Tag Archive for: Long Beach Nutritional Coach

How to Increase Your Muscular Endurance

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Most people do not have very high muscular endurance. This is the ability to keep your muscles going over long periods of time without getting too tired. For many, it’s not something that is ever attained as it’s not trained hard for at all. Find out what you can do to improve this in your body.

You have to train with endurance and really push yourself for you to ever get to these types of fitness levels. There is nothing wrong with normal routines for overall health or weight loss, but endurance routines will be pushing you each time that you do the workouts. Do a little more each workout to push yourself a bit further.

endurance

You can train this type of endurance through cardio workouts. These would be things like jogging, ellipticals, cycling, jumping rope, or other forms of cardio. You need to be doing these multiple days a week for best results. Each time you workout push for a little more distance in less time. You want to go further faster. The best way to train for this is through high interval training. This means that you have periods of very high intensity that you are going all out mixed with intermediate intensity where you are taking more of a break.

You can also train this endurance through weight lifting as well. When you want to build endurance, you are going to use lighter weights. The reason is that you are going to push yourself until you can’t do another repetition at all. This is best done with lighter weights as opposed to heavy ones that you can’t lift that much of at all.

You can also focus on the foods that you are eating especially before needing your endurance. Get in food into your body like carbohydrates to help fuel your body and give you a bit extra energy that can turn into more endurance.

Aerobic Workouts are Just What the Body Needs

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We hear it all the time, on the news, the radio and all over the internet: We are getting fatter with each passing year, and the adverse health risks associated with our sedentary lifestyle and eating habits are killing us faster than almost anything else.

Aerobic workouts are just what the body needs to cleanse, strengthen and tone itself while sharpening the mind and improving mood.

Aerobic

Diet and exercise are two fundamental tools that each one of us has at our disposal to promote overall health and well-being. However, it seems that these things are also two of the hardest things to control and gain the upper hand with. Aerobic workouts are fantastic because they are simple to do, hardly cost anything to begin, and they are highly effective in melting fat.

Aerobic workouts rely on the principle that the faster the heart pumps and air moves in and out of the lungs, the more your body metabolizes. This means that you are burning more energy when active then when you are not. If you are interested in losing weight and sharpening mental skills, aerobic workouts are the perfect way to accomplish both.

Diet is also important, and the less junk you eat, the less weight you will gain. Combining healthy eating with exercise can quickly turn your body into a healthy machine that is optimized for strength, stamina, endurance and overall well-being. The less calories you take in every day, coupled with the more you burn from aerobic workouts will lead to fast results that will amaze and encourage you to continue achieving.

Whether or not you want to do high impact aerobic classes at the local gym or some simple things like jogging or intense walking on your own, there are plenty of options and techniques to explore and develop. As you become more accustomed to working out on a regular basis, you can adapt your routines to fit your preferences and tastes. If you don’t like running but love to dance, then dancing can be an excellent source of fun, exercise and toning that will leave you feeling wonderful.

Another benefit to aerobic workouts is that you are condensing the time it takes to burn calories. The harder you apply yourself, the more you burn. That means if you can increase the level of activity during the routine, you can shorten the amount of time it takes to complete it. Also, the more you work out in the day, the more your body will burn at night. Ultimately, you set your goals and work to achieve them, and the more effort you put into it, the more you will receive.

Foods for an Easy Weight Loss

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An easy weight loss can be aided by eating the right kinds of foods.

3 types of foods that will accelerate your weight loss are:

weight loss

1. Lean chicken & fish:

Chicken is one of the best weight loss foods you can eat! It contains a lot of protein with little fat (once you have removed the skin). Protein intake is essential to build muscle and one ounce of muscle burns three times as many calories as one ounce of fat. Not only is the fat burning rate of muscle higher than fat, increased muscle mass raises the body’s metabolic rate resulting in more calories burned. Turkey can be eaten as well as chicken to add a little variety to your diet.

