big weight, you should purchase balls marked on English language. It is the abbreviation of BRQ or ABS, meaning anti-break function.

How to pump up a fitball?

When buying it, the kit may not include a pump for inflation. What to do? Take any pump and adapter that fits the orifice of the projectile, then inflate to a comfortable deflection for you.

Sometimes the ball starts to deflate, but not because of frequent use, but because of a puncture. At home, it can be sealed with a rubber patch. Rubber will also stretch well with further use of the fitball.

You can glue the patch using Moment, or silicone glue. After gluing, put something heavy in place of the patch, hold it for a day. After this period, the fitball is ready for work again.

Perform a set of exercises for the back, and you will forget that it once hurt. Choose exercises for weight loss and you will easily lose weight overweight.

Many women have achieved amazing success. The main thing is the regularity of classes, only then there will be tangible benefits from the exercises. In six months you can lose up to 5 kg excess weight, get rid of many sores, improve posture, cheer yourself up.

Projectile Advantages

The benefits include:

The ability to practice at home at any convenient time;
Takes up little space;
Helps to work out not only superficial muscle tissues, but also internal muscles;
Supports internal organs better than going to the gym better than running and other sports

Fitball: projectile or chair

Very interesting invention is a fitball instead of a chair. Sitting on this projectile, you involuntarily straighten your back, try to keep your balance, as a result, the most different muscles. Without noticing it, you improve your health.

For weight loss, a similar chair is also suitable. , you not only do the work, but also lose weight. True, great!

When choosing a similar chair, pay attention to its quality. Sit on it right in the store, make sure that a right angle is obtained between the thigh and lower leg.

If you don’t see this, choose another projectile, because when you exercise, the load on the joints will be too large. And the benefit of the fitball will be when the motor-support apparatus is unloaded.

The elasticity of the ball for fitness

The degree of load on all organs and joints depends on the elasticity of the ball. A more elastic projectile will require more effort from you, on a soft fitball you will get minimal loads.

How to check elasticity? Press your hand on the simulator: a hard deflection will be 1-2 cm, and the average elasticity is 2-3 centimeters.

Fitball home exercises

1. Lifting the fitball

Stand straight, feet hip-width apart, feet parallel, toes looking forward, knees slightly bent, fitball in hand (1A)
Crouching slightly, take your buttocks back and tilt your body forward. The angle between the body and the hips should be right (1B).
As you exhale, lift the ball over your head (1B). The arms should become an extension of the body.
Inhale as you lower the ball.

Repeat the exercise 10-15 times without changing the position of the body. Look straight ahead while exercising.

The muscles of the back and arms work.

2. Plank

Place your feet shoulder-width apart. Place your forearms on the ball, elbows under shoulder joints. Rest your toes on the floor and straighten your back.
Pull your stomach in, do not stick out your buttocks. The body should represent one line from the top of the head to the heels.

Count to 10 and lower yourself to the floor. Repeat 5-10 times.

The muscles of the back and the press work.

3. Lunge forward

Stand with your back to the ball, straighten up, spread your elbows to the sides at chest level, connect your fingers in front of you. Place the left shin on the ball so that the angle between the ball and the shin is straight. (3A)
Without changing the position of the body, bending the front leg, roll the ball back so that the angle at the front knee becomes straight. (3B)
The knee of the back straightened leg should look at the floor.
Return to starting position by straightening your front leg and rolling the ball with your back foot.

Do 10-15 reps per leg, then switch legs.

The muscles of the thighs and buttocks work.

4. Reduction of the shoulder blades lying down

Lie with your stomach on the ball, put your feet wider than your shoulders, rest your socks on the floor.

Tightening your abs and buttocks, stretch your arms bent at the elbows forward and to the sides (4A).

Look at the floor, the head should be a continuation of the spine, do not bend in cervical region.

As you exhale, bringing the shoulder blades together and spreading your arms to the sides, tear off the lower ribs from the fitball (4B)

Stretch your chest forward. Try not to arch your back. The movement should go only in the upper part of the body, the buttocks and legs remain motionless.

As you exhale, relax your back muscles and return to the starting position. Do the exercise 10-15 times.

The muscles of the back and chest work.

5. Twisting with a twist

Lie on the ball with your back, feet rest on the floor. The shoulders remain on weight, the fingers touch the head, the elbows are spread apart.
As you exhale, tensing the rectus abdominis muscle, lift the upper body above the fitball (5A).
At the top, while still exhaling, turn your shoulders to the left (5B). Make sure that the pelvis remains motionless and the rotation is performed at the waist.
As you inhale, move in the reverse order: first turn your shoulders and only then lower your body.

Repeat the exercise by turning the body to the right. Do 10 or 15 twists in each direction.

The rectus and oblique muscles of the press work.

6. Hyperextension with rotation

Lie on the sphere with your stomach. Bend your legs slightly and place them wider than your shoulders. Rest your toes on the floor. Spread your elbows to the sides, fingers to the back of your head.
Lower your head so that it is a continuation of the spine, look at the floor (6A)
As you exhale, try to tear off the lower ribs from the fitball, lift chest. At the end point, turn your shoulders, arms and head to the left (6B).
As you inhale, first turn your head and shoulders back and only then lower your chest onto the fitball.

Perform 10-15 repetitions, each time turning your shoulders in different sides.

The muscles of the back and buttocks work.

7. Lifting the leg based on the fitball

Get on your knees. Grab a fitball right hand and lie down on it. Extend your left leg so that it forms a straight line with your body (7A). The toe should point forward.
Tightening your thigh muscles, lift your left leg off the floor. Raise your leg up until it is parallel to the floor (7B). Make sure that the thigh is tense, pull the sock towards you.
Do not fall on the ball, try to work the lower body, and the upper body remains motionless.

Repeat 10-15 times, then roll over and lift with the other leg.

Muscles work outer surface thighs, buttocks.

8. Complicated version of the plank

Put your feet together. The ball is in front of you. Rest your elbows on it so that they are strictly under the shoulder joints. Connect the brushes in front of you into a lock. Tighten the muscles of the back, abs, legs and buttocks so that the body is stretched in one line (8A).
On exhalation, without changing the position of the body, move the left leg to the left, and the right leg to the right (8B).
Return to the starting position, first putting the left foot, then the right. Get down on the floor.

Repeat 10-15 times.

I work the muscles of the press, back, buttocks and arms.

9. Lying leg raise

Lie with your stomach on the sphere, rest your hands on the ball or on the floor. Place the outstretched left leg on the toe, bend the right knee (knee looks down) and rest it on the floor so that it helps to maintain balance (9A)
Straining the thigh muscles, lift the straight left leg up (9B). Make sure that the toe is pointed towards you, and the knee is on the floor.

