Build your Core: On the Ball part 2

As you know, there are many ways to train for stability and function. Pilates mat exercises are still very popular and effective for this purpose. But for me, stability ball training (body ball) adds a certain element of "fun" to the workout. It is also technically less demanding than Pilates and yields dramatic results quickly. Here are other great exercises to continue building the core.


Intermediate: Pike, or Sea Urchin
The pike, or sea urchin, helps develop spinal stabilization by requiring the core musculature to stabilize against dynamic challenge. Begin prone over the ball. Assume a push-up position with the ball under the thighs. Hold this position, keeping the spine in neutral. Once stabilization is mastered, add a challenge by flexing the spine and hips slightly while rolling the ball forward. Return slowly to the prone plank position.

 Watch that the back neither sags nor hyperextends. Keep the head and neck in neutral. If a student has weak wrists, she can either do the same exercise on her forearms or place dumbbells (that do not roll) on the floor to elevate her hands. Just holding the prone position can be a challenging core workout.


Advanced: Prone Abduction and Rotation
This exercise challenges balance, coordination, focus and core strength. As in the pike exercise, begin prone over the ball. Assume a push-up position, ball resting under the thighs. Hold this position, keeping the spine neutral. Once stabilization is mastered, add a challenge by lifting and abducting one leg off the ball. Replace that leg, and try the same move with the other leg. Once that is mastered, lift one leg off of the ball, abduct, and then rotate and bend the lifted leg under the other leg. Return to the start position, and repeat on other side. 



Learn more about core training at my Stability Ball Training workshops accredited for Massage Therapists and Personal Trainers across Canada http://www.gaiaadventures.com/bodyball.html

Let's connect at info@gaiaadventures.com.

Catherine D'Aoust at GAIA Adventures
www.gaiaadventures.com

Stability Ball Training in Toronto Sept 17, 18, 19, Ottawa Sept 24, 25, 26 and Vancouver, Oct 28, 29, 30 in Edmonton, Nov 26, 27, 28 (7 primary credits MTAA/day).

Build your Core: On the Ball

The stability ball has been used by physical therapists for years and it is used widely for group exercise and private training. The stability ball creates an unstable surface and can enhance your strength, balance, coordination, agility, core work and flexibility. Some of my favorite exercises challenge both balance and core strength.

For review purposes, keep the following in mind:
When a participant sits on the ball, there should be about 90 degrees of flexion at the knee and hip joint.
A beginner may want to use a ball that is just a bit under-inflated and larger in size because that makes the ball more responsive to the body and easier to balance on.
If a participant complains of discomfort during a movement, stop immediately and re-examine form and technique.
Start each exercise gradually and activate the inner unit muscles of the core.
Instruct proper form and technique for each exercise, step by step.

Beginner: Isometric Squeeze
Great for beginners, this exercise teaches them how to use abdominal bracing to help train the core without lifting the head and stressing the cervical spine. Start supine on the floor, knees bent. Place the ball on the knees and lift the feet off the floor so the knees are at 90 degrees (ball will be resting on torso). Both arms are straight and pressing against the ball. Cue students to contract the abdominals and press both arms against the ball as if they were two blades. The legs press into the ball at the same time. Hold this isometric contraction for 10–15 seconds; then do 2 more repetitions, holding for 20–30 seconds each time.

Once students are comfortable with the main exercise, you can have them extend the opposite arm and leg simultaneously while holding the contraction. Make sure they maintain neutral pelvis, engage their abdominals and breathe during the contraction (you don’t want them holding their breath).

You can then progress then into Stability Ball Supine Knee Drop Exercise – see video at http://www.ehow.co.uk/video_4938616_stability-ball-supine-knee-drop.html

To be continued

Learn more about core training at my Stability Ball Training workshops accredited for Massage Therapists and Personal Trainers across Canada http://www.gaiaadventures.com/bodyball.html

Let's connect at info@gaiaadventures.com.

Catherine D'Aoust at GAIA Adventures
www.gaiaadventures.com

Stability Ball Training in Toronto Sept 17, 18, 19, Ottawa Sept 24, 25, 26 and Vancouver, Oct 28, 29, 30 in Edmonton, Nov 26, 27, 28 (7 primary credits MTAA/day).

Move the Spine: Use the ball with your clients

Maintaining the mobility and flexibility of the spine is very important. A patient with stiff segments in the spine moves where it is easy to move, and does not move where it is difficult to do so, causing strain to the already mobile segment.

Beate Carriere, physiotherapist and pioneer of the body ball for treatment, gives us an example in her book “The Swiss Ball”. "A patient 6 months after surgery to her low back complained of continuing back and leg pain until her spine was gently “mobilized” and the soft tissue moved into flexion, extension, lateral flexion, and rotation using the body ball." She used a larger, soft body ball for flexion movements and two physiorolls for extension (assisted by a therapist). A physioroll is a peanut shaped ball ideally shaped to provide support where needed.

Bouncing with the stability ball triggers proprioceptive pathways of the CNS. The ball is also used for stretching and facilitation of movements and can be used for joint mobilization (Klein-Vogelback, 1991).

Learn more about body ball training at my Stability Ball Training workshops accredited for Massage Therapists and Personal Trainers across Canada http://www.gaiaadventures.com/bodyball.html

Let's connect at info@gaiaadventures.com.

Catherine D'Aoust at GAIA Adventures
www.gaiaadventures.com

Stability Ball Training in Toronto Sept 17, 18, 19, Ottawa Sept 24, 25, 26 and Vancouver, Oct 28, 29, 30 in Edmonton, Nov 26, 27, 28 (7 primary credits MTAA/day).

Your Core maybe causing your knee pain

When we are standing, we don’t use much of our core. When our trunk or upper body starts to move forward, we need our core to support and stabilize our spine. The trunk moves forward when we do a squat. If our trunk moves more than 45 degrees forward, the extra weight of our bodies moves over the balls of our feet and leads to greater activation and stress on the knees by pressing the knee cap (patella) and the knee joint together.

This shift in weight is a compensation pattern for a weak core. If you move your upper body so your trunk is less than 45 degrees, you put greater stress on your core. The deep and superficial muscles of the core have to work harder to keep you in the position but this also shifts your weight so it is over the middle of your feet and heels. This shift in the weight on your feet will decrease the stress on the knee.

Now lets go through some exercises you can do to improve your core when squatting.
How to Strengthen Your Core For Less Knee Pain

Standing to ¼ Squat

You can begin by moving from standing into the squat position with the trunk less than 45 degrees forward. I teach this with one hand on the stomach and one hand on the lower back. I get my clients to activate the core and then move from standing into a squat position. I will get them to hold the squat position for 10 seconds and then move back into standing for 10 repetitions. I use the body ball with clients that lack stability or have knee issues when performing the exercise. We are working on the activation, endurance and strength of the core, and good motor patterns for the squat.

¼ Squat Exercises Exercises

After they have mastered the “standing to 1/4 Squat” exercise, I will get them to hold a 1/4 squat position and perform a variety of exercises. It can be narrow grip rows or pec fly exercises. They activate their core and hold the quarter squat position during the full set of the exercise.


Learn more about stability training at my Stability Ball Training workshops accredited for Massage Therapists and Personal Trainers across Canada http://www.gaiaadventures.com/bodyball.html

Let's connect at info@gaiaadventures.com.

Catherine D'Aoust at GAIA Adventures
www.gaiaadventures.com

Stability Ball Training in Toronto Sept 17, 18, 19, Ottawa Sept 24, 25, 26 and Vancouver, Oct 28, 29, 30.