The consumption of fish is also good for an easy weight loss. Fish such as salmon, tuna and trout contain Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are considered essential acids necessary for human health. These fatty acids cannot be manufactured by the body and must be added to the diet. Not only do these fatty acids help to lower the risk of heart disease, aid brain function and improve the mood, they have also been shown to increase the body’s sensitivity to Leptin. (Leptin is a hormone that makes the body feel full.)

The more obese a person is, the less sensitive the body becomes to Leptin, causing you to eat more to feel full. Eating foods with Omega-3 fatty acids causes the body to respond to lower amounts of Leptin, in turn, causing the body to feel full with less food.

2. Olive oil:

Replace your regular cooking oils with olive oil. Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats and its consumption promotes heart health by lowering the bad cholesterol without lowering the good cholesterol. (There are some health practitioners who also believe olive oil also acts to lower the risk of some cancers). There are several research studies that tend to indicate that consuming olive oil (instead of other types of cooking oils) helps people lose weight without changing any other part of the diet or increasing their exercise levels. (Of course, eating healthier and exercising will, unquestionably, make a quick weight loss plan even quicker.

3. Berries:

Berries are also good for losing weight. Eating strawberries, blueberries and blackberries, (among other types of berries) will help you to lose weight. (Studies have also shown that consumption of these berries appears to help reverse age related memory loss and other mental decline).

Blueberries are low in calories, low in sugar and contain no fat, sodium or cholesterol. Blueberries are also high in fiber which helps you feel full quicker. Studies have shown that eating blueberries aids in the reduction of belly fat.

Strawberries are low in calories, high in fiber and contain vitamin C. Studies have shown that eating strawberries increases the body’s production of hormones that make you feel full while as well as those hormones that increase your metabolism. In addition, eating strawberries helps regulate blood sugar spikes. Studies have also suggested that strawberries may aid in reversing age related brain disorders as well as inhibiting the growth of liver cancer cells.

Blackberries are also low in calories and high in fiber and have been alleged to have cancer preventing properties. They have also been shown to relieve menstrual and menopausal related symptoms.

As with all berries, the fresh fruit is much lower in calories than the frozen or canned varieties. Fresh fruits have higher vitamin levels too.

There is no diet easier to follow than one in which you can eat foods you like and not feel deprived. Adding these three types of foods to your diet will supercharge any diet you undertake or can even help you to lose weight without making any other radical changes. Not only will adding these foods to your diet help the pounds come off, you will be healthier for having added them to your meals. Note that these are only some of the weight loss “superfoods” that you want in your diet. In future posts, other foods will be discussed.

If you want an easy weight loss, add these foods to your diet today and watch that belly disappear.

How Muscular Endurance Can Benefit Your Health

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Muscular endurance is necessary if you are involved in strength sports like bodybuilding and weightlifting. However, it is also a must even for those of us who aren’t into any kind of endurance sport but depend on mobility and flexibility every day of our lives. Having good muscle endurance influences how we move about doing our everyday activities and how well we do them.

Everyday, people work out to achieve certain fitness goals and to have good overall health. One of the ways we determine our overall good health is to test our muscular endurance. Athletes work out and do intensive exercise routines in order to build up mass and strength so they can perform at their best.

Muscular endurance

They are tested for their it based on their age, gender and physical abilities and to be ready and prepared, they follow a healthy diet in addition to doing their exercises regularly. In addition, they also take sports supplements to enhance their performance, increase their energy and to take care of their muscles. This is the overall concept on which sport nutrition is based.

The body adapts to how it is trained. Training for muscular endurance for a cyclist is different from that of a runner, a swimmer or a bodybuilder. The amount of sets, weights and reps will vary as well as the time for recovery between each set and session. However long the recovery time is, it is important that the muscles have ample time to do it and this means ingesting quick-absorbing protein to help this process along. The quicker the muscles recover, the better it will feel for the next set of reps.

Muscular endurance is when your muscles are able to withstand a force exertion greater than being at rest for a significant amount of time. Athletes challenge their muscles to do just that but not without the help of sports supplements of course. Resistance training requires rest and when you exert force like lifting weights for example, certain nutrient stores in the muscles get depleted (like glycogen) and when you rest, your stores get replenished. Not resting between sets will force your body into a state of lactate production. It is training the pathways of energy production that use oxygen, so you can do your reps longer and without feeling tired easily.