Do 10-12 repetitions. Don't tilt your head or lower your head. While performing the exercise, look at the floor in front of you.

Muscles work rear surface thighs, buttocks.

10. Reverse crunches

Lying on your back, place your bent legs on the fitball and press the ball to your body so that it does not slip out. Spread your arms to the sides, press your palms to the floor (10A).
Tightening your abdominal muscles and pushing your lower back into the floor, lift your pelvis as you exhale (you should only touch the mat with your shoulder blades). Keep your shoulders and arms off the floor. Try to bring your knees closer to your chest (10B)
Feel the tension in your abdominal muscles.
Slowly lower your legs, while controlling the area of the lower back to prevent deflection in it.

work top part rectus abdominis, back muscles and thighs.

Do the exercise as smoothly as possible. Do not make sudden movements or jerks. Don't swing.

11. Twisting with a fitball

12. Twisting with a fitball in your hands

Sit, bend your legs, spread your feet to the width of the pelvis and place the entire surface on the floor. Straighten your back, stretch your crown to the ceiling.
Raise the ball on outstretched arms above the knees (12A)
While inhaling, rounding the lower back, slowly lower yourself back (12B) Try to lower yourself slowly, laying vertebra by vertebra on the floor, starting from the lumbar region and ending bottom ribs.
As soon as your ribs touch the floor, start moving in the opposite direction. Do this as you exhale. The hands with the fitball remain motionless.

Repeat the exercise 10 times.

The muscles of the press, back and arms work.

Finally, I want to wish you a successful acquisition of a unique ball in order to improve your health without leaving your home.

It is used for, since muscles and sides are involved in the process of execution.

The exercise can be performed either by laying on the ball, or resting on the hands. However, it’s worth saying right away that, resting on your hands, you can easily slip off and get. That is why it is better to put your feet on the fitball.

We do the exercise as follows: we put our feet on the ball and stand on straight arms so that our body is a straight line, without deflections or arches in the area. Keep this position for at least a minute to get the desired effect.

If you are physically fit enough and want to make the most of your potential, then use the fitball as a support for. We do it this way: we kneel and put our elbows on the ball; straighten up slowly, keeping balance. After that, roll the ball forward, maintaining balance. You need to stop at the point where yours is completely straight and your elbows are still good on the ball.

What will this exercise give us?

The static bar, in the process of its implementation, involves the muscles and. Also part of the load goes to deltoid muscle(shoulders). Remember the following: after the exercise, you should not. If pain appears, then you are doing the bar incorrectly. To avoid injury, perform all actions near the mirror.

Next exercise on a fitball for weight loss will help remove wrinkles from the abdomen and. We start with the same static plank on outstretched arms, after which we begin to slowly lift the pelvis up, while moving the ball closer to us. The fitball should be in contact with the ankle so that you can control the process. The peak point is a position in which your straight arms and back will come out in one line.
Before performing exercises in dynamics, it is worth evaluating the strength of your hands and preparation, since it is they who will hold yours. If there are fears that after the exercise you will get a stretch, use an elastic bandage.

Overhead ball squat

Another simple fitball exercise for weight loss, which can be easily performed at home.

The exercise differs from regular squats only in that you need to hold a fitball in your hands.

Correct execution implies the following: we take the ball and raise it above the head with outstretched arms. Next, put your feet shoulder-width apart, straighten your back. We squat slowly, looking up (look at the transition between the wall and the ceiling). At the moment when your hips are perpendicular to the calves, we stop and slowly rise to the starting position. During the squat, you can not arch your back with a “wheel” or look down at the floor.

Important! In the process of execution, you can not bring or spread your knees.

Since the fitball is not a weighting agent, you need to do at least 25–30 squats to get a result.

Squatting against the wall differs from the previous version in that the fitball will not allow you to arch your back with a “wheel”.

To begin with, we stand up to the support and place the fitball between the back and the wall so that during the squat it does not fall and does not end up in the head area.
After you have placed the ball in Right place, put your feet shoulder-width apart and direct your gaze forward or up. Slowly squat so that the ball moves with you. We freeze when the calves are perpendicular to the hips, and just as slowly return to the starting position.

Push ups

We start by laying down on the fitball with our stomach so that the torso is parallel to the floor. To do this, the ball is placed in the area of the upper thighs and pelvis. Next, you need to rest your toes on the floor to create balance. If you don’t feel it, move it back a little, moving the fitball to the side.
After taking the initial position, we begin to lift the torso up, arching in the back. At the peak point, we freeze for a few seconds and slowly descend. During execution, the legs should not come off the floor, otherwise you will “leave” forward and may be injured. Also, do not help yourself with your hands, otherwise it will turn into push-ups.

The number of repetitions depends on your physical training and back problems. It’s worth starting with 8-12 repetitions with strict adherence to technique.

Unlike the previous version, reverse hyperextension involves the movement of the legs, not the body.
Lie down with your stomach on the ball so that you feel the balance. Hands need to take on any static object that will serve as a support. We straighten our back and raise our legs, stopping at the top point. After that, slowly lower the lower limbs and repeat again. During reverse hyperextension, only the legs should be involved, the arms serve as a support. The back should bend in the process of lifting, so that all working muscles are involved to the maximum. Movement forward or to the side during the exercise is unacceptable, as you can damage the static part - the hands.

This concludes the top fitball exercises that will help you “pump” all the muscles of the body. Some of the above suggest a good physical form, so do not be discouraged if the first time you fail to complete a large number of approaches. Follow the instructions and exercise your body regularly to achieve the desired results.

With all the variety of advantages, the main merit of the fitball is the development of stabilizing muscles. Even in order to climb the stairs without much effort and harm to the body or to bring a bag of groceries to the house, it is necessary to maintain a certain balance and balance, and this requires a clear fixation ability, which is responsible for the stabilizer muscles. Unlike motor muscles, they do not participate in movement, but are no less important, since they fix the position of body parts and prevent damage during the execution of any, even the most simple movements. Regular exercises with a fitball will strengthen the stabilizers and make life easier.

The peculiarity of training with a fitball is that they significantly reduce the load on the lower limbs, which makes the exercises accessible for the elderly, as well as for varicose veins or damaged knee and ankle joints - of course, under the supervision of a doctor. For those who do not have serious health complaints, but have a desire to support it, we offer fitball training for various purposes.

Back

Examinations of patients suffering from chronic pain in lumbar of the spine have shown that most patients have very low endurance of the stabilizing muscles and need to be strengthened. Fitball workouts are generally good for working on the muscles of the back, but there are also targeted preventive exercises for the spine.

