How is the stability of your fitness? Stability is defined as the state of being stable and is synonymous with security, safety, steadiness, & strength. It implies a foundation of something firm on which to build upon. When we think of the different areas of our life, stability may represent being able to pay our bills and being financially secure or having peaceful, fulfilling relationships and being emotionally secure. What does stability mean in the fitness realm and how often do we hear the importance of it? Too often it is overlooked or mauled over by all the rage of the newest workout routine. Regardless of its popularity, stability is a very important concept and a staple of a solid fitness foundation.
Statistically, up to 80 percent of the population will suffer some type of back issue or injury. Being more informed on the subject of stability, and how it relates to fitness can be a drastic preventative measure of this epidemic when applied. Stability relates to posture, which comes from your spinal cord. Our spinal cord is dependent on the surrounding muscles that support it. A focus on strengthening the core muscle groups of our body is a foundational principle of fitness. Two of the major muscle groups that play a critical role in supporting the back and spinal cord are the gluteal and abdominal muscles. A great way to work these muscles groups, as well as the back muscles is with the stability ball.
In the past decade, the stability ball has become a very popular tool in the fitness world. Originating as the Swedish ball, it has become a well-known fitness icon in today’s society. A stability ball is a very inexpensive piece of fitness equipment that can easily be used daily, offers a plethora of exercises, and can be mobile. Some suggestions in building the stability ball into your daily routine are:
- Have a stability ball easily assessable for use in your home. Practice engaging stability promoting muscles by simply sitting on the ball with good posture while at your desk doing office work, watching a movie, or even eating. This will promote balance as well.
- Purchase a small inflation tool to take with you when you travel so that you can take your stability ball with you and always have a ready to go workout routine wherever you are.
- Keep it interesting! There are so many exercise options with the stability ball. Check out the chart below to kick start your stability ball exercise library and continue to add to it! Add in some jumping jacks and jump rope in between sets and you have a complete workout for home or on the go!
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Before engaging in these exercises, ensure the proper positioning of your body on the ball. Make sure to stay tuned for follow up articles on the topics of improving posture, and the importance of building stabilizer muscle focus into your workouts!