It also benefits your health by helping you fight fatigue, reduce physical ailments like back injuries and slows down the aging process. Taking supplements that contain creatine, BCAAs and beta alanine ensure that you maximize your training by increasing your muscular endurance so you can keep working out to achieve your fitness goals faster by strengthening your muscles and delaying muscle fatigue. You achieve a well-defined physique as well because most supplements available today inhibit fat stores and just lets you develop lean muscle.

So when do you know you have good muscular endurance? The results vary really, because not all of us are created equal in the fitness department. However, good muscular endurance may be determined by committing yourself to doing a well-rounded routine on a regular basis.

3 Vital Steps to Take When Starting a Fitness Program

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If you have decided to eat healthier and start a workout program to lose weight there are 3 vital steps you must take in order to be successful. If you do not take these steps you will set yourself up for serious trouble in the future.

Most people start with good intentions to start a fitness program but life happens and their well intended quest for health and fitness gets sidetracked once again. If you want this to be the start of a great journey to health and fitness then these three steps are vital.

fitness

The three steps that lead to a successful start to a good fitness program are important, so that you can stay motivated and focused on your fitness goals. They are first to Decide, then to Commit and finally have Support.

1. Decide

Most people think just saying “I’m gonna start working out again” is enough to start a successful workout routine, but it’s not. If it were that easy we wouldn’t have the obesity problem that we have today. You have to first establish your “Why” for beginning your workout routine. “Why” have you decided this time to start working out. You need to come up with enough reasons so that when life happens and you feel you don’t have time or you don’t feel like working out, you have something to fall back on to keep you going. For example my “Why” to finally start my fitness journey was when I was put on high cholesterol medication by my doctor, a problem with sleep apnea and I was getting older. What is your “Why”? The more “Why’s” you have the greater the chances that your weight loss will last and your fitness journey with be a successful and lasting one.

2. Commit

Now that you have the motivation and reasons to get healthy and fit you must now “Commit” to a fitness plan. The key word being “Plan”. To lose weight and lead a healthy lifestyle you have to be consistent. If you are just flying by the seat of your pants and don’t have a plan of attack you will not be able to maintain your good results. Have a knowledgeable person design a program for you or invest in a good DVD/Online workout program. There are many choices of DVD workouts available and you can do the program over and over again. Just make sure you find a DVD/Online fitness program you like and that you can grow with.

3. Support

The most vital step of all three steps is to have a good support base. Family, friends and group of people. Whatever you do you want the support to provide motivation, accountability, and comradery. All of these things are important when you get discouraged and want to quit your workout program. It has been proven that people with a foundation of support have greater success when participating in health and fitness programs. This is why Weight Watchers is such a popular option. So find yourself a person or group of people with like minded goals and commit to support each other to meet each others goals.

There you go, 3 vital steps to take when starting a fitness program. By following these 3 steps you will give yourself a better chance at completing your program and seeing great success. When things start to look bleak and you want to quit your exercise routine, remind yourself of these 3 steps to keep you on track.

Finally Take Control of Your Stress Eating

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With such a busy schedule most of us face a multitude of stressful situations. With long hours at work or simply running a household, we often turn to food to soothe away the annoyances of problematic days. Let’s face it; after a full day of dropping off and picking up the kids, getting reports in on time, and battling traffic just in time to have 5 minutes of relaxation, nothing sounds better than our favorite snacks.

“After all that I deserve something delicious” sounds like an extremely prevalent mantra. Don’t get me wrong indulgence on occasion can boost anyone’s spirit! Our parents have enforced this our entire lives with one of the most famous parenting lines “You need to finish all your vegetables, and then you can have dessert!” In the attempt to teach the importance of a healthier diet, our parents have equated “comfort” and “reward” with food.

stressful

If you are good you get a reward, dessert, and feel comforted, unfortunately, this and number of other food-rewarding situations have perpetually influenced what, when, and why we eat. Now as adults with increasingly stressful lives what do we all do to comfort ourselves? That’s right; all too often, we turn to food to relieve stress. And it’s not usually so-called “healthy” and low-calorie foods we want. We want rich, creamy, salty, fattening, “comfort” foods.