Press

Paying attention to the press in exercises with a fitball, you use the entire muscle corset and develop stabilization. This effect is similar to the effect of yoga or Pilates, during which there is a static load on deep muscles corps.

Oddly enough, one of the most popular fitball exercises is the seated dumbbell press. It's simple: the elastic ball provides the body with unstable support, so when you sit on the fitball during the bench press, you are not just working on the deltoid muscles or biceps - the muscles of the body (both motors and stabilizers) are involved.

Buttocks and legs

Fitball fans among fitness trainers have invented a lot of boring exercises for elastic buttocks and toned hips. The key to success is still in the regularity of training and the number of repetitions.

Fitball exercises

More recently, fitball, originally created to improve the health of people with disorders of the musculoskeletal system, has firmly entrenched in the fitness industry. This unique gymnastic ball helps girls effortlessly lose weight in the waist and give the butt a rounded shape. Fitball easily replaces all types of simulators, so it is great for training and gym, and at home. In this article, we will teach you how to choose the right fitball, as well as provide a comprehensive program for all muscle groups using this miracle ball. Let's get started!

The effectiveness of using fitball in training

Fitball can be used in their training by both men and women. It is suitable for all ages and has no contraindications! This ball has undoubted benefits and has many advantages:

due to its instability, it helps to improve coordination of movements, which contributes to the correct posture;
muscles, while maintaining balance, are in constant tension, and this, combined with a set of exercises, contributes to rapid weight loss;
gymnastics on the ball improves the condition of the joints, helps with scoliosis, relieves pain in the spine;
involved different groups muscles that are rarely worked out during regular workouts in the gym;
when training on the ball, the muscles are not loaded lower extremities, so fitnessball is great for the elderly, pregnant women (here is detailed training for expectant mothers) and for people with overweight;
improves metabolism, the activity of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems;
the fitball is absolutely safe, it is protected from sudden rupture during training due to the built-in ABS anti-rupture system;
elevates mood and improves well-being.

Help in choosing the right fitball

When choosing a gymnastic ball, there are several main factors to consider:

Size. The diameter of the ball varies within cm. When choosing a ball, a simple formula is used: a person's height minus one hundred. The resulting number is your ball diameter. Please note that the larger the diameter of the ball, the more stable it is. Check if the ball is right for you. Sit on the ball, bent legs should form an angle of 90 degrees, legs should be on the entire foot on the floor surface. Look at the photo:

Material. Special attention refer to the country of origin. Countries such as Germany and Italy have proven themselves well. The ball must be resilient and durable, the connecting seams should not be felt during training.
Fitball surface. Balls with a smooth surface are a universal trainer and are suitable for everyone. The ball with horns is easier to balance, so it is great for both children and adults who are just starting to train. Fitballs with spikes are used for exercises with an additional massage effect or for restorative gymnastics.

Correct training technique

Before starting a fitball session, do a little warm-up. So, you will minimize the risk of muscle injury.

Do 1-3 sets of reps. Increase repetitions gradually as you feel better.

Perform exercises slowly, focus on the muscle group being worked out. Control your breathing.

Between sets, take a short rest up to 1 minute.

Stretch after completing the program.

For the desired effect, perform exercises at least 2 times a week.

A comprehensive program (table) using a fitball

Before starting any workout, you need to stretch your muscles as efficiently as possible. Below is an incendiary video that can be used as a pre-workout warm-up, and a similar morning work-out charge with a positive attitude for the whole day!

Below is a table with exemplary program fitball exercises at home and in the gym that involve different muscles.

Fitball exercises

Fitball in our time is one of the popular fitness workouts. Now in any center there are classes with fitball. We will tell in this article about the features in the classroom with a fitball and present a set of exercises with a video selection and tips.

Classes with a fitball train the vestibular apparatus, develop coordination of movements, and relieve additional stress on the spine. All this allows overweight people to engage in fitball.

The ball perfectly "unloads" the joints, gymnastics is useful for varicose veins, osteochondrosis and arthritis.

Fitball aerobics classes are gentle, but enough effective method get yourself in shape. It is unique in that there is practically no impact load on the lower limbs. Therefore, even the elderly, with diseases of varicose veins, with damaged knees and ankle joints, overweight.

Even in gyms, a ball is used as an auxiliary equipment. Fitball-gymnastics, like fitball-aerobics, has an excellent effect on the entire body. Strength and static-dynamic exercises, stretching, balance exercises with the ball will add variety to fitness classes. The relative simplicity of training with the ball allows you to master fitball-aerobics and gymnastics at home with the help of a video trainer.

The benefits of exercising with a fitball

Fitball increases endurance, strength and mobility of joints;
Improves posture, coordination of movements;
Fitball is easy to practice at home;
There are many fitness programs with fitball;
Suitable for daily training, the number of exercises is incalculable.

A set of exercises with fitball

Exercise 1 - Exercise on a fitball for muscle tone

Lie face down on the ball so that it is under your stomach. Take dumbbells in your hands and lower them down to the floor.

Raise your arms up along your torso until they are parallel to the floor. Bring them together behind your back, holding your palms up.

Hold your hands for a few seconds and then lower them back to the starting position.

Keep your head straight in relation to your back.

Do 8-10 repetitions, and then, after a short break, repeat 8-10 more times.

Performing this exercise, the back muscles are very well involved.

Exercise 2 - Fitball for legs

Rest your hands on the floor, the fitball is located directly under the buttocks. Legs bent, heels together. While inhaling, raise your legs so that they become parallel to the floor. Lower and repeat 10 more times.

This exercise allows you to gluteal muscles.

Exercise 3 - "Frog"

Perform this exercise at a good pace without interruptions.

Sit on a fitball, spread your legs slightly wider than your shoulders and take a couple of steps forward. Lie with your back on the fitball, spread your arms to the sides and bend at the elbows, palms looking up. Inhale as you straighten your legs and arms, exhale as you return to the starting position.

When performing this exercise, the muscles of the hips and legs are involved.

Do this exercise 20 times.

Exercise 4 - Side Knee Curl

This exercise perfectly allows you to adjust a beautiful waist.

Place your hips on the ball. Walk your hands forward on the floor until the ball is under your ankles. Inhale, as you exhale, bend your knees and pull the ball towards one shoulder. While inhaling, straighten your legs, roll the ball back. And with an exhalation, repeat the movement, pulling the ball to the other shoulder.

Exercise 5 - Abs and Back Stretch

Sit on the ball and step forward, leaning back until your lower back rests on the ball. Place your shoulder blades and head on the ball, spread your arms out to the sides. The pelvis, back and head must touch the ball. Try to relax your lower back and abs.

Sit on the ball with your feet wide. Stretch your arms towards the floor. Relax your neck, shoulders, back.

