Great Balls O'Fitness: Staying Fit Can Be a Ball

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What does dignity have to do with exercise? Quite a lot, really. When you run, bike, walk, row, swing a racket, or hit a golf ball well -- striding, turning, and moving in a smooth, graceful motion -- your entire body and mind are in sync. Hence, you look good. Hence, your dignity remains happily intact.

Dignity, however, does not appear to be the promise offered by those enormous, brightly colored fitness balls you might have spotted at your local YMCA or workout club. Looking for all the world like kids' toys from the land of Brobdingnag, they congregate in a corner, waiting for -- what? They're awkward to roll around and too big to toss or kick, so what do you do with them? How can an object so ungainly and round -- frankly, a bit on the rotund side -- serve the goal of a healthier you?

You suspect that contact between your body and the ball's surface is required. But in your mind's eye, this is not a pretty picture. You attempt to sit on one, only to roll too far to one side or the other and fall off, arms and legs flailing and dignity gone -- in full view of your gym compatriots, of course, who may or may not resist the temptation to smirk (and make a mental note never to get near one themselves).

Like many other exercise gadgets out there, fitness balls require a bit of practice to master. But, once tamed, these vinyl air-filled balls are safe, fun, surprisingly versatile, and very effective for improving strength, flexibility, and balance.

Fitness balls, sometimes called Swiss balls, stability balls, or core balls, have been around thirty years or so. Originally, physical therapists used them to help patients recover from injuries, rebuild muscles, and improve coordination. Now, they've rolled into gyms for the rest of us.

Made of durable material, they can handle hundreds of pounds, so you don't need to worry about having them burst like a worn tire. And they are low risk for injury, even though you're right to be wary of their stability if you're new to them. If you just plopped down on top of one, you would roll off just about immediately -- unless you engaged your muscles and focused your balancing skills quickly enough to stay upright.

And that is their value. "They deliver a terrific form of exercise for the 'core' muscles -- those in the abdominal and lower-back areas," says Walter R. Thompson, PhD, professor of kinesiology and health at Georgia State University. "Any movement attempted on the ball at all requires these core muscles to contract. Balance is the key -- even to just sitting on the ball."

By strengthening these muscles, your overall fitness improves, and with that comes better posture as well as improved balance. Adds Thompson, "It is actually those people who have the worst time 'balancing' on the ball who get the better workout."

What sorts of moves can you do on the ball? Just about anything, apparently. Thompson notes he's seen advanced users "stand on one foot on the stability ball while doing biceps curls." Beginners can use them as a kind of bench to do a complete strength-training workout with weights. They are also better than the floor for doing ab crunches.

Because at first there is a chance to injure yourself, how do you begin? "With caution, and only under the proper guidance of a certified personal trainer or other instructor," says Thompson. Once you have the basics of balance down, though, you might prefer practicing getting on and off the thing in your own home. At a cost of between $10 and $200, depending on size and accessories, such as videotapes and air pumps, fitness balls are a bargain compared with pricey exercise equipment -- and, given their big-toy look, they may just become your workout favorite.