However, before you start blaming good old mom and dad, there is scientific evidence that most of us who eat in response to stress are simply falling victim to heightened biochemical responses to comfort food. Those who are dieting, for example, tend to have lower levels of serotonin in their brains, that reported “low” feeling; experiencing a high-fat, high sugar, high calorie “sugar rush” raises serotonin levels, and can actually leave individuals susceptible to physical cravings for comfort foods.

This type of behavior is a self-supported physical addiction to certain foods. That is, some individuals may actually have a propensity to overeat in the same way someone addicted to smoking needs a cigarette in order to stay feeling “normal.”

What happens with stress eating?

For many people, the normal response to stress actually involved a shutting down of the appetite. However, in today’s fast-paced lifestyles, when we don’t get enough sleep and are under too much stress, this raises cortisol levels, which in turn raises our desires for fatty, salty, sweet foods that are not good for us. Unfortunately, this is a cycle that just won’t quit.

The response to stress, and the aftermath

When we’re stressed, we are more inclined to feast upon refined carbohydrate, fat, salty, sweet foods that are devoid of nutritional value, and for some people these types of foods are as addictive as nicotine. Because when you eat these foods your brain is flooded with serotonin however, this “feel good” rush of does not last long. Soon after stuffing our faces, guilt sets in and we feel terrible that we have consumed these empty calories that collect on our waistline, exactly where we don’t want them. Sometimes, the guilt and weight gain can lead to a poor body image, which can only exacerbate our stress and comfort food consumption. Again, another empty cycle of addiction that only leads you to feel pretty terrible about yourself.

Solution?

Your solution begins with a change in attitude. Realize that stress eating is a form of addictive behavior and that simple “willpower” is usually not enough to change it for long. You are going to have to work on changing your lifestyle, and it may very well be that you’ll experience very real “withdrawal” symptoms when you quit eating your junk food, much like a cigarette addict experiences when he or she quits smoking. It can be very, very uncomfortable to go through this withdrawal, but it is necessary to begin breaking away from stress eating.

Therefore, the solution to resolving your stress eating issues is something that has to happen on several levels. First of all, realize that stress eating isn’t just about willpower. If you know this, you can help assuage guilt you have about “giving in” to temptation. If you know it’s not just about your willpower or lack thereof, you can quit feeling so badly about yourself and maybe let that go as a past behavior that doesn’t have to continue.

The second part of the solution to resolving stress eating issues is that you have to find other, healthier ways to deal with the stress. For example, when you feel tempted to eat in response to stress, stop. Ask yourself if you’re feeling stressed, and if the answer is yes, do something else. Take a walk outside and breathe in the cool air or pick up the phone and call your best friend. Do whatever you have to do to distract yourself from the feeling that you want to eat just because you’re feeling stressed.

Old addictions are hard to break and you are going to have cravings for your comfort foods for quite some time until your body quits expecting them. And it should be noted that it may very well be possible for you to occasionally have a bite or two of your comfort foods just because you want them, for example as a treat once or twice a week. What you can never return to again is a mindless binge on your old favorites as you once did.

What’s important to note, too, is that as your stress levels decrease, you are less likely to reach for your old standby comfort foods to satisfy you. In the event you do get the urge to “munch,” and if you can’t stop it, opt for healthy choices like raw cut veggies (celery, carrots, snap peas, green pepper) or a healthy choice like air popped popcorn.

One final note: If you do fall off the wagon and have a “stress eating binge” on comfort foods, don’t let that stop you from climbing right back on the next day and continuing with your new and healthier lifestyle. Let it go and move on to the next day; your new healthier lifestyle will make you feel so much better you won’t want your “comfort food” except as an occasional treat before long.

