This ball is different: elliptical, 150 grams light and highly elastic. You can put your full body weight on it without it bursting, and it makes every figure workout twice as effective. His name: io ball. The training success is based on two tricks. First, your muscles don’t just get stronger through the usual flexing and relaxing of exercise. In addition, you apply pressure – press the ball, e.g. B. with hands or legs together easily. This brings extra power, because the ball forces the muscles to react. Second trick: Exercises on the io ball are shaky, you constantly have to find your balance. This promotes the interaction of all muscles, gives tone to the body and improves posture. Curious? We have put together a complete body workout consisting of seven exercises for you. And if you want to continue on holiday: the ball and air pump will definitely still fit in the suitcase!
Table of Contents
Good to know: Three questions for personal trainer, fitness and health expert Andrea Burkhardt – inventor of the io ball
Tolfioow: What distinguishes an io ball from other balls?
Andrea Burkhardt: Its elliptical shape, resilience and instability. It “responses” to every force acting on it with a counter-movement. This improves coordination and body tension enormously. In addition, its shape offers many more training variations.
Does it also help with back pain?
Yes, because it particularly strengthens the postural muscles. In this case, the exercise in the quadruped position shown below on the left is particularly useful. It corrects and prevents misalignments.
Why do strength, yoga or Pilates exercises become more effective?
Anyone who trains with the io ball learns almost automatically how to avoid position and movement errors. Because only then can the exercise be carried out stably.
Training with the io ball
Hips + outer thighs
Starting position: Lying on your side with your pelvis vertical and your body stretched out, place the io ball across your right lower leg. Tuck your toes in, put your left hand on your head, stretch your right hand forward. Let’s go: Apply light pressure to the ball with your right leg. Exhale, while slowly bringing the left stretched leg up. At the same time raise your upper body. And back. At least 10 times, change sides.
Back, Balance + Coordination
Starting position: Stand on all fours – the ball is across under the right knee. Raise your left leg horizontally. Extend your right arm to the right at shoulder height. Look at the floor. Let’s go: Build up tension and slowly rotate your upper body upwards with your right arm. The look goes with you. Hold briefly, then bring your arm under your body to the left (see next picture). And back. 5 times, change sides.
Back, Balance + Coordination
Starting position: Stand on all fours – the ball is across under the right knee. Raise your left leg horizontally. Extend your right arm to the right at shoulder height. Look at the floor. Let’s go: Build up tension and slowly rotate your upper body upwards with your right arm. The look goes with you. Hold briefly, then bring your arm under your body to the left. And back. 5 times, change sides.
Abdomen + front thighs Starting
position: While sitting, bend your legs and put your heels up. Clamp the io ball across behind your buttocks. Keep your back straight. Let’s go: Pull in your belly button while exhaling, tilt your pelvis back slightly – and release (breathe in). 10 times – this mobilizes the lumbar spine. Stretch your arms out to the sides and lift your bent legs (approx. 90 degrees). Try stretching your legs alternately. Dismiss and 3 more rounds.
Shoulders, arms + chest
Starting position: Stand in a wide straddle. Feet and knees point slightly outwards. Bend your knees slightly, pull your navel in and your lumbar spine down (as if you are about to sit down). Let’s go: hold the io-Ball overhead with both hands and “squeeze” rhythmically. Lower to the neck and bring it back up over the head. Nice and slow – and don’t forget the rhythmic pressure! Then forward to the chest and back up. Now open your arms (next picture) and bring them together at the back (picture after next). Press the ball rhythmically several times again. Return to the beginning and repeat 10 times.
Arms
starting position: stand in the wide straddle. Feet and knees point slightly outwards. Bend your knees slightly, pull your navel in and your lumbar spine down (as if you are about to sit down). Let’s go: hold the io-Ball overhead with both hands and “squeeze” rhythmically. Lower to the neck and bring it back up over the head. Nice and slow – and don’t forget the rhythmic pressure! Then forward to the chest and back up. Now open your arms and bring them together at the back (next picture). Press the ball rhythmically several times again. Return to the beginning and repeat 10 times.
Chest
starting position: stand in the wide straddle. Feet and knees point slightly outwards. Bend your knees slightly, pull your navel in and your lumbar spine down (as if you are about to sit down). Let’s go: hold the io-Ball overhead with both hands and “squeeze” rhythmically. Lower to the neck and bring it back up over the head. Nice and slow – and don’t forget the rhythmic pressure! Then forward to the chest and back up. Now open your arms and bring them together at your back. Press the ball rhythmically several times again. Return to the beginning and repeat 10 times.
Lower Back + Forearms Starting Position
: Lie on your stomach, legs hip-width apart, heels touching. Make yourself very long! Extend your arms and position your hands on the ball lying across. Let’s go: Exhale deeply, exert pressure on the ball and slowly raise your upper body. Hold for about 12 seconds while continuing to breathe calmly. Slowly lower your upper body again and relax for 10 seconds. Repeat 10 times.
Arms, back + balance
Starting position: Standing on all fours (hands under the shoulder joints, hands pointing forward) support your right knee on the ball lying across. Let’s go: tense your stomach and buttocks, lift your left leg. Now, with the next exhalation, bend your arms and do a push-up. Inhale and push back up on the next exhale. 10 times and change sides.
Bottom + inner thighs
Starting position: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and clamp the ball lengthways between your thighs. Here we go: Bend your knees as if you are about to sit down. back stays straight. Hold the core tension for about 10 seconds while gently pressing the ball rhythmically with your legs. Extend arms sideways at shoulder height and hold for 10 seconds, then overhead and hold again for 10 seconds. Break, 2 more rounds.
Stretch your head towards your knees and your back
At the end of the workout, sit on the crosswise io ball, stretch your legs out in front of you. Now slowly bend your upper body forward and make it very long. Your forehead moves toward your knees. Hold the position for 10 deep breaths. Do you feel the stretch in your lower back? Roll up again. Repeat 1 time.