Fitball home exercises

Hello everyone. You probably think that in order to improve the silhouette and strengthen the muscles, you will have to buy various types of exercise machines and dumbbells at home? Not at all, one ball is enough, but a big one. What is a fitness ball, how to choose it, fitball exercises and who they are intended for, what health problems they will help to cope with, you will learn all this from this article.

Sports for the whole family

Who can practice on the ball

With poor posture, to strengthen the press,
With a problematic spine,
During pregnancy,
After childbirth,
With loss of joint mobility,
To improve blood flow
With varicose veins.

Thanks to balance, the unique projectile develops the vestibular apparatus, strengthens all muscle groups, even those that are not involved in other workouts.

With regular exercises to strengthen the muscles of the back, you will achieve a strengthening of the muscular corset, which means alignment of the spine.

Due to the elasticity of the ball, the spine is unloaded, metabolism and blood flow are improved, which leads to an improvement in the functioning of all body systems. In older people, the work of the heart system is getting better, the mobility of the joints returns.

For women with diseases of the genitourinary system, the simulator will help to get rid of them forever. But training on the right ball will help to achieve excellent results.

Which ball is right for you

The first way to choose the right projectile:

Sit on the ball;
Put your feet in front of you, straighten your back;
The knee bend angle should be 90 degrees. The ball should not sag too much under the weight of your body.

Method two. The size of the ball can be selected according to the height of a person using the table:

With growth less than 1.52 cm - 55 cm
From 1.52 to 1.64 - 65 cm
From 1.64 to 1.8 - 75cm
From 1.8 to 2 m - 85 cm.

Those who are heavy should purchase balls labeled in English. It is the abbreviation of BRQ or ABS, meaning anti-break function.

Solving the inflation problem

How to pump up a sports ball? When buying it, the kit may not include a pump for inflation. What to do? Take any pump and adapter that fits the orifice of the projectile, then inflate to a comfortable deflection for you.

You can glue the patch using Moment, or silicone glue. After gluing, put something heavy in place of the patch, hold it for a day. After this period, the fitball is ready for work again.

Perform a set of exercises for the back, and you will forget that it once hurt. Choose exercises for weight loss and you will easily lose those extra pounds. Many women have achieved amazing success. The main thing is the regularity of classes, only then there will be tangible benefits from the exercises. In six months, you can lose up to 5 kg of excess weight, get rid of many sores, improve your posture, and cheer yourself up.

The benefits include:

The ability to practice at home at any convenient time;
Takes up little space;
Helps to work out not only superficial muscle tissues, but also internal muscles;
Supports internal organs better than gym, better than running and other sports

Fitball: projectile or chair

A very interesting invention is a fitball instead of a chair. Sitting on this projectile, you involuntarily straighten your back, try to keep your balance, as a result, a variety of muscles are strengthened. Without noticing it, you improve your health.

For weight loss, a similar chair is also suitable. Sitting at the computer, you not only do the work, but also lose weight. True, great!

When choosing a similar chair, pay attention to its quality. Sit on it right in the store, make sure that a right angle is obtained between the thigh and lower leg. If you don’t see this, choose another projectile, because when you exercise, the load on the joints will be too large. And the benefit of the fitball will be when the motor-support apparatus is unloaded.

The elasticity of the ball for fitness

The degree of load on all organs and joints depends on the elasticity of the ball. A more elastic projectile will require more effort from you, on a soft fitball you will get minimal loads.

How to check elasticity? Press your hand on the simulator: a hard deflection will be 1-2 cm, and the average elasticity is 2-3 centimeters.

Read about health

A set of exercises with a fitball for all muscle groups

For most people, fitball is associated with children's games or gymnastics for babies. In fact, a fitball (a large elastic ball from 55 to 85 cm in diameter) has been used since the 50s of the last century to treat diseases of the human musculoskeletal system. It was first used by physiotherapists in Switzerland, which is why it is sometimes referred to as the Swiss ball.

The main function of this miracle ball is to unload the joints. Gymnastics on a fitball, which gently springs, is primarily recommended for overweight people, varicose veins veins, osteochondrosis, arthritis or the elderly.

At the same time, the Swiss ball can be used not only for rehabilitation and recreational activities, but also to carry out full-fledged physical training.

The results of training with a fitball for your body will be:

relief abdominal press,

overall muscle strength and endurance,

strengthening the vestibular apparatus,

development of coordination of movements,

joint elasticity, improved blood circulation

and the best part is the reduction of body fat, that is, weight loss.

So, the following set of exercises on the fitball strengthens almost all the muscles of the body, forms beautiful figure, but requires at least minimal physical fitness. If you are bored classic classes in the gym or fitness center, then this fitball complex will diversify your workouts. By doing these exercises, you will use not only the basic muscle groups, but also those who Everyday life or do not participate in regular training.

For training, you will need a mat, a wall and a fitness ball. For ease of perception, the complex is illustrated with animated pictures - gifs.

Fitball squats.

Place the ball between the wall and your back (just below your shoulder blades and above your buttocks). Stand straight, feet shoulder width apart. Transfer your body weight to your heels. On an inhale, squat down until your legs are parallel to the floor. Do not sit deeper, as this can damage your knees. At the same time, make sure that at the lowest point the knees do not go ahead of the socks.

Focus on maintaining tension in your buttocks and thighs as you slowly rise to the starting position. Perform the exercise in a squat set.

Reverse lunges with a fitball.

Stand up straight, place your left foot on the ball. Bend your right leg slightly. Now roll the fitball back and start squatting on one leg. Do squats, then repeat for the other leg. Do 2-3 sets in total.

With the help of this exercise with a fitball for the buttocks, you can make the ass more elastic and toned.

To strengthen the muscles of the upper body: arms, shoulders, chest, as well as the back and back of the legs.

Squatting, resting your hands on the ball, put the body on it and roll forward so as to get to the starting position: legs straight, heels together, emphasis on hands exactly under the shoulders, back without deflections in the lower back. Straighten your legs and body in one line, squeeze your hips.

Keeping your torso straight, do a few push-ups. The number of reps and sets depends on your fitness level. Women can lighten the load by leaning on the ball with their knees instead of their feet. Don't put your head down.

Twisting for the oblique muscles of the press on the fitball.

Position the exercise ball near a wall or other support so that when you lie sideways on it, your feet rest on the base of the wall. Lie on the fitball sideways, on the oblique muscle of the abdomen or thigh. Your body should be one straight line from the back of your head to your feet. Hands behind the head, elbows apart. For stability, you can clasp bottom hand fitball.

Lift your upper body up as you twist, fully contracting your obliques at the top of the movement. Hold for 1-2 seconds. Slowly lower yourself down. Repeat. After completing the set, switch sides. You can make the exercise more difficult by holding dumbbells or by not leaning against the base of the wall. Do as many reps as possible for you.