Easy Six Pack Training with a Stability Ball

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The exercises looked simple, but if you’re looking for a good six pack abs workout, using a stability ball to intensify your routine is tough to beat! The whole concept behind these balls is that regardless of the exercise you are doing, having to keep the ball stable causes total engagement of core and back muscles at all times. You can expect to get a six pack quicker than normal if you implement the exercises I will be going over into your six pack training routine.

For those who don’t know what I’m talking about, or don’t remember them, stability balls are large balls. They come in three sizes and the diameters are based on height. To do your six pack training session, pick a ball that you feel comfortable using (which should go without saying). People up to about 5’2″ tall should consider using the smaller sized (45 cm) stability balls, 5’3″ up to about 5’8″ may want to opt for the medium sized balls (55cm), and anyone over 5’8″ should use the larger sized ball (65cm).

six pack

Six Pack Abdominal Crunch

Of course you can do a crunch the old fashion way on the floor, but what fun is that? Instead, doing a crunch on the stability ball will dramatically improve your chances of being able to maximize your six pack training routine. To do this six pack training move on the ball simply follow the instructions here.

First, sit on the ball with your back straight and then move your feet forward two steps. This will place you in the position of leaning into the ball and balancing it with your body. Cross your arms over your chest and then tighten your abs. Next you want to crunch and here comes the important part. Hold and then slowly lower yourself back down onto the ball. To get maximum six pack training, I suggest performing three sets of these with 20 repetitions each.

Six Pack Training Back Extension

This is basically the reverse of a crunch, and it is a great way to strengthen your back muscles as well. To perform this exercise lay on the ball face down, with your hips at the top of the ball. You will have to spread your feet out some and use your toes to keep the ball from rolling. Place your hands on top of your head and then lift your torso up by contracting your back muscles. This will also cause you to fully engage your abs. Now you want to slowly lower back into the starting position and then repeat 20 times. I would do 3 sets of this exercise.

Six Pack Training Stability Ball Roll

This is a great exercise to use in your six pack training routine! I have found women find this exercise especially beneficial. What you need to do is start by kneeling in front of the ball and place your hands on top of it. Slowly roll the ball forward, away from you until your forearms are resting on the top. Hold this pose for a couple seconds (5-15, it depends on how easy this is for you) and then slowly roll the ball back towards you until you return to your starting position. If you do these correctly you will feel an automatic tightening of your abs as you perform both directions. Repeat 20 times per set for 3 sets.

Six Pack Training Opposite Arm and Leg Raise

I’ve seen these done in six pack training sessions on the floor without the ball, but to be honest, they’re far more effective on a stability ball. If you want to use these in your six pack training, you need to increase the intensity to more than the simple floor version. To do this exercise, lay on top of the ball with your toes and hands on the floor. Slowly raise one arm and the opposite leg until they are straight and level to the floor. Then repeat using the other arm and leg. Do 40 of these (20 each side) and repeat twice more for a total of three sets. This six pack training set also works your back, glutes and quads.

As you can now tell, using a stability ball for six pack training is extremely beneficial if you want to get a six pack faster. If you don’t have a stability ball, many places sell them for around $20.00. Make sure that you have an air pump handy, but don’t pump them up fully. You will want a little bit of ‘give’ to the ball for your six pack training. Make sure to keep away these from pets and children as, while they are pretty rugged, these stability balls can be punctured by sharp objects. Regarding six pack training, these are some of the best moves out there.

The trick to using a stability ball for six pack training is to do each move slowly and completely (which you should be doing regardless to protect your form). These exercises really cannot be rushed as you will lose your balance and fall off or injury yourself through poor form. I did a bunch of these last night and although my dogs thought I was crazy, it was one of my better six pack training workouts this week.

Why Should You Choose a Fitness Program

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When choosing a fitness program, one should consider the effectiveness of it, their ability to maintain the program, their ability also to stick to a strict regimen and the type of program to choose. Many persons choose a fitness program which can cater to their specific needs; there are persons who need to lose weight in different parts of their bodies as each body has a different shape, or body type. Fat deposits are no respecters of persons and will be on any part of the body which is not being exercised.

