Mixing it up with Bender Balls!!!

We introduced Bender Balls at boot camp this week for the first time. These 9-inch inflatable rubber exercise balls are known as an excellent tool for toning and sculpting your core muscles. Studies are showing that placing these little balls behind your lower back when performing a crunch is at least 4x more effective than a regular crunch. This is mainly because you are able to increase the degree of flexion and extension while you crunch, allowing you to target your abs more efficiently and from all angles. These balls also put you in a good, neutral position helping you guard against potential back problems.

We also challenged ourselves by including these balls in our wall sits (activating our inner thighs by squeezing the ball between our legs), with our bridges (our hamstrings were screaming when we placed the ball under both feet) and with our donkey kicks (squeezing the ball between our knees while we kicked up). These little balls are a great way to mix things up and keep your body guessing! I'm excited to introduce more exercises using them in the New Year!

These balls are available at most fitness stores for about $16 each. Perhaps a good stocking stuffer???

Core Training is Critical for Good Health!

Training your core is one of the most important things you can do for your body! I'm talking about simply strengthening the muscles in your abdominals and lower back. These are the muscles that provide stability for your entire body. With the amount of sitting we do everyday, so many of us have weak cores and pay dearly for it.

In a relatively short amount of time, you will see significant benefits. A strong core will improve your posture, reduce your probability of injury, alleviate back pain, increase your overall power and functionality, as well as define your mid-section.

A great place to start is to make a conscious effort to "engage" your core muscles while you watch television, read a book or drive to work. Not by sucking in your gut, but by contracting your abdominals by pulling your belly button into your spine. It's also good to do exercises a few times a week that target your abdominals and lower back specifically. Some of my faves include the plank, bicycle, superman and bird dog.