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Swiss Balls: A must for any home gym!
Any home gym is incomplete without an exercise ball (or swiss ball as they’re commonly known where I’m from).
Swiss balls have become so commonplace now, that you will find them in a lot of people’s living rooms. They are a great talking point for any visitors who come, they can be a source of entertainment (see who can stay sitting on the ball the longest without touching the ground) and they can help you to do something productive while watching TV or DVDs.
Why are they so effective?
The reason why swiss balls make any exercise more effective is due to the concept of instability. If for instance you are doing crunches on a flat mat, your muscles will be contracting in order to perform the crunch movement. If you do crunches on a swiss ball however, you’ll be using those muscles even more as you have to keep yourself stabilized and perform the crunches.
Make any exercise harder by adding a swiss ball to the mix
Pretty much any workout can be supercharged by using an exercise ball. It can be a great way to bring some variety into a workout that has reached a plateau. Some basic ideas to run with for people who have just purchased a ball are:
• using it instead of a flat floor for pretty much all ab workouts (as referred to above)
• adding another element to press ups by raising your legs with it and resting your feet on the ball
• using it as a replacement for a bench for bench presses – just make sure you have a heavy duty one!
Should anyone who is interested in getting fit purchase a swiss ball?
Yes. I am convinced that these piece of equipment is not a gimmick. Sure, they are not the be all and end all of exercise gear, but they are an effective tool which should not be ignored if you want to make the most of your workouts.
What size swiss ball should I purchase?
Yes, they come in different sizes (they are not a one-size-fits-all product). Here is a table to follow as a rough guideline.
Height Size
5′ 0″ to 5′ 5″ 55 cm (22”)
5′ 6″- 6′ 1″ 65 cm (26”)
6′ 2″ – 6′ 8″ 75 cm (30”)
Where can I buy one?
They are usually pretty cheap if you buy them from your local department store and for a lot of exercises this is all you’ll need. If you’re looking for a heavy duty one then you might want to head to a sports store and purchase one that is designed to take a lot of weight.
They can also be purchased online of course. I would recommend Lifeline swiss balls which can be purchased from Monkey Bar Gym. Amazon or eBay would also have quite a large range available.