There are some who choose programs which will cater to losing fat in their legs, thighs, arms, a vast majority choose to lose weight on their abdomen. Persons have realized that it is almost impossible to stick to a fitness program which incorporates diet and exercise, without the strictest of discipline.

fitness program

Assessing your body mass index or BMI is something persons need to do before choosing a fitness program, or they can get a program which is able to asses it for them. Your BMI gives an indication of where you are with your body weight and where you should be. There is a chart on the internet which tells you the correct weight for your height. Armed with this information your search for a fitness program should be easier. A doctor should also be consulted before undertaking any fitness program.

Even though weight loss in not the only reason persons should require a fitness program, but to live a healthy life, many persons opt to visit a gym or to find a fitness expert to cater to their weight loss needs. They are of the opinion that a fitness expert will more likely get them to stick to their fitness regimen. Persons who opt to go through the internet to find a program are more liable to “fall off the weight loss wagon” than those who have actual persons around them helping them and encouraging them.

Weight loss is largely dependent on the fitness level of each person. Going to a gym can produce results, but not if the diet is the same as before the gym. Weight gain is almost inevitable if a strict diet is not followed along with the exercise needed to gain or maintain the desired body weight.

Bodybuilding is also a form of workout which targets the muscles, the abdomen and the thighs and included in this program is also the recommendation of a strict diet. Fitness programs can be found on the internet and covers many aspects of fitness such as, work out, exercise, weight gain, bodybuilding, weight training, workout routines weight loss and how to get the best out of your gym.

Weight loss is one of the key areas which are catered to by a fitness program; persons are now more concerned about their weight and trying to lose some. Being obese is not a good thing and this can lead to many illnesses and complications for the persons who are.

Fitness programs should be introduced as a way of life, many person are not knowledgeable as to how to live a healthy life, how to incorporate diet and exercise into a fitness program. Routine exercise is also a good way to lose weight as the more you exercise, the more weight you will lose if you stick to a diet low in fat and which is also fiber rich.

The trick to successful weight loss is to burn more calories than you consume on a daily basis. Running, walking, swimming, jogging and aerobic exercise are also introduced into the fitness routine along with a proper diet, which is important in achieving your goal of being fit and healthy, or weight loss, whichever is your aim.

6 Tips to Cope with Stress Eating

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Stress eating can lead you to depend heavily on comfort foods; foods that are laden with calories, sugar and salt. Stress eating therefore leads to sudden weight gains and health problems. Also, stress eating is addictive and once a person is used to munching their way through stress, they find it difficult to stop.

Here are some effective tips to cope with stress eating:

Stress eating

Understand your problem

This is the first tip. Stress eating is often mistaken for needful eating because stress saps you of energy, makes you feel listless and empty. Therefore, victims have to develop a super sensitive antenna to detect stress eating and recognize it for what it is.

Relax

People turn to comfort foods during stress so they can help the body unwind and get some comfort. It is more productive to look for healthy ways of de-stressing. Deep breathing, yoga, music or exercises can help you relax.

Postpone

Postpone the act of eating for 10-20 minutes. Actual hunger tolerates delay. By postponing the act of eating, you can control the urge to eat junk food. Besides, postponing the urge may get rid of the food craving altogether. This is one of the most effective tips to fight stress eating.

Exercise

Daily exercise is a natural stress fighter. More importantly, it can help you overcome the bad effects of stress eating. Exercise need not be rigorous. Even light exercise will do. But commit to 15-20 minutes of exercise every day.

Portion control

If you are used to stress eating, there may be times when you cannot deny yourself the pleasure of food. In such cases, simply indulge yourself. But, instead of gobbling the entire cake, eat a thin sliver. Enjoy the taste and savor the flavor.

Try, try, try again

Don’t give up on yourself. It is not as hard as it seems. Small steps will lead you to success ultimately. Slowly but surely, you will succeed in breaking the unholy nexus between mood and food!

