Take an Exercise Ball to Work

Exercise! Exercise! Exercise! If you want to and know how there still is the big question to answer; how do I find time to exercise? Life is full of To Do lists. To Do lists for family, To Do lists for work, To Do lists for the home and To Do lists for personal improvement, is there an end? With limited time each day it can be very easy to let exercise slip off of your To Do list.

For people who spend a lot of time at a computer or sitting at a desk there are several actions that can be taken to energize the body while at work. Invest in an exercise ball; just sitting on this will engage your abdominal and back muscles. You can sit on the ball in place of a regular chair and continue with your work. The great thing about the exercise ball is it improves all posture muscles and even after sitting on the ball for a period of time your muscles will continue to work.

When your lunch break comes spend some time exercising with your ball, there are many exercises that can be done with the exercise ball.

• Sitting on the exercise ball and lifting on leg off the floor without allowing the ball to move is a wonderful exercise to strengthen the abdominal core. This exercise is best when done in larger repetitions, 15-20 and then repeat on the opposite side.  
• While standing up against a wall place the exercise ball between the wall and your lower back. Slowly bend your legs and rise again. This is wonderful for the abdominal, the back, bottom and the legs.
• Sitting on the ball having one arm hanging down while the other reaches up and over creating a C curve with the upper body. Hold the stretch for 8-16 seconds and repeat several times on each side.
• Sitting on the ball make a circle with your pelvis while keeping the torso upright. The spine will make an "S" shape as it goes back and forth. This will activate the entire abdominal and back muscles.
• Standing in a wide 2nd position (legs parallel apart about 3 feet) hold the ball in-between both hands. Push against the ball activating the arms.