Exercise for the press and back.

A functional exercise that works out all the muscles of the back and abs, makes you concentrate your attention as much as possible. The body works as a whole.

We put our legs below the knee on the fitball, the closer to the socks, the more difficult it will be to keep the balance, and we stand up (as for push-ups, on outstretched arms).

If you can’t lift yourself up with straight legs, bend your knees and do the exercise with a small amplitude. Do as many sets and reps as you can.

Lying on your back, stretch your arms behind your head, grab the ball with your feet, holding it tightly.

Raise the ball with your feet up while raising your arms towards you. Taking the fitball in your hands, lower it behind your head while lowering your legs. Continue to pass the fitball from hand to foot and back. (To facilitate the exercise, the legs can be bent at the knees.) approach repetitions.

Lying on your back, arms straight out to the sides, palms facing down and pressed to the floor. The legs are straight and located on the fitball, the feet are stretched over themselves (you must lean on the ball with your heels and calves).

Straining the muscles of the abdominals and buttocks, raise the pelvis, bending the knees, and roll the ball towards us. Then, without lowering the buttocks to the surface, we roll the ball back. Roll the ball, leaning on it only with your heels.

Back strengthening exercise.

Lie on the fitball with your chest, stomach and hips. We perform raising and lowering the body.

To load the lower back, you need to cross your arms behind your head. If you want to load the upper back, spread your arms to the sides.

How to choose a fitball in a store?

Fitball prices are quite affordable.

Each fitball is marked with its maximum diameter. This means that it should not be inflated more than this value, this can provoke its rupture.

If your height does not exceed 152 cm, then choose a fitball with a diameter of 45 cm. If your height is within cm, then choose a ball with a size of 55 cm. If your height varies within cm, then your ball diameter should be 65 cm. If your height is from 180 cm up to 200 cm, then choose a fitball with a diameter of 75 cm. If you grow more than two meters, you need a ball with a diameter of 85 cm.

Thus, a fitness ball is a fairly simple, effective, but affordable simulator that can double the more muscle than conventional trainers.

During exercises on the fitball, among other things, you are forced to maintain the balance of the body, so calories are burned more actively. This is especially important if your goal is to lose weight and get a slim figure.

The most effective fitball exercises for weight loss

Now girls involved in sports, all their free time is occupied by fitball exercises for weight loss. Attributes change over time. One thing is invariable - even good genetics needs sport.

Hello, dear ones, Svetlana Morozova is with you. Do you know that fitballs are one of the most popular and best-selling sports equipment for weight loss? Today I will tell you why. And share the best exercises for the miracle ball. Let's start, perhaps.

Fitball exercises for weight loss: top best

And immediately proceed to the main thing. It is the ignorance of what can be done with this hefty ball that stops many people before purchasing a fitball. Is it to jump? So, the list of exercises is huge. Both at home and in the gym.

You can make any complex, depending on the purpose of the lesson: whether to lose weight, stretch, physiotherapy- Exercise therapy with a fitball is indicated for the elderly, with diseases of the joints, spine, vessels of the legs, even the heart.

Now, for example, I will give you the most effective, according to fitness instructors, fitball exercises for weight loss. We do 20 repetitions each. For beginners, 10 is enough. For better technicality, if you practice at home, watch video tutorials.

For legs and buttocks:

Lifting the pelvis. We train the muscles of the buttocks, hips and abs. Lying on your back, we lean on the fitball with our feet. The arms are extended along the body. Straining the buttocks and hips, raise the pelvis up, try to maintain balance.
Wall squats. We get up one step from the wall, between it and the lower back we fix the fitball. Legs shoulder width apart. Slightly pressing the ball, we sit down, then we rise back. The ball will roll to the shoulder blades and back, the task is not to drop it.
Leg lift. We get on one knee, stretch the other leg to the side. We lean sideways on the ball, hold it with our hand. Raise the outstretched leg as high as possible, lower it. We repeat on the other side.
Jumping. If you have a fitball with handles - lucky, it will be easier. We sit down deeply on the ball, at the knees - a right angle. We put our legs wider than our shoulders, our back is straight, we strain our stomach. We jump so that the heels do not come off the floor. When jumping, we strain the buttocks. We choose a small amplitude, you can not even take your ass off the ball. You can just jump like this as a morning exercise.

For the press:

Lifting the ball with your feet. Another name for reverse crunch. Exercise for the muscles of the abdomen and thighs. Lie down on your back, hands behind your head. Clamp the ball with bent legs. At the same time, we pull our legs to our chest and lift our shoulder blades off the floor. Can do side crunches: stretch with one elbow to the knees, then with the other - this is already more on the side press, it helps to get rid of the sides.
Rolling. We lay down on the fitball with our chest, lean on the floor with our toes and hands. The trunk is straight. Now we move forward so that the ball rolls under us to our feet. When the feet are on the ball, we move back.
Twisting on the ball. We lean on the fitball with the lower back, half-sitting-reclining position. The legs are bent, the knees form a right angle. We cross our arms on the chest, tighten the press and twist.

For arms and chest:

Breeding hands with dumbbells. We tighten the chest and the inner surface of the arms, strengthen the back and press. Lying with your back (shoulder blades) on the ball, bent legs lean on the floor. Stretch your straight arms with dumbbells up and slowly spread them to the sides.
Push ups. This is not for everyone, it's hard to keep a balance. We take an emphasis lying down, while leaning on the fitball with our feet. And then regular push-ups.
Lifting dumbbells, lying on the ball. For men, you can even use a barbell. We lay down on the fitball, rest on the floor with our feet. We take dumbbells, rest our elbows on the ball and bend and unbend our arms.

For the whole body:

Boat. If you can call it that. The simplest exercise is here. Lie down on your back, take the fitball in your hands. Raise straight legs perpendicular to the floor. Now we raise the shoulder blades and stretch the ball up. We hold in this position for half a minute.
Plank. More or less classic version of it. We lean on the ball with our hands, with our feet on the floor, the torso is straight. And we stand like this for a minute, keeping our balance. You can complicate it by stretching out one hand forward.
Handstand. We get on all fours, throw our legs on the ball, straighten the body. Now slowly pull the pelvis up, rolling the ball as close to you as possible. We shift the main weight on our hands. At the top point, we freeze and hold for 30 seconds. If you can longer, a minute is better.

When should you buy a fitball? And is it worth it?

