Can exercise balls be used to tone the abs?

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Exercise balls can be a great tool for toning your abs, as well as other core muscles. Exercises with gymnastics balls also bring a new feeling, not boring, helping you to increase the intensity of movement and quickly own a slim body. The following are exercises combined with the ball that you can refer to.

1. Plank combines exercise with gym ball

This exercise not only helps you increase the intensity of your workout, but also improves blood flow in the body. How to do this:
Get into Plank position and put the exercise ball under your hands Keep your back and neck straight, bring your right knee to your chest Bring your right knee back to its original position and then bring your left knee up to your chest Try to change Move quickly and keep your abs tight. Practice continuously for 30 seconds, rest for 30 seconds.

2. Squat combined with exercise ball

This exercise focuses on the core muscles, especially the back muscles. When you combine the exercise ball, you will also work out your body's endurance along with the muscles of your upper back, shoulder and arm muscles. You just need to pay attention to the correct posture as follows:
Stand with your feet slightly wider than your shoulders, lift the exercise ball over your head and hold the ball like this throughout the exercise Bend your knees and push your hips back to get into position. Squat position. Adjust the thighs parallel to the floor and the knees not pointing inward. Use the force of the feet to push the body up. Repeat 12 times continuously and do 3 times.

3. Twist yourself with the gym ball

This is an exercise to help tone the abdominal muscles, you need to twist your upper body to maximize efficiency. How to do it as follows
Sit down on the floor, legs bent at a 45-degree angle in front of you and feet touching the floor 2 hands holding an exercise ball out in front of you Keep your core muscles firm, and at the same time rotate your upper body to bring the ball Return to the right so that the ball almost touches the floor Return to the original position and then bring the ball to the left Practice 10 times on each side and repeat 3 sets.

4. Push-ups with an exercise ball

If you find the normal push-up exercise is not intense enough or too boring, you can try combining it with an exercise ball as follows:
Get into a normal push-up position, keeping your back and neck straight throughout the exercise. Mini gymnastics ball under right hand and complete push-up Switch ball to other hand and continue.

5. Put the gym ball to the foot

If you want to tone your abs even more, you should continue with the following exercise:
Lie on your back on the floor, arms and legs stretched out to the sky Hold the ball in your hands Squeeze your core muscles, arch your back so that your arms and legs touch Stretch arms and legs back to the original position. Practice continuously for 12 - 15 sets.

6. Gymnastics pass

This is a more advanced form of the exercise above, which not only helps you lose belly fat but also maximizes your body's ability to burn body fat quickly. At the same time, because you have to use the abdominal, butt, hip and back muscle groups, you will also be more flexible.
The steps are as follows:
Lie on your back on the floor, arms and legs extended straight up to the ceiling Hold the ball overhead with both hands Bend over, raise arms and legs to form a V-shape Transfer the ball to both legs and hold tight Lower arm and extended leg back. Bend a second time and return the ball to your hands. Repeat the movement 10-15 times.

7. Recline on the gym ball

To tone your abs with an exercise ball, try the following exercise:
Sit on an exercise ball with your feet flat on the floor and hip-width apart Keep your back straight, cross your arms over your chest and squeeze your abs. Lean back until you feel your abs fully stretch. Hold the position for 3 deep breaths. Return to the starting position and repeat.

8. Notes when exercising with gymnastics

Exercise balls come in different sizes, you can choose an exercise ball that when sitting on the ball with your feet flat on the floor, your knees will be perpendicular. Pay attention to the quality of the ball and the appropriate weight for your fitness. After a while of doing exercises with the gym ball, you can gradually increase the weight of the ball or change to other types of balls to gradually increase the intensity or diversify the exercises.
Just 20 minutes of exercise with an exercise ball, you can burn about 500 calories. The movements in familiar cardio exercises will become more interesting if you combine them with exercise balls. When you first start, you only need to practice about 5 sets, as long as you ensure the right technique and practice regularly. Over time, as you strengthen your abs and core more, gradually increase to 12-15 sets of exercise balls to build strength and improve fitness. Don't forget to breathe evenly and deeply while using the exercise ball.
Each exercise with the ball usually takes only a few minutes, plus ten seconds of rest so this is not a long time. So try to schedule a workout every day to tone your abs and have a slimmer body.

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Reference source: mayoclinic.org