Fast Friday - Oblique Core Strength and Balance on the Ball
Friday, March 20, 2009
Jolie Bookspan, M.Ed, PhD, FAWM
Here is Friday Fast Fitness - develop strong side abdominal and back muscles, and train balance at the same time:- Put both hands on the floor and step one foot up onto an exercise ball of any size
- Step the other foot up to the ball and turn sideways. Hold straight (upper photo). Hold and feel all abdominal and back muscles working strongly to hold yourself straight.
- Work up to raising one arm.
Don't let body sag (lower photo). The idea is to train your muscles to be able to hold straight against the resistance of your own body weight during daily life when walking and everything you do. If your muscles don't have the strength or endurance to hold you, then you will sag onto your joints.
At first, you may need help to steady the ball. Practice until you can steady it with your own muscles, balance, and stability.
Instead of sitting on an exercise ball, remember that you might already sit much of the day. Get up and use an exercise ball for more functional, active, and healthful things.
Send in your photos of your fun successes using the ball in ways that train function. Exercise ball success story already in progress from Robert Davis. See his first story - Fixed Injuries, Got Strong, With Functional Exercise.
---Instead of sitting on an exercise ball, remember that you might already sit much of the day. Get up and use an exercise ball for more functional, active, and healthful things.
Send in your photos of your fun successes using the ball in ways that train function. Exercise ball success story already in progress from Robert Davis. See his first story - Fixed Injuries, Got Strong, With Functional Exercise.
Read success stories of these methods and send your own. Questions come in by the hundreds. I make posts from selected ones. See if your answers are already here by clicking labels under posts, links in posts, and archives at right.
Subscribe to The Fitness Fixer, free. Click "updates via e-mail" (under trumpet) upper right.
Find your topics on the Fitness Fixer Index, and see Dr.Jolie's books on her website.
Subscribe to The Fitness Fixer, free. Click "updates via e-mail" (under trumpet) upper right.
Find your topics on the Fitness Fixer Index, and see Dr.Jolie's books on her website.
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Photos by Dr. Jolie of dedicated students.
Labels: abdominal muscles, balance, endurance, exercise ball, fast fitness, strength
2 Comments:
At Friday, March 20, 2009 12:40:00 PM,
Anonymous said…
Hey Dr. Jolie!
I recently bought your three of your books in appreciation for the benefits I obtained from the advice you give on your web-site and blog. I have learned a lot more from the books as well, and especially enjoy when you discuss stretching techniques. Thank you!
I have a question regarding ham-string stretches that your books do not seem to address. When I perform the ham-string stretches, such as the foot against the wall stretch with toes pointrd straight, pain occurs on the outward sides of my calf-muscles. I cannot seem to emphasize the ham-strings effectively because of this pain, while I do keep my toes pointed straight and I pull my hip-bone back. This paint is like the pain from a very sever stretch, so it seems I am suffering from tightness in one particular area that I can't seem to isolate.
Do you know why the calf acts this way? Is it because of tight achilles? I don't feel any stretch in my achilles.
At Monday, March 23, 2009 3:04:00 PM,
Jolie Bookspan, M.Ed, PhD, FAWM said…
Dear "Hey"
Glad you got all the extra information that is in the books.
A reader (Jeremy) asked the same question about pain in Healthier Hamstring Stretching. Don't press so hard :-) Stretching is supposed to be done in a way where you are looser and more relaxed right during the stretch, not tighter. Also it is true that tightness in one area is more felt during a stretch. You can easily control the amount of stretch on the wall by how close you bring your heel to the wall, and also control where you get the stretch by changing the height of the raised foot. Enjoy.
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