What is the beauty of the fitball: 99% that you will not regret buying it. It certainly won’t become a waste of money, it won’t lie around somewhere in a deflated form. There is always a business for him:

For yoga, stretching and Pilates;
For morning exercises;
to fight obesity;
during pregnancy;
for recovery after childbirth (some even breastfeed while sitting on a ball - desperate);
during the recovery period after injuries;
with diseased joints and spine;
with diseases of the veins in the legs;
for the elderly;
for people who work "on their feet";
in a family with children, the fitball will definitely not lie idle;
and how stress relieves - beauty. Feel like children, as they say.

In short, if you buy, it will not be superfluous in any house.

We choose wisely

How to choose a fitball? A common question on various forums. And here is what you are advised to pay attention to:

Size. There are many ways to choose the right size for you. First, height is taken into account: with a height of less than 155 cm, you need a ball with a diameter of 45 cm. And with every 10 cm plus, the diameter of the ball should increase accordingly.

Secondly, it is desirable to “try on” the ball before buying. Most often in sports stores they allow. Sit straight on the fitball. Hip, knee, ankle: all angles should be straight (90 degrees, who does not remember).

Handles, spikes. For beginners, children and the elderly, pens are very useful. But, if you want to practice with full seriousness and dedication, the handles will only interfere with you. But the spikes carry the role of massage, which means they will only be a plus.
Fitball lettering. No, it doesn't matter. Yes, it is important. For example, icons such as ADS or BSQ mean that the ball has an anti-burst safety system built into it. Those. if the ball is damaged, it will slowly deflate rather than explode.

Also pay attention to the carrying capacity. Keep in mind that when jumping, your weight will press on the fitball with more force. Plus, you will probably train on it with weights. Therefore, always choose with a margin.

Material. It is better to choose a thickness of at least 6 mm. And pay attention to quality: there should be no wrinkles, cracks when inflating or trying to pinch. The ball should be pressed when pressed no more than 3-4 cm, and quickly return back.
Seams. You should almost not feel the seams - this indicates the quality of workmanship.

Where can I buy?

If you trust a particular online store, that's one thing. But it's better to buy such things offline - in sports stores, so that you can touch, "try on" and all that. Sometimes such paraphernalia is sold even in fitness centers.

The price of a fitball depends on the material and the brand. You can find an order, but, as reviews show, the most reliable balls cost from 2-3 thousand rubles.

It seems that she told everything about fitball exercises for weight loss. If you have questions, you can leave comments here. I will answer everything.

Gymnastics for the elderly: use the ball

It happens that a person has never played sports, devoting all his free time to family or work. And, only after retiring, he found time for training.

Even in this case, gymnastics for the elderly will make it possible to activate the work of muscles and joints, at least partially restore lost dexterity and flexibility.

Marina Makarova, Deputy Head of the Center for Restorative Medicine and Rehabilitation of the Treatment and Rehabilitation Center of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of Russia, talks about how to do gymnastics for older people who have to sit a lot.

All exercises are performed while sitting - on a chair or stool without a back. It is worth noting that each exercise does not need to be performed more than five or six times, so as not to get very tired and not get pain in the muscles and joints. Exercises from this cycle can be performed twice a day.

To effectively perform leg exercises, a rubber mat with soft spikes that simulate the arch of the foot is very useful: the spikes are low at the edges, and high in the middle. Classes with the use of this rug allow the foot not only to remember its “shape”, but also to influence the active zones located on the foot, improving blood circulation, intestinal motility and kidney function.

Roll your foot on the massage mat from heel to toe. First, both legs perform the same movements, and then they change: one is placed on the heel, and the other on the toe.

Bring your toes together and spread them apart. Repeat the same with your heels.

Let's get back to the exercises for the hands. To do this, you need a spiked rubber ball, which you can buy in a toy store, sports stores, pharmacies, and even where they sell pet products. It is good to massage with this ball, because its small spikes irritate the skin well, activating blood circulation and nerve endings. To warm up, roll the ball between your palms, then move it to the back of your hand and roll your palm from your fingers to your forearms.

Place one hand on your knee, and with the other, rolling the ball under your palm, massage it from the hand to the shoulder. Such a massage is especially useful for men who spend a lot of time at the table, working at a computer or with papers. And women doing housework.

Spiked balls are suitable not only for self-massage. You can ask children or grandchildren to do a light shoulder and back massage with a couple of these balls.

Hyperextension, twists, plank, push-ups and other fitball exercises

In this article, we will discuss the most useful exercises on a fitball that you can do at home. Each individual option involves the use of certain muscles, aimed at losing weight or strengthening. We will figure out how to do the exercises correctly, how many approaches should be done to get the expected result.

Static bar

The first exercise with a fitness ball is used for weight loss, as the muscles of the abdomen and sides are involved in the process.

The exercise can be performed either with your feet on the ball, or resting on your hands. However, it should be said right away that, resting on your hands, you can easily slip off and get injured. That is why it is better to put your feet on the fitball. We do the exercise as follows: we put our feet on the ball and stand on straight arms so that our body is a straight line, without deflections or arches in the lumbar region. Keep this position for at least a minute to get the desired effect.

If you are physically fit enough and want to make the most of your potential, then use the fitball as a support for your hands. We do it this way: we kneel and put our elbows on the ball; straighten up slowly, keeping balance. After that, roll the ball forward, maintaining balance. You need to stop at the point where your back is completely straight and your elbows are still good on the ball.

The static bar, in the process of its implementation, involves the muscles of the buttocks and abdomen. Also, part of the load goes to the deltoid muscle (shoulders). Remember the following: after the exercise, your back should not hurt. If pain appears, then you are doing the bar incorrectly. To avoid injury, perform all actions near the mirror.

Plank in dynamics

The following fitball exercise for weight loss will help remove wrinkles from the abdomen and pump up the press. We start with the same static plank on outstretched arms, after which we begin to slowly lift the pelvis up, while moving the ball closer to us. The fitball should be in contact with the ankle so that you can control the process. The peak point is a position in which your straight arms and back will come out in one line. Before performing exercises in dynamics, it is worth assessing the strength of your arms and the preparation of your joints, since it is they that will support your weight. If there are fears that after the exercise you will get a stretch, use an elastic bandage.

Overhead ball squat

Another simple fitball exercise for weight loss, which can be easily performed at home.

The exercise differs from regular squats only in that you need to hold a fitball in your hands.

Correct execution implies the following: we take the ball and raise it above the head with outstretched arms. Next, put your feet shoulder-width apart, straighten your back. We squat slowly, looking up (look at the transition between the wall and the ceiling). At the moment when your hips are perpendicular to the calves, we stop and slowly rise to the starting position. During the squat, you can not arch your back with a “wheel” or look down at the floor.

Wall squats

Squatting against the wall differs from the previous version in that the fitball will not allow you to arch your back with a “wheel”.

