Begin in a starting push-up position with feet together and both hands on a Gravity Ball. Keep your back flat throughout the entire movement. For variation 1, hold the position described above for as long as possible. For variation 2, perform a push-up while keeping both hands on the Gravity Ball. Lower into the downward push-up position, then rise back up to starting position. Repeat. For variation 3, hold the starting position described above as you lift one leg straight up. Hold for several seconds. Alternate legs.
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Research shows that we are living longer than ever before, but we aren't living healthier. Chronic disease has become the leading world killer and is claiming lives of people younger and younger each year. Our society has come to associate aging with sickness, disability, loss of independence and frailty. By increasing our personal responsibility and incorporating quality activity, quality food, and quality sleep into our daily lives, each of us can prevent the chronic ills that plague our nation (and world) and live a long, healthy, and productive life. The cycle of frailty and disability can end with the adoption of healthy behaviors early in life. I know what it is like to not make yourself a priority. I am a physician, and it is my job to constantly be concerned with the well-being of others. However, I would often neglect paying attention to my own needs. I would sleep five hours a night, eat my dinner from a vending machine on-the-go, and never make time to exercise. My unhealthy habits were making me unhappy. Once I made a conscious effort to incorporate healthy routines into my schedule, all aspects of my life improved. I never could have believed that I was capable of running marathons, and I have now run 5! Physical and mental well-being are intimately linked, and I look forward to many happy days ahead. Of course it always helps to have a supportive team greet you at the finish line!
Gravity Ball has developed a mobile application to facilitate treatment and exercises, guiding wellness customers to learn how to use the Gravity Ball at home or on the go. Health has proven to be a wildly popular category for mobile applications, and we hope that we add ours to your collections! The app can be used as a tool for users to learn professional curriculum designed by physical therapists. In addition to showing exercises, the Gravity Ball app also links to affiliated social media platforms and allows customers to shop directly. The app will soon be available for download in the Apple Store.
Resistance exercise, also called strength training, is defined as any activity that involves muscular contraction against an opposing force (caused by an external weight).When you do resistance exercise, you are essentially performing specific movements using an external weight which produces an opposing force to your muscles. As you perform these specific movements, the forces of the weight cause your muscles to contract in order to control the external weight. As you perform regular and consistent exercise, your muscles will adapt to the new demands placed onto them by the actions of controlling the external weight and as a result you will become stronger, move better, and will increase your overall endurance. This is essentially the SAID principle, which stands for Specific Adaptions to Imposed Demands and is a general principle of resistance exercise. Regular resistance exercise trains you to stay strong and optimizes your metabolism over a long period of time (over a lifetime). Examples of resistance exercise in daily life
To begin, sit with both legs straight out in front of you and feet planted on the ground. Keep knees slightly bent and a flat back. Hold a Gravity Ball at chest level throughout the entire movement. Use your abdominal muscles to slowly rotate the ball from side to side Variation 1 Variation 2 For variation 1, keep your heels planted on the ground throughout the entire movement.
For variation 2, keep your legs lifted throughout the entire movement.
Begin by standing with feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a Gravity Ball at chest level using the adjustable straps. Step out sideways with one leg into a lunge position at a 45-degree angle. As you lunge forward avoid having your knee go past your ankle. Keep the Gravity Ball at chest level throughout the entire movement. Slowly rise up to standing position. Do both sides with more time spent on your weaker side.
Begin with feet shoulder width apart. Hold the Gravity Ball straight out in front of you with both hands for as long as possible until muscle fatigue sets in and you are not able to hold the position without your arms starting to drop. Arms should be parallel to the ground. Once fatigue sets in change positions so that you are resting the fatigued muscles while at the same time still holding up the Gravity Ball. For variation 1, perform the movement as explained above.
For variation 2, as you hold the Gravity Ball straight out in front of you, move one leg out to the side and touch the ground with your toes while balancing with your foot. Return to starting position. Alternate movement with each leg. Variation 3, while holding the Gravity Ball straight out in front of you, slowly rotate your leg around in circles. Alternate. Lying movements are beneficial for core strength and for correcting posture. They are also low impact and can be a relaxing addition to your exercise experience. Variation 1 Variation 2 Variation 3 Begin by lying flat on your back with knees bent. Hold a Gravity Ball with both hands just above your face. In one smooth motion, sweep the Gravity Ball towards your legs until you cannot go any further. Keep arms straight throughout the entire movement. Return to starting position and repeat.
