BOB CONDOR and BRIAN ABERBACK
The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
03-06-2000
ON THE BALL -- EVERYONE FROM FITNESS BEGINNERS TO PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES IS BUILDING
UP STRENGTH THROUGH THE LATEST EXERCISE TREND
By BOB CONDOR and BRIAN ABERBACK
Date: 03-06-2000, Monday
Section: LIFESTYLE
Edition: All Editions -- Two Star B, Two Star P, One Star B
Most exercise trends trickle down from the more fit among us.
A lithe Jane Fonda kick-started aerobic dance classes. The
weightlifting regimens of seniors hoping to retain bone strength and
independent lifestyles are inherited from bodybuilders. Even
exercise-walking can be traced to the running boom that took off in the
early 1970s.
So it is refreshingly unusual that the next big thing in fitness
might be an innovation first used some 50 years ago in Europe to treat
patients with neurological disorders and spinal injuries. It was
introduced in the United States by physical therapists during the 1960s.
The oversized, inflatable spheres called exercise balls (and
sometimes flex-a-balls, therapy balls, Swiss balls, or stability balls)
are standard equipment in a growing number of health clubs. The American
Council on Exercise, an organization that certifies personal trainers
and tracks fitness trends, estimates that about half of all workout
facilities have them.
What sets them apart from other fitness fads is their value to
anyone who wants to stay in shape. They can help young and old,
beginners or professionals, to build the muscles that improve balance
and stabiity.
'There are so many wasy to use the ball to strengthen different
body parts,' says Andrea Singer, who uses exercise balls in her
Jazzercise classes at the YM-YWHA in Wayne. Exercise balls are
important, Singer said, becasue they strengthen the body's trunk, which
includes back and posterior muscles.
These muscles often are overlooked by those primarily interested in
improving their upper-body strength.
It initially wasn't easy convincing people -- including herself -- to
take exercise balls seriously, Singer said.
'When I first saw [the ball] at a Jazzercize convention [five years
ago], I thought it was a big joke,' she said. But once she took a class
using the ball, her feelings changed.
'I felt muscles working that I had no clue I ever had,' she said.
'Doing a few curl-ups on the ball is the same as doing hundreds
traditionally.'
Just by sitting on the ball and keeping it from rolling, your back
has to naturally straighten out, while 'stabilizer muscles' in the
abdomen, back, buttocks, and torso do the work of keeping you upright.
When you add other exercise movements, keeping your body on the
ball (and stopping it from rolling) recruits even more stabilizer
muscles in the legs, chest, and arms.
'There's no other traditional machine or free-weight exercise other
than plain old crunches or back extensions that works the back and
abdomen so well,' said Robin Schear, fitness director of the Spa at
Glenpointe in Teaneck.
Besides strengthening core muscles, the balls can improve
flexibility. The balls let you 'get into a deeper stretch' compared to
stretching on a mat, Singer said. An example, she said, is a back-arch
stretch: 'One of the best stretches is to drape your back over the ball,
keeping your feet on the floor and arms over your head. It's a
tremendous back stretch.'
At Glenpointe, Schear said, older clients were the first to use the
balls, because of their 'functional' benefits. They can be used to
simulate sitting on and getting off a chair, a potentially dangerous
activity for an older person whose back muscles and coordination have
deteriorated. For older women, strengthening back muscles and posture
helps combat osteoporosis.
Singer also has a fair share of older students -- she calls them her
'senior hard-bodies' -- and agrees that the benefits of the ball carry
over to everyday activities, such as carrying groceries.
But exercise balls aren't only for the older set.
'Even the big-muscle guys get on them,' said David Wilshire, a gym
owner in Chicago who offers three exercise-ball classes each week.
At the Spa at Glenpointe, one staffer regularly uses the ball
instead of a bench while lifting weights, working his posterior and
abdominal muscles at the same time he strengthens his arms and pecs,
Schear said. This should be done only after mastering the balance
necessary to stay on the ball, she added.
Shifting from solid ground to an exercise ball can be awkward at
first.
'I see people all of the time who have no problems handling the most
advanced cardiovascular class workouts, then find it difficult when they
come to an exercise ball class,' said Randy Bichler, an aerobics
instructor in Chicago. 'It requires an entirely different set of
muscles, which is good for the body.'
Classes can be customized for all fitness levels. Adjustments of
where your body is positioned on the ball can add or reduce difficulty.