7 Advanced Stability Ball Workouts to Strengthen Your Core

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A stability ball can be one of the best tools that will help you in strengthening your body. Many people like to use a stability ball to train their core muscles and improve balance and coordination. Here in this article, I will show you many exercises that you can use in your stability ball workouts. Some of these moves can be tough and may require some previous experience in using the ball.

When you are using these exercises in your stability ball workouts, it is recommended that for your first try, you hold onto a wall or hold onto something stable to help you learn the movement. Also, as part of your stability ball workouts, you should perform 1-3 sets consisting of 10-15 reps for each of these exercises.

stability ball

Stability Ball Workouts #1: Ball Twist

  1. Get yourself into a push up position, except that your feet will be laying on either side of the ball. You should turn your ankles so that they are hugging the ball.
  2. While keeping your body straight and hands directly under your shoulders, slowly twist the ball to the right.
  3. Then repeat by twisting it to the left.

Keep in mind that your shoulders and back should be leveled during this exercise; don’t let your body sag in the middle.

Stability Ball Workouts #2: Butt Lift

  1. Sit next to the ball with your glutes (butt) on the ground. Your head, neck, and shoulders should be supported by the ball, and your knees will be bent.
  2. Squeeze your glutes and raise your hips until your body is forming a a straight line; your knees will be bent at a 90° angle. (you will basically look like a bridge)
  3. Hold that position for 3-5 seconds, then lower your body and repeat.

Stability Ball Workouts #3: Back Extension

  1. Lay on top of the ball, face down. Position the ball under your hips & abs. You can leave your knees straight or bent (but your feet should be touching the ground). Keep your hands behind yourself.
  2. To do the movement, you are going to try to slowly roll the ball. You should lift your chest off the ball and bring your shoulders up until your entire body forms a straight line.
  3. Lower your body and repeat

Stability Ball Workouts #4: Hip Extension

  1. Lie down on the ground, with your feet on top of the stability ball. Relax yourself.
  2. Using your abs, lift your hips off of the ground (squeeze the glutes) until your body is forming a straight line.
  3. If you would like to make this more challenging, lift your hips up and then lift one leg off of the ball. Hold for a second, and then lower your body. Repeat by lifting your other leg off of the ball.

Stability Ball Workouts #5: Ball Rotation

  1. Lie down on top of the ball, with the ball positioned underneath your shoulders. Keep your arms extended over your chest, with your palms together.
  2. Position your body to form a straight line (you will look like a bridge).
  3. Tighten your glutes and abs, then slowly twist your body towards the right. While you are doing that, move your arms downwards so that they are parallel to the ground.
  4. Come back up and repeat by moving your body to the other side.

Be sure to not fall off your ball by rolling too far! Use your abs to twist your body!

Stability Ball Workouts #6: Ab Roll

This exercise should not be done if you have back problems!

  1. Kneel down on your knees with the ball placed in front of you. Put the ball in front of you. Then place your arms on top of the stability ball, with your arms parallel to each other.
  2. Tighten your torso and slowly roll the ball forward. You should roll the ball forward as much as you can without arching/straining your back.
  3. Squeeze your abs and slowly bring the ball and body back to its start position.

Stability Ball Workouts #7: Ball Balance

  1. Lie face down on top of the ball. Place the stability ball in between your abs and hips. Keep your hands on the floor, and your legs straight (your legs will be off of the ground & they will be parallel to the ground).
  2. Hold this position for 20-35 seconds, while keeping your body straight.
  3. While you are doing step 2, you will take your left arm and slowly raise it off of the ground. You will now only have 1 arm to support you.
  4. Keep your arm up for about 3-5 seconds, then repeat it by lifting your other arm of the ground.
    While you are doing steps 3 & 4, do your best to maintain balance; don’t roll off of the ball or collapse! Maintain a straight body!

With these 7 advanced exercises, you’ll have an amazing stability ball workouts that will give you a strong core within no time. Work your body often and maintain a good diet and you’ll have that great looking body you’ve always wanted.