Swiss Ball for Balance what is your experience?

Doc Turbo · Post by **Doc Turbo** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 8:42 am

I heard from some standup surfers about them standing on swiss balls for improving balance. So I looked in my swiss ball training book, sure enough there was a photo and exercise for kneeling on a swiss ball.

I have been trying this as a supplement to my normal exercises, kneeling on a swiss ball for a couple minutes per set and about 5 sets per day.

I got the following results:

sore arm from falling off the ball, safety first need some mats nearby
Better Balance
Improved kneeling stance
Stronger legs
More power in my feet
and more important for me is faster tune up during my weekend warrior surfs, meaning I feel right on the first wave

crippler · Post by **crippler** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 2:18 pm

Yo Doc I didn`t know that was a real exercise but i quite often pinch my chick`s swiss ball and naturally went to my knee`s on it.it took me a while to get balanced and like you fell of so many times.haven`t done it religously enough to really feel the results but after hearing of your success i`m goin to.Stoked for you it sounds like it`s doin wonders.
Are you just kneelin in a balanced position? or doin knee based body rolls too?

red · Post by **red** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 2:52 pm

You can do weight exercises kneeling and incorporate body twists
You can do pushups - hands on ball, feet on ball
You can put feet on ball, hands on floor and lift ass in air, pulling ball towards you as you go up
You can do above, then lift one foot in air

All great for fast twitch balance muscles

PS you can involve a partner, but that's PG rated.

ross · Post by **ross** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 6:42 pm

Hey Doc T!
I love my fitball!
I've been mucking around on the things for about 8 yrs , I used to do classes a couple of nights a week for 5 of those years. As your book probably shows you there are hundreds of different exercises.
Sounds like your getting the knee stance down. If you want to step it up, start bouncing a tennis ball off the wall and catching it. Or as red says get some one else on their own fitball and tossing tennis balls to and fro'.
If you want to start working your way to your feet, the way I was taught was to start sitting cross legged on the ball, untangling your legs and shifting around on the ball without touching the ground till your on your knees. Again without touching the ground, rise up using both hands and feet, till your standing on the fitball using your hands for stabilisers. After doing this a thousand times you'll eventually get a feel for where you want to be standing,handsfree.

I got to be a bit of a fitball freak for a time there, I used to bring it travelling with me

Due to profound hearing issues my balance is about a 3rd as good as the average punter, so i first got onto em through my ENT specialist. Fitball and walking around on half built roof frames has pretty well cured me!

Having said that, one of the guys in my class did fling of his one night. We were doing squats on our fitballs with medicine balls. He took the woman next to him out with a 5kg medicine ball and put his head through a gyprock(drywall) wall!
Imagine his head had lined up with a wallstud? :lol:have fun, be careful!

quadfin · Post by **quadfin** » Tue Dec 01, 2009 7:24 am

Have been using the Bosu Ball for physical therapy (Achilles tendon) and wondered about using kneeling balance exercises with flat side up. Anyone tried this?

Tom Linn · Post by **Tom Linn** » Tue Dec 01, 2009 12:01 pm

I use my wife's fit ball regularly to practice kneeriding. So does my son. We do hops to simulate off the lips, leans to simulate bottom turns, and practice looking cool and relaxed to simulate looking cool and relaxed in the tube. It's kinda fun although we do look stupid which is not new for me. Not sure if it helps kneeriding but I'm sure it can't hurt.

MWROBERTSON · Post by **MWROBERTSON** » Tue Dec 01, 2009 12:26 pm

They're great in the bedroom too!

Doc Turbo · Post by **Doc Turbo** » Tue Dec 01, 2009 5:48 pm

Thanks for the input from everyone. I think the tennis ball on the wall, and the cross leg to kneeling to four point standing is a good one. Might need a spotter though, no dry wall walls here mate, a stud would be a good thing compared to masonary wall

One of my standup friends was showing off to the hot Brazilian Instructor, showing how cool to stand on the ball, until he got thrown, and severely sprained his wrist...

The classes in the local gym are great, I have not tried the ball classes, but Step, BodyPump and RPM have made sure plenty of variety of muscles are worked.

Kama Sutra Swiss Ball is next on my list of achievements

ross · Post by **ross** » Tue Dec 01, 2009 11:14 pm

Doc Turbo wrote: Might need a spotter though, no dry wall walls here mate, a stud would be a good thing compared to masonary wall

Ouch didn't think of that! A spotter is a great idea. I forgot to add, when the ball is less inflated it's easier, the harder the ball is the harder the work out.

KenM · Post by **KenM** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 8:56 pm

Probably easier with flippers too.

Doc Turbo · Post by **Doc Turbo** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 9:29 pm

KenM wrote:Probably easier with flippers too.

How about with power gloves?

KenM · Post by **KenM** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 9:38 pm

Might help me stay on it.

Pez · Post by **Pez** » Wed Oct 06, 2010 6:32 pm

I've been using the misses Ball every so often. The exercise she showed me for her Pilate's class is a bit of a twist on above's post.

When you kneel on ball, you can't use your feet to hook up on ball, which is a natural thing to do. Without your feet holding onto ball, alot more importance is place onto core and balance. It is quite hard to balance without your feet wanting to hook on.
Once that down pat, grab a lightish weight and do some overhead presses or as posted above get someone to throw a ball back and forth.
My two cents worth.