Push-ups on The Ball

Last month I mentioned that the two best exercises to do to get your arms ready for beach season are dips (for triceps)and pushups. Pushups on the floor (on your toes) may seem very challenging but a great way to work up to that is to do pushups on the ball.

To do pushups on the ball:
-Start kneeling behind the ball.
-Engage the abs and roll out onto the ball (face down) until your knees are on top of the ball.
-Walk your arms out so that your hands are wider than your shoulders. (Hands should be in line with shoulders)
-Bend the elbows lowering your chest towards the floor.
-Perform 10-15 of these.
-Remember not to flop over when you are done. It is important to get off of the ball the same way that you got on it. Walk your hands back until you are kneeling behind the ball.

As you improve you can walk your body further out on the ball until your toes are on the ball. (see picture below)

Does Size Really Matter?

Actually, yes it does...at least when it comes to choosing the correct stability ball. Most stability balls come with a chart that will tell you what size ball is good for your height, such as this:

Your height Ball size
Less than 5'2" 45 cm
5'2" to 5'7" 55 cm
5'8" to 6 ' 65 cm
More than 6' 75 cm

However, once you get your ball home and inflate it, you want to make sure that it is, in fact, the right size for you:

-Sit on top of the ball (preferably in front of a mirror) with abs engaged and shoulder blades back.
-Check to make sure that your knees are in line with your hips.

If your knees are above your hips, the ball is too tall. However, if your knees are below your hips, the ball is too short. In either of these cases, if the ball is fully inflated, you should exchange the ball for the next size so that you will be able to maintain perfect posture on the ball.

A Simple Exercise for Pregnancy and Delivery (Part 2)

Another great exercise that is good during your pregnancy and also prepares you for labor and delivery is hip circles. In class, we do this on the ball, but you can also do this standing.

To do hip circles on the ball:
-Sit tall on the stability ball with your shoulder blades back and down, abs engaged and the top of your head towards the ceiling. Your feet are hip width apart (or a little wider).
-Without moving your upper body, begin to move your hips clockwise in a circular motion. Start by making small circles, with each one getting a little bigger.
-Once you have made the biggest circle you can, begin to move your hips counter clockwise in a circular motion. Start with making the biggest circle you can, with each one getting a little smaller.

Click here for a video demonstration (towards the end of the video).

This exercise can be done every day to start to prepare your hips for delivery. In my classes and during personal training, we do this exercise as a "break" between other strength exercises. This may not seem like much of an exercise in early pregnancy, but you will be happy that you did it during delivery. This can also be done during labor as a comfort technique.