To begin with, we stand up to the support and place the fitball between the back and the wall so that during the squat it does not fall and does not end up in the head area. After you have placed the ball in the right place, put your feet shoulder-width apart and look forward or up. Slowly squat so that the ball moves with you. We freeze when the calves are perpendicular to the hips, and just as slowly return to the starting position.

Push ups

During push-ups, you can use the ball, placing it under your feet or leaning on your hands. Both the first and second options will force you to keep your balance. It is precisely by maintaining balance that push-ups on a fitball differ from push-ups on a static surface.

The first option involves using a ball to support the legs. First we go to static bar to outstretched arms. Further, while maintaining balance, slowly push up from the floor. The back should be straight, you need to look forward. The exercise is performed slowly with fixation at the peak point. You can’t do too fast and too slow, because in the first case you can get injured, and in the second case the result will be zero. The second option involves using the ball as a handhold. We put the brushes on the sides of the ball, straighten our back and slowly do push-ups. The back should be straight, the shoulders should be straight. It is impossible to bend the legs at the knees, since the entire load will move to shoulder girdle, and the press and gluteal muscles will not be involved.

Reverse push-ups

There is a lighter and heavier version of the exercise, which we will talk about next.

A simplified version involves bending the legs at the knees. Reverse push-ups are performed as follows: we turn our backs to the fitball, squat and put our hands on it. The thighs should be perpendicular to the calves while reverse push-up only work upper limbs, legs are used only to maintain balance. Slowly push up, bending your arms behind your back. The peak point is the one at which the arms are bent at a right angle (90°). We fix for a few seconds and return to the starting position. During the reverse push-up, you can not sit on the floor or lie down on the ball. The initial number of repetitions is 15–20 times.

Lunges

Lunges with a fitball in our hands will help us keep our back straight and perform the exercise correctly.

The procedure is as follows: we raise the ball on outstretched arms in front of us, lunge so that the working leg is bent at a right angle, and the other limb touches the floor with the knee. We repeat the exercise, changing the leg.

Lunges are more of a warm-up than a full-fledged exercise that will help strengthen muscle groups. Therefore, it is recommended to carry it out at the beginning of the workout, and then move on to more complex ones.

hyperextension

We move on to more complex fitball exercises, which are great for strengthening the spine.

We start by laying down on the fitball with our stomach so that the torso is parallel to the floor. To do this, the ball is placed in the area of the upper thighs and pelvis. Next, you need to rest your toes on the floor to create balance. If you don’t feel it, move your torso back a little, shifting the fitball towards your chest. After taking the initial position, we begin to lift the torso up, arching in the back. At the peak point, we freeze for a few seconds and slowly descend. During execution, the legs should not come off the floor, otherwise you will “leave” forward and may be injured. Also, do not help yourself with your hands, otherwise hyperextension will turn into push-ups.

The number of repetitions depends on your physical fitness and the presence of back problems. It’s worth starting with 8-12 repetitions with strict adherence to technique.

Reverse hyperextension

Unlike the previous version, reverse hyperextension involves the movement of the legs, not the body. Lie down with your stomach on the ball so that you feel the balance. Hands need to take on any static object that will serve as a support. We straighten our back and raise our legs, stopping at the top point. After that, slowly lower the lower limbs and repeat again. During reverse hyperextension, only the legs should be involved, the arms serve as a support. The back should bend in the process of lifting the lower limbs so that all the working muscles are involved to the maximum. Movement forward or to the side during the exercise is unacceptable, as you can damage the static part - the hands.

For girls who want to pump up the buttocks, this exercise is the best fit, as it gives a big load on this part of the body.

Twisting

This exercise on a gymnastic ball is similar to the standard pumping of the press, which is known to everyone. However, the ball makes its own changes that complicate the execution process.

To begin with, we need to lie on the ball with our backs so that the hips do not touch it. The legs are widely spaced, bent at the knees at a right angle. Keep your hands loose behind your head. We spread our elbows to the sides and bend our back. In the process of execution, we need to raise the upper body so that the legs remain in the same position, and the abdominal muscles are strained to the limit. At the peak point, we stop for a second and slowly return to the starting position. During the twisting, the ball must be stationary. You can not move the body to the sides, hold hands on the floor or fitball.

Do repetitions until you feel warmth and strong muscle tension in the abdomen. The initial number of repetitions is 15–18 times.

Pull knees to chest

Before starting, we need to get into a static plank using a fitball as a leg support. We will lean on the ball with the ankle. Arms and back should be straight.

The exercise is performed as follows: we begin to lead the knees to the chest, moving the center of gravity. The ball must move with your feet so you don't fall. In the process of execution, the back remains straight, the gaze is directed forward. The peak point is the moment when the heels touch the buttocks. Only the legs should move, the torso remains in the same position (arms are perpendicular to the body). The initial number of repetitions is 15–18 times.

Fitball squats

"Standard" squats, to which the use of a fitball is added. In the initial position, the legs are shoulder-width apart, the back is straight, we hold the ball in front of us on outstretched arms. In the process of squatting, we lower the ball down, and when we return to the starting position, we raise it up. The peak point is the perpendicular position of the legs, after which we rise up. The back in the process of execution is slightly bent forward, the gaze is directed at 45 ° upwards.

The number of repetitions is 25–30 times. Squats are great as a warm-up before reverse hyperextension or other more advanced exercises. difficult exercises in which the muscles of the legs are involved.

Pelvic lift

The exercise involves the front muscles of the thighs and the muscles of the buttocks.

The pelvis is lifted on the fitball as follows: we sit down near the ball and lean on it with our backs so that the angle between the body and the floor is about 45 °. Next, leaning on the fitball, slightly raise the torso, moving the ball a little closer to the lower back (done so that you do not touch the floor during execution). After that, we raise the torso, transferring it to a vertical position, which is parallel to the floor. The knees at the peak point should be bent at an angle of 90°. The pelvic lift is carried out with fixation at the top point. The whole process should go smoothly, without jerks.

Book

An interesting exercise that involves the muscles of the arms, legs, abdomen and chest. Lie back on the floor and hold internal parties stop fitball. The arms should be straightened above the head, forming a straight line with the torso and legs. Further, tearing off the shoulder blades from the floor, we simultaneously raise our arms and legs so that they converge approximately in the chest area. At the same time, the arms and legs must be straight, otherwise the benefit from the implementation will be reduced to zero. At the peak point, we pass the ball from foot to hand, and slowly return to its original position. We repeat the exercise, passing the ball from hand to foot.

Tilts to the side

The last exercise on the fitball is tilting to the side.

