Squat on an upside down bosu ball

Have you ever seen people at the gym doing crunches on a stability ball? Or balancing on one leg while they perform a shoulder press? Maybe you have seen people standing on a bosu ball as they perform a squat?

Why are they doing that? What is the theory behind exercise being performed on an unstable surface? Let your Scottsdale personal trainer explain.

It’s simple really. When you are in an unstable position you are forced to engage your core muscles as you balance, which in turn will require you to become aware of your posture. From there, your body is forced to adapt to the stress you are placing on it, and it will eventually learn stability and balance. These two factors are HUGELY related to your core strength. One directly affects the other. So working your stability and balance will also help develop core muscles.

Wobble Board Balance

Stability and Balance can easily get forgotten in the gym, but it’s so easy to sneak them into your workout. For example, try standing on a wobble board and do some bicep curls. Not only will your biceps get a workout, but your ankles will get strengthened from all the shaking and balancing. Think of how this will affect you as you get older. Wouldn’t you like to NOT twist your ankle if you fall off a curb? The time you spend on stability and balance in the gym could actually save you from a bad fall in the future.

As a Scottsdale personal trainer, I am always in awe of how little people know about their own body and how unconscious they are of their balance. Working them out on unstable surfaces, requires focus and intention that will naturally teach them better balance and stability, and a stronger core.

Use a Stability Ball at work

Think about it.If you sit on a stability with bad form such as a rounded back and slumped over shoulders, you will most likely fall off the ball. Try sitting on a stability ball at work instead of using a chair and you will be SHOCKED at how sore your core will get. This soreness should be a good indicator that you don’t regularly engage your core muscles when seated on a firm surface, such as your office chair. The ball forces you to align your spine and sit up tall, because if not, you will lose balance and fall off.

As a Scottsdale personal trainer, I am always incorporating the bosu, dyna disc, wobble board, and stability ball into my work outs to challenge my clients core, stability, and balance. I teach my clients to be aware and conscious of how they move externally and internally. I want them to safely engage and interact in all physical environments.

Next time you work out, I challenge you to make the effort to add in specific exercises and movements that will challenge your stability and balance. Let your Scottsdale personal trainer know how it went. You make shake and tremble through it, but that’s a good thing. You are simply waking up your stability muscles from their slumber.

Remember, you have to lose your balance before you can gain balance.