The less body on the ball, the harder the exercise. For the most
experienced, there is always the challenge of doing exercise ball
movements with your eyes closed.
The use of exercise balls is not limited to workout facilities.
Singer has read about hyperactive children using the balls in the
classroom. 'It gives them an opportunity to adjust their bodies
comfortably instead of sitting rigidly at a desk,' she said.
In Phoenix, an office ergonomics expert is recommending the balls
as alternatives to chairs for clients who sit in front of a computer all
day.
'When we sit on a stationary object all day, our muscles aren't
doing much work,' said Tony Swain, a training coordinator for a Chicago
fitness club. 'Getting on a ball helps your muscles progress faster.'
A University of Texas study of 55 women provides some scientific
support for exercise balls. It found that women ages 20 to 40 who
trained for 10 weeks with exercise balls made greater gains when tested
for muscle strength, coordination, and balance than a control group of
female participants who followed a traditional flexibility program of
floor-based stretching and toning exercises.
Women using the exercise balls gained a greater range of motion in
their joints during the 10 weeks.
Researchers at San Diego State University conducted a similar study
of 20 older exercisers, age 65 and up. Although all participants
improved leg flexibility, the seniors who attended exercise ball
workouts increased strength in their legs, upper bodies, and backs by 25
to 50 percent more when compared to the control group.
They were judged on such practical motions as lifting objects,
stepping up, and avoiding back strain during a sudden shift in body
weight.
Bob Condor writes for the Chicago Tribune. Brian Aberback is a Record
staff writer.
Illustrations/Photos: 1 - COLOR PHOTO - NANCY STONE / THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE -
At the Cheetah Gym in Andersonville, Ill., Heather Riordan instructs a class
on Resist-A-Ball techniques. Classes can be customized for all fitness levels,
and adjustments of where your body is positioned on the ball can add or reduce
difficulty. The less body on the ball, the harder the exercise. 2 - PHOTO -
BETH BALBIERZ / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER - Patty Duffy of Wayne, left, and Kathy Dumani
of Lincoln Park have a new bounce in their push-ups.
Keywords: PHYSICAL FITNESS
Copyright 2000 Bergen Record Corp. All rights reserved.
The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
03-06-2000
ON THE BALL -- EVERYONE FROM FITNESS BEGINNERS TO PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES IS BUILDING
UP STRENGTH THROUGH THE LATEST EXERCISE TREND
By BOB CONDOR and BRIAN ABERBACK
Date: 03-06-2000, Monday
Section: LIFESTYLE
Edition: All Editions -- Two Star B, Two Star P, One Star B
Most exercise trends trickle down from the more fit among us.
A lithe Jane Fonda kick-started aerobic dance classes. The
weightlifting regimens of seniors hoping to retain bone strength and
independent lifestyles are inherited from bodybuilders. Even
exercise-walking can be traced to the running boom that took off in the
early 1970s.
So it is refreshingly unusual that the next big thing in fitness
might be an innovation first used some 50 years ago in Europe to treat
patients with neurological disorders and spinal injuries. It was
introduced in the United States by physical therapists during the 1960s.
The oversized, inflatable spheres called exercise balls (and
sometimes flex-a-balls, therapy balls, Swiss balls, or stability balls)
are standard equipment in a growing number of health clubs. The American
Council on Exercise, an organization that certifies personal trainers
and tracks fitness trends, estimates that about half of all workout
facilities have them.
What sets them apart from other fitness fads is their value to
anyone who wants to stay in shape. They can help young and old,
beginners or professionals, to build the muscles that improve balance
and stabiity.
'There are so many wasy to use the ball to strengthen different
body parts,' says Andrea Singer, who uses exercise balls in her
Jazzercise classes at the YM-YWHA in Wayne. Exercise balls are
important, Singer said, becasue they strengthen the body's trunk, which
includes back and posterior muscles.
These muscles often are overlooked by those primarily interested in
improving their upper-body strength.
It initially wasn't easy convincing people -- including herself -- to
take exercise balls seriously, Singer said.
'When I first saw [the ball] at a Jazzercize convention [five years
ago], I thought it was a big joke,' she said. But once she took a class
using the ball, her feelings changed.
'I felt muscles working that I had no clue I ever had,' she said.
'Doing a few curl-ups on the ball is the same as doing hundreds
traditionally.'