For variation 1, keep both feet planted on the ground throughout the entire movement. For variation 2, keep one leg lifted throughout the entire movement and alternate legs. For variation 3, keep both legs lifted throughout the entire movement. Lower when tired and repeat. Three types of movementThe Gravity Ball method is comprised of three basic types of movement: slow movements inspired by Tai Chi and dance, static poses inspired by yoga and functional movements inspired by everyday activities. Together, this combination of slow movements, poses and functional movements is designed to improve joint range of motion, increase flexibility, and improve muscular strength and endurance, all of which will enhance how you perform daily activities. Transitions between movements and poses should be done slowly without jerky movements, rapid twisting or bending in order to decrease the risk of injury and to avoid establishing poor movement habits. The three fundamental positionsThe movements of the Gravity Ball method are based off of three fundamental positions we all use everyday: sitting, standing, and lying down. All movements encompass one to three of these positions throughout movement. Below are some example movements labeled according to their primary position.
1. The Gravity Ball must always be under your control.Always use a Gravity Ball that is of a proper weight for you. An appropriate weight allows you to perform exercises during the entire time you are exercising without feeling overly tired by the end of the session. Using a weight that is too heavy can also cause joint injuries and muscle strains or tears. The risk of injury greatly increases when using a heavy weight and by performing movements too quickly, with jerky movements and poor form. A weight that is not heavy enough will provide less benefit and make exercise less efficient than if you were using an appropriate weight. 2. Focus on form, technique, and symmetry.Practicing proper form and technique and working to develop muscular-skeletal symmetry throughout all of your movements, poses and exercises is of utmost importance. Correcting any imbalances and building a strong foundation of a balanced, strong body is the only way to move into more advanced exercises and to avoid injury. Using correct form protects joints from being strained or torn and encourages your skeleton to move in the ways it was designed to move. Tip: Having a mirror nearby while you exercise is very helpful. You can watch yourself perform an exercise, become familiar with areas that need improvement and work to correct them. Watch yourself from different angles (front, side, and an angle). This will help to develop awareness of how your body moves naturally and also as you begin to implement more therapeutic, corrective movements. Overtime, you will be able to correct imbalances, eliminate or reduce joint pains and become stronger. 3. The spine is a hinge, never an accordion (always bend at the hips).
Become aware of your spine's natural position when sitting, standing, and especially during exercise. When you bend over (to pick something up) ALWAYS bend at the hips (think of a hinge), and not with your lower back. Your back should look like a tabletop (be kept straight) as you bend and never look like an accordion (see the photos below). Correct bending technique Correct bending technique includes maintaining the neutral "s" shaped natural curve of your spine as you bend down. This is done by bending the knees or hips as you lower down. 4. Full body movements are the most effective.In general, the more major muscle groups used during an exercise, the more efficient the exercise is. Exercises that require more than one major muscle group (called compound exercises) are excellent because they build total body strength, while also improving balance and coordination. Be creative and combine exercises and muscle groups to make sure a majority of your movements include multiple large muscle groups. 5. Stretching may be helpful.We recommend that you do some additional light stretching. Common areas that may benefit by additional stretching include the back of the legs (hamstrings and calves), Achilles tendon (runs from the calf to back of the ankle), IT band (a strip of connective tissue that runs from your hip to your knee on the outside of the thigh), hip flexors (muscles at the top and front of your thigh), hip extensors (muscles at the top and back of thigh/hip), hip abductors and hip adductors (muscles located at the top of pelvis and in inner thigh) and shoulders. We suggest Googling stretches for each of these areas. 6. Never (almost never) sacrifice form for difficult of movement.As touched on in the second rule, form and technique is of top priority when performing an exercise. 7. Practice the art of non-movement to some degree with each session.Non-moving (or static) poses, similar to yoga, require the continuous firing of muscles and thus dramatically increase the challenge and efficiency of an exercise. Non-moving poses can also be low impact on joints. The art of non-movement can be practiced at any time throughout an exercise session by holding a pose or portion of a movement (using proper form of course) until your muscles are burning. Release the movement and begin another exercise.
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AuthorDr. Mark Chavez is the inventor of the Gravity Ball and a family physician. Archives |