To begin, you need to lie on some side of the ball so that your waist, pelvis and upper thighs are in contact with it. Feet should rest against the wall. In the starting position, your body is extended in one straight line. We hold our hands behind our heads (if it doesn’t work out, we hold on to the ball with one hand). Raise your upper body as if you were doing standing bends, bending your torso as much as possible so that your upper body is almost perpendicular to your legs. We linger for a second at the top point and slowly lower the body.

During the execution, the legs should not move, the hands are also used to support the head, but by no means to help with twisting.

This concludes the top fitball exercises that will help you “pump” all the muscles of the body. Some of the above assume good physical shape, so don't be discouraged if you don't get a lot of sets the first time. Follow the instructions and exercise your body regularly to achieve the desired results.

The best fitball exercises

How often do you want to change something in your body! Maybe your goal is body shaping, weight loss, muscle building? Or, if everything suits you in appearance, then giving flexibility and improving health? Usually for this you need to work out in the gym, where there are a lot of different simulators. But what if you try to replace them with just one item? Easily! Fitball exercises involve a large number of muscle groups. And a set of exercises on a gymnastic apparatus will help not only to lose weight, but also to achieve many other goals.

More about the ball

The very first fitball was invented by the Italian owner of the puppet factory. original version was very far from what we know and use now. He found his place in medicine in Switzerland thanks to a phthisiatrician. And only then exercises with a gymnastic ball began to be used in fitness, aerobics and other sports.

The uniqueness of the complex of exercises with the ball is that classes on it involve almost all muscle groups. Just imagine: one projectile replaces many simulators! The number of different training options on it is difficult to count. However, they do not require good physical fitness or endurance. There are other advantages of a conventional gymnastics apparatus:

It weighs a little, but is able to withstand heavy loads.
Easy to move around the house or gym.
It deflates and inflates without problems, and is also equipped with an anti-burst system.
Not only helps with weight loss, but also develops qualities such as flexibility, agility, balance.
Suitable for the elderly, infants and pregnant women.
Improves coordination and posture due to its instability.

Fitball is a great tool for losing weight. It sounds strange, but even if you just sit on it, you will begin to affect a considerable number of muscles. And this means that fat reserves will begin to be burned! What then can be achieved with training? You will not only lose weight, but also rid your body of flabbiness, stretch marks and even cellulite. All this can be obtained only in combination with rational and proper nutrition and cardio loads: running, jumping, jump rope, exercise bike.

Also, the speed of losing weight and obtaining other results is directly affected by the projectile that is right for you. First of all, evaluate the material itself. It must have two important qualities:

Then choose the size: it is best to sit down on the intended purchase. On a ball of the correct size, the feet are firmly planted, the knees are bent at an angle of 90 degrees, and the hips are parallel to the surface.

After you have bought a fitball, you need to decide on a place to conduct classes at home. There should be enough free space in the room. Not all floor coverings are suitable either. For example, you can’t do a complex on a carpet, parquet or laminate, as the ball will start to slide. And this is already dangerous.

In order for fitball exercises at home to bring more more benefit, pump it up to the limit. It will be more elastic. What does an increase in the number of tense muscles mean.

Put a fitball against the wall and snuggle up to it. Extend your leg out in front of you. By straining the press, begin to lower yourself until the hips and the floor are parallel. Stay down for a while and feel how the muscles tense up. To make weight loss exercises with a fitball a little more difficult, use small dumbbells or full half-liter bottles. You can also do squats on one leg, stretching the other forward.

Lie down on the floor, stretch your arms along the body. Feet on the fitball, but the socks do not touch it. Rest your palms on the floor surface. Tighten your abs and buttocks. With your knees bent, raise your hips as high as possible, rolling the object closer. Just holding on to the weight, roll it back. A complex version of the exercise with the ball is performed with weighting on the stomach. It could be a barbell pancake, some heavy book, or a pet.

Lie down on the floor. Grasp the fitball with your feet and pull them above you. Spread your arms at your sides and rest them on the floor. Reject the object to the right without raising your back and shoulders, then to the left. A more complicated type of exercise on the ball: put weights on the shins.

Lie down on the fitball with your stomach. Place your feet on the floor, straighten your legs. Hands behind the back of the head, clasped in the castle. Spread your elbows. Lower the body down with a straight back. Tighten your press. Then slowly rise until the whole body is straightened. Get down again.

Rest your hips on the ball and get into a lying position. Inhale as you lower yourself to the floor, exhale as you rise. A more complicated version of the exercise for weight loss with a fitball: your feet are on the edge of the projectile or put on a heavy backpack.

Put the projectile against the wall and press your palms against it, placing them in the center. Straighten your back and shoulders, push your chest forward. Keep your hips in a parallel line with the floor. Push up, lingering at the top.

Exercise with dumbbells and with a fitness ball is performed in this way. Lie back on a gym ball. The hips hang from it and are parallel to the floor. The feet are slightly wider than at shoulder level. Straining the press, stretch your arms with dumbbells above your head. Take a deep breath and slowly lower to your shoulders. Stop for a couple of seconds and exhale lift. Please note that dumbbells cannot be knocked against each other.

This option from the weight loss complex helps to pump up the press. Lie on your back on the ball. Place your feet on the floor at a wide distance, otherwise you may lose your balance. Clasp your hands behind the lock and start to rise. Don't forget to keep your balance.

Stand in front of the ball and put your hands on it. Straighten your legs like you would during a push-up and stay in this position for 10 seconds. When you do these exercises for the press with a fitball at home, your hands shake a little, and this is normal.

Lie on your stomach on a gymnastic ball, legs straight. Make an effort to keep your balance. Raise your legs and start crossing them.

Lie down on the fitball with your stomach. Straighten your lower body and stretch your arms out in front of you. Slowly lower and raise the body, straining the press. Try not to arch your back.

Exercises for slimming the hips with a ball are performed while sitting on your knees. Press your left side against the fitball. Place your palm on the projectile and stretch your right leg to the side, parallel to the floor. Pause for a couple of moments, then pull your knee to the fitball and return to the previous position.

To properly do exercises at home with a fitball, turn your back to the gymnastic apparatus. Bend your right leg and place your foot on the ball. Pull your hands up. Without bending the left knee, lean forward. Stretch to the foot of a straight leg.

Sit on an exercise ball with a straight back. Start taking small steps. At this time, you should gradually slide off the fitball. Stop walking when only the shoulder blades rest on the ball. Then lift your hips, hold for a couple of seconds and lower them. But don't touch the floor! Get back on the ball and start again.

Exercises with a ball from a complex of fitness classes are truly a universal remedy. On this ball, you can work out all muscle groups and just cheer up with jumps. Fast weight loss, pumping up the press and other muscles, improving flexibility in particular and health in general - all this will give the most ordinary fitball.