The Exercise Ball

Usually playing with a big ball is an activity one would participate with children, probably on the beach or in a park. But not this ball. The new wave in fitness training is the overly large exercise ball. Exercise researchers have decided that the most important area of the body to focus on for overall health and fitness is something called the "Core." The core of the body is the middle of the body, consisting of the abdomen, lowerback, and hips. Performing specific exercises on the ball develops these core muscles. For instance, the exercise ball comes with a routine that will specifically train the ab muscles, the lowerback muscles and the hips. These exercises target those areas. The true value of the exercise ball is that by training other bodyparts on the ball, you indirectly train the core as well. By doing arm curls for the biceps, or dumbell presses for the chest and shoulder presses for the shoulders, the act of sitting or lying on the ball while doing these exercises invoves all of the core muscles. The ball requires balance to sit or lie on while exercising. For the body to balance, the core muscles are used to keep you on the ball. So, while training the chest or arms, the core muscles are also being trained. It is an overall bodyworkout.

As far as rehabilitation or physical therapy goes, the exercise ball may be the saving grace for many a back, hip or leg injury. For instance, just lying on the ball, belly down, has a traction effect on the lower spine that decompresses the lumbar sacral joints. This is very helpful in cases of herniated and bulging discs of the lowerback. The beauty of the exercise ball is for around $25.00, you can have a very valuable exercise tool or rehab equipment in your own home.

Thought for the Week: " I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can........I thought I could, I thought I could, I thought I could."

----------Watty Piper, The Little Engine That Could

(Yes, I just read this book to my daughter last night!)

Chiropractic Thought for the Week: I'll use the word If, even though there is no if in this situation, it is more like a DOES situation. IF chiropractic care removes nerve interference and has been researched to improve many indicators of immune system function and IF chiropractic care performed on a regular basis allows the body to be healthier, IF chiropractic improves the function and performance of the entire human body by allowing the brain to better communicate with it's body parts, why isn't the entire population of the world under regular care? The answer, the medical profession, the health insurance industry, the governments of nations have not taken the time to fully learn about and understand the proven benefits of chiropractic care, for if they had, there would be no healthcare crisis, as less money would be spent on disease as more people would be healthier. Therefore it is up to the individual chiropractor to teach his practice about health and then it is also up to the chiropractor's practice members to share with their family and friends, that true health comes from within, not from a pill. And what better way to build health from within then chiropractic care for everyone.