FULL BODY EXERCISE

Stability Ball Planks are a full-body workout - targeting a lot of different muscles at the same time. They can be used to strengthen the core, shoulders, and arms, and to challenge coordination, stability, and balance. That makes them a good choice if you have a limited amount of time. Including full-body exercises is more functional because they improve coordination, body awareness, and control. 

CORE MUSCLE STRENGTH IS THE FOUNDATION OF HEALTHY MOVEMENT. KIND OF LIKE CHOCOLATE IS THE FOUNDATION OF BROWNIES. NO CHOCOLATE, NO BROWNIES. NO CORE STRENGTH, NO HEALTHY MOVEMENT. 

The main focus of stability ball planks is strengthening the core muscles. Having a strong core is the foundation of healthy movement. The core has also been called the pillar of strength or the powerhouse. If you want strong and healthy arms and legs, it is important to have a strong core to support them. Stability ball planks are a fun way of achieving that.

PSYCHOLOGICALLY SATISFYING! FEEL LIKE A ROCKSTAR OVERNIGHT

One of the best things about the ball exercises is that you tend to see progress pretty quickly. This is an interesting phenomenon. I think it comes from the fact that balance and motor control is more about mental control than physical strength. This is exciting because it means that you don’t have to actually grow the muscle to feel the improvements, you just have to practice.

The more you use the stability ball, the quicker your brain will learn how to move on it, you will most likely feel more confident on the ball within 3 -4 exercise sessions. Which of course makes you feel like you’re an overnight success. None of this 6 months to see improvements stuff! Just kidding, of course that’s part of our workout program too. But this is a wonderful quick-win feeling. We all need those “I’ve obviously made major progress” moments sometimes!

GRAVITY IS A WONDERFUL THING- HOW TO MAKE YOUR CORE WORK HARD WITHOUT WEIGHTS OR BANDS.

When we are upright with good posture, the muscles of the core are not very active - that is the beauty behind the design of the spine. When all of the vertebrae are stacked up and aligned properly, the muscles don’t have to do much work and the body can conserve energy. As soon as we move our legs or arms, the muscles become more active. If we lean forward or backward, gravity will pull down on our heads and upper body and the muscles become even more active. Planks put the body into a horizontal position where gravity really has an effect - just getting into this position and holding it is very demanding on the core muscles. This is easy to feel when you are in a plank.

PROTECT YOUR BACK. OR HELP YOUR BACK IF IT’S ALREADY HURTIN’.

Strong and healthy core muscles are needed to keep upright and to prevent damage to your spine, and even the rest of your body. The main job of the core is to hold us up. Anytime that we are not being supported by something, like a bed or chair, our core muscles are working to hold us upright.

The muscle activity increases as soon as the weight of the head is no longer directly over the spine. So if you lean forward, the weight of your head starts to pull your torso forward, The core muscles work to prevent you from falling. The muscles also move each individual vertebra to keep them all properly stacked and aligned. Between every two vertebrae, there is a disc and two small joints on the side. There are also two small passages where the nerves exit from the spinal cord and travel to the different areas of the body. If the vertebra moves too much it can lead to injuries to the ligaments, discs, joints, and nerves.

Most low back pain is due to too much movement between the vertebrae. The muscles need to help stabilize the vertebra and also absorb shock from the lower body to protect all of these structures. Back and neck pain are a huge problem, leading to disability and loss of independent living. Learning safe exercises that train the core muscles to move in the healthiest way possible can help to prevent joint damage and prolong independence.

HOLD ON TO THAT BONE MASS (IT’S A THING OVER 40)

Another benefit of stability ball plank exercises is that you are weight-bearing through the arms - not many exercises require that you put a lot of weight through the arm bones. Loading the bones in this way will stimulate bone growth, making the bones stronger. Weight-bearing exercises are frequently used for prevention or as a treatment for osteopenia or osteoporosis (low bone density).

Exercises that are done with the arms or legs in weight-bearing will stimulate the proprioceptors more - these are receptors in the joints that send information to the brain to tell the brain where the limb is in space. Proprioception (the awareness of where the body is in space) is important for motor control, coordination of movement, and balance.