Most exercise trends trickle down from the more fit among us.
A lithe Jane Fonda kickstarted aerobic dance classes-don’t dare call them “dance” any more. The weight-lifting regimens followed these days by grandparents hoping to retain bone strength and independent lifestyles are inherited from bodybuilders. Even exercise walking can be traced to the running boom, which took off after an American, Frank Shorter, won the Olympic marathon in 1972.
So it is as refreshing as unusual that the Next Big Thing in Fitness might well be an innovation first used some 50 years ago in Europe to treat patients with neurological disorders and spinal injuries, then introduced by physical therapists in the U.S. during the 1960s. Then known as therapy balls or Swiss balls, the oversized inflatable spheres now called exercise balls (and sometimes therapy balls, Swiss balls or stability balls) are standard equipment in a growing number of health clubs. The American Council on Exercise, an organization that certifies personal trainers and tracks fitness trends, estimates about half of all workout facilities now have exercise balls.
What sets apart exercise balls from just another fitness fad is the value to everyone who wants to stay in shape. They can help everyone from beginners to professional athletes build balance and stability, most notably in the abdomen, back and spine.
“Even the big-muscles guys get on them,” said David Wilshire, owner of the cutting-edge Cheetah Gym in Chicago’s North Side Andersonville neighborhood. Cheetah Gym is one of the first local clubs to hold regular exercise ball classes (three each week), but far from the last. The numerous local Bally Fitness clubs and just-arrived Gorrilla Sports facilities (part of Bally) will be adding a full schedule of exercise ball classes within the month.
“Exercise balls are a great way to work on your body’s core or trunk,” said Tony Swain, personal training coordinator at the East Bank Club, which stages orientation classes about the balls for members most months. “Just sitting on the ball will improve your posture by putting your spine in a neutral alignment (reducing tension). You build more functional strength in your abdominal and back muscles, which we all need.”
Here’s what happens when you simply sit on the ball: To stay on the ball and keep it from rolling, your back has to naturally straighten out, while “stabilizer muscles” in the abdomen, back, buttocks and torso do the work of keeping you upright. When you start to add other movements, say, a leg curl or pushup, keeping your body on the ball (and stopping it from rolling) recruits even more stabilizer muscles in the legs, chest and arms.
The whole process is based on isometric movements, in which your body reacts to its own weight. There is both the static number of pounds registered on the bathroom scale and the higher amount of “dynamic” weight placed on the bones and muscles during movements such as stepping, jumping or pushing.
Shifting from solid ground to an exercise ball can be awkward at first.
“I see people all of the time who have no problems handling the most advanced cardiovascular class workouts, then find it difficult when they come to an exercise ball class,” said Randy Bichler, group exercise coordinator for Gorilla Sports (with locations downtown and in the former Jamnastics space in Lincoln Park) and one of the city’s foremost aerobics instructors “It requires an entirely different set of muscles, which is good for the body.”
Swain calls it “shocking the neuromuscular system.” It is accepted among exercise researchers that our muscles will acclimate to any movement after about six weeks, which is why you feel less sore or tired during the second month of a new walking program than during the first month. Consequently, to keep challenging your body and build stronger muscles, experts suggest changing your routine every six weeks, even something as simple as doing the same weight-lifting exercises in different order.
Exercise balls provide a ready-made opportunity for altering the usual routine.
“The three hottest classes at clubs are yoga, Pilates and exercise balls,” Bichler said. “People feel stronger by adding variety to their workouts. Their energy levels are up.”
A University of Texas study of 55 women provides some scientific support for exercise balls. It showed women (ages 20 to 40) who trained for 10 weeks with exercise balls made greater gains when tested for muscle strength, coordination and balance than a control group of female participants who followed a traditional flexibility program of floor-based stretching and toning exercises. What’s more, the study showed women using the exercise balls gained a greater range of motion in their joints during the 10 weeks.
