Tool Talk Thursday!

Well after an unplanned hiatus over spring break, Lighten Up Fitness is back and ready to inspire! So we'll dive right in with Tool Talk. Today's tool is the swiss ball.

So here's the scoop on why I love the swiss ball.

It's fantastic for improving core strength. All those stabilizer muscles get challenged to the max with a variety of different exercises. Try doing a crunch on the floor and then try it again on the ball, and you'll feel those deep muscles firing to keep you stabilized.

It's cheap. This is another piece of equipment you can pick up for your home gym for under $30.

It's a great multi-tasker. You can get a tough workout for you back, butt, abs, triceps, chest,  and back. Pretty much you name, you can tone it with the swiss ball.

It's useful for flexibility training. Not one that I use all the time in this area but the ball is quite effective in helping to stretch out the back, chest, abs, and obliques.

One thing to note is that you do want to get the correct size ball for your height.  Here are the sizing guidelines..

Height                                       Ball Size
4'8" - 5'5"                                 22 inches (55cm)
5'6" - 6'0"                                 26 inches (65cm)
over 6'0"                                   30 inches (75cm)

This coming week I'll have a few exercises on Move it Monday to make up for the past few weeks and be sure to look for the swiss ball!

Have a great day:)
Sarah