Just by sitting on the ball and keeping it from rolling, your back
has to naturally straighten out, while 'stabilizer muscles' in the
abdomen, back, buttocks, and torso do the work of keeping you upright.
When you add other exercise movements, keeping your body on the
ball (and stopping it from rolling) recruits even more stabilizer
muscles in the legs, chest, and arms.
'There's no other traditional machine or free-weight exercise other
than plain old crunches or back extensions that works the back and
abdomen so well,' said Robin Schear, fitness director of the Spa at
Glenpointe in Teaneck.
Besides strengthening core muscles, the balls can improve
flexibility. The balls let you 'get into a deeper stretch' compared to
stretching on a mat, Singer said. An example, she said, is a back-arch
stretch: 'One of the best stretches is to drape your back over the ball,
keeping your feet on the floor and arms over your head. It's a
tremendous back stretch.'
At Glenpointe, Schear said, older clients were the first to use the
balls, because of their 'functional' benefits. They can be used to
simulate sitting on and getting off a chair, a potentially dangerous
activity for an older person whose back muscles and coordination have
deteriorated. For older women, strengthening back muscles and posture
helps combat osteoporosis.
Singer also has a fair share of older students -- she calls them her
'senior hard-bodies' -- and agrees that the benefits of the ball carry
over to everyday activities, such as carrying groceries.
But exercise balls aren't only for the older set.
'Even the big-muscle guys get on them,' said David Wilshire, a gym
owner in Chicago who offers three exercise-ball classes each week.
At the Spa at Glenpointe, one staffer regularly uses the ball
instead of a bench while lifting weights, working his posterior and
abdominal muscles at the same time he strengthens his arms and pecs,
Schear said. This should be done only after mastering the balance
necessary to stay on the ball, she added.
Shifting from solid ground to an exercise ball can be awkward at
first.
'I see people all of the time who have no problems handling the most
advanced cardiovascular class workouts, then find it difficult when they
come to an exercise ball class,' said Randy Bichler, an aerobics
instructor in Chicago. 'It requires an entirely different set of
muscles, which is good for the body.'
Classes can be customized for all fitness levels. Adjustments of
where your body is positioned on the ball can add or reduce difficulty.
The less body on the ball, the harder the exercise. For the most
experienced, there is always the challenge of doing exercise ball
movements with your eyes closed.
The use of exercise balls is not limited to workout facilities.
Singer has read about hyperactive children using the balls in the
classroom. 'It gives them an opportunity to adjust their bodies
comfortably instead of sitting rigidly at a desk,' she said.
In Phoenix, an office ergonomics expert is recommending the balls
as alternatives to chairs for clients who sit in front of a computer all
day.
'When we sit on a stationary object all day, our muscles aren't
doing much work,' said Tony Swain, a training coordinator for a Chicago
fitness club. 'Getting on a ball helps your muscles progress faster.'
A University of Texas study of 55 women provides some scientific
support for exercise balls. It found that women ages 20 to 40 who
trained for 10 weeks with exercise balls made greater gains when tested
for muscle strength, coordination, and balance than a control group of
female participants who followed a traditional flexibility program of
floor-based stretching and toning exercises.
Women using the exercise balls gained a greater range of motion in
their joints during the 10 weeks.
Researchers at San Diego State University conducted a similar study
of 20 older exercisers, age 65 and up. Although all participants
improved leg flexibility, the seniors who attended exercise ball
workouts increased strength in their legs, upper bodies, and backs by 25
to 50 percent more when compared to the control group.
They were judged on such practical motions as lifting objects,
stepping up, and avoiding back strain during a sudden shift in body
weight.
Bob Condor writes for the Chicago Tribune. Brian Aberback is a Record
staff writer.
Illustrations/Photos: 1 - COLOR PHOTO - NANCY STONE / THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE -
At the Cheetah Gym in Andersonville, Ill., Heather Riordan instructs a class
on Resist-A-Ball techniques. Classes can be customized for all fitness levels,
and adjustments of where your body is positioned on the ball can add or reduce
difficulty. The less body on the ball, the harder the exercise. 2 - PHOTO -
BETH BALBIERZ / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER - Patty Duffy of Wayne, left, and Kathy Dumani
of Lincoln Park have a new bounce in their push-ups.
Keywords: PHYSICAL FITNESS
Copyright 2000 Bergen Record Corp. All rights reserved.
