MUSCLES IMBALANCES NO MORE.

No wonder gym balls have become a household and gym staple. They are such versatile pieces of equipment and can be used to target just about any part of the body, but especially the core (also called the lumbopelvic hip complex). Exercising on a gym ball helps you maintain a correct posture and remain stable by engaging your core stabilising system. This system of complementary muscles working together as a kinetic chain creates a strong and stable base for all your functional movements. It includes the diaphragm, transversus abdominis (deep abdominals), internal and external obliques, rectus abdominis, erector spinae (deep back muscle), multifidus (short muscles running from the sides of the spine up to the middle back), the pelvic floor (from the pubic bone to the base of the spine at the back) and the hip stabilising complex (including notably the glutes and the piriformis). Why is the core so important? Because when your core strength is weakened, your body becomes poorly aligned, which in turn causes other muscles to overcompensate and creates muscle imbalances. This makes your body more susceptible to injuries. It is also your core that helps you maintain a safe joint function, efficient movements with added force, as well as good biomechanics and correct form.

What about Pilates Balls? These small balls are intended to be inflated significantly less than their maximum inflation capacity to provide some give. That is why they are sometimes called “soft balls”. By providing resistance as you try to keep them in place, they help you develop core strength/stability and are particularly useful in lying and standing exercises that target arms, abs, hamstrings, quadriceps, glutes, hips, and the pelvic floor. Pilates Balls are also a great aid to support your back and neck during exercise.

Reach for these gym arsenal must-haves whenever you want to up your fitness game and add an element of instability, resistance, or support to your workouts.