Essay Answer Relating to Stability Ball Exercises

Perform at least one exercise for each major muscle group on a stability ball. Were you able to use the same weight as you normally do? If not, why do you think you could not use as much resistance? What populations would benefit from the use of incorporating stability ball training? Are there certain individuals who should not use a stability ball?

The exercises I chose to perform for this learning experience were dumbbell presses for the chest muscles, alternating one-arm overhead presses with dumbbells for the shoulder muscles, supine overhead pullovers with a dumbbell for the back muscles, one-leg lunges with dumbbell (I placed the back foot on top of a smaller stability ball) for legs, and weighted crunches for the abdominals.  It was not surprising to me that I could not use the same amount of weight for these exercises (with the exception of the weighted crunches) as I can while performing the exercises standing or on a hard bench/seat.  The reasoning behind this is the fact that more balance is required in order to perform each movement.  Stability and balance play an important role in being able to use the stability ball.  That being said, the stability ball offers an entirely new dynamic to strength training and has a place in most workout programs in my opinion.  Exceptions to this would be for those individuals that have either mobility or balance issues.  Older adults that have trouble with balance and stability should take extreme caution if trying these types of exercises.  Obviously leg amputees might have a hard time with balance, as the feet must be firmly mounted to the floor while performing the exercises.  For other athletes without the mentioned conditions, the gains to the stabilizing muscles used when performing exercises on the stability ball can be of benefit to most sports.