Researchers at San Diego State University conducted a similar study of 20 older exerciser, who were 65 and up. Although all participants improved leg flexibility, the seniors who attended exercise ball workouts increased strength in their legs, upper bodies and backs by 25 to 50 percent more when compared to the control group. They were judged on such practical motions as lifting objects, stepping up and avoiding back strain during a sudden shift in body weight.
Like most fitness trends, exercise balls do have a leading brand-name to help spread the word. Florida-based personal trainer Mike Morris and his choreographer wife, Stephanie, first developed and trademarked their Resist-A-Balls program in 1993. In the early days, Morris was selling about 200 balls in a good month. Now, working with Chicago-based SPRI Products Inc., monthly sales of Resist-A-Balls is at about 4,000 to 5,000 and increasing. The typical ball retails for about $30.
“We own a health club down here (in Destin, Fla.),” Morris said. “I saw drastic changes in posture when my training clients used the balls. Their abdominal and back muscles were so much stronger. These people started doing things they hadn’t done in years.”
Morris is quick to remind that he didn’t invent the balls, he just introduced them to health clubs and other fitness facilities.
“The concept is almost too simple and stupid,” he said, laughing.
Resist-A-Balls and similar products (such as Body Ball and FitBall) come in different sizes to match body height and weight. When the ball is properly inflated, the knees are no higher than the hips when you sit on the ball. The most common mistake, including when Morris teaches personal trainers how to use the balls, is underinflating the ball so the knees end up too high when people sit on them.
Swain adds another common mistake: Personal trainers or class instructors who assume a seemingly fit person is ready to “move from Point A to Point D” on an exercise ball without learning the basic movements. He said doing single-limb movements and balancing is advanced work that should be respected. Same goes for people who within a week are using dumbbells or medicine balls while sitting on an exercise ball. Researchers consider exercise balls to be safe and effective, but always recommend proceeding with caution, whether it be consulting your doctor or understanding that gaining a sense of balance on the ball can require several sessions.
Researchers consider exercise balls to be a safe and effective method for building strength, flexibility and balance, plus rehabilitating injuries. They
There are eight startup exercises in a Resist-A-Ball class. Some examples are leg extensions, abdominal crunches, a hip bridge extension (with feet on the floor and the ball supporting your back, neck and head) and squats (the ball is between your back and a wall) that are much less dangerous for a beginner than putting a barbell across your shoulders.
Another popular move is balancing prone over the ball, which is harder and more beneficial than it might look. Once you master the balancing, you can add a pushup or “hand-walk” the ball.
Exercise ball classes can be customized for all fitness levels, Bichler said. Slight adjustments of where your body is positioned on the ball can add or reduce difficulty. The less body on the ball, the harder the exercise. For the most experienced, there is always the challenge of doing exercise ball movements with your eyes closed.
What’s more, the fitness trend of exercise balls might not stop in workout facilities. An office ergonomics expert in Phoenix is recommending the balls as alternatives to chairs for clients who sit in front of a computer all day. And some exercise instructors and personal trainers have been spotted sitting on a ball when entering data into computers at their health clubs. Surfing the Internet may take a newer, healthier translation.
“When we sit on a stationary object all day, our muscles aren’t doing much work,” Swain said. “Getting on a ball helps your muscles progress faster.”
WHAT’S WITH THOSE BALLS, ANYWAY?
– They improve balance and stability, most notably in the abdomen, back and spine.
– Women ages 20 to 40 who trained for 10 weeks with exercise balls made greater gains when tested for muscle strength, coordination and balance than a control group of female participants who followed a traditional flexibility program of floor-based stretching and toning exercises. What’s more, the study showed women using the exercise balls gained a greater range of motion in their joints during the 10 weeks.
– Women ages 65 and up increased strength in their legs, upper bodies and backs by 25 to 50 percent more when compared to the control group.
– Where will you see them next? An office ergonomics expert in Phoenix is recommending the balls as alternatives to chairs for clients who sit in front of a computer all day.
