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A new ballgame for fitness

PHOTO: P.V. Sivakumar

Right attitude This leg raise is for the lower back

My on-off, pathetic exercise regimen was going to get a new spin. It was going to be a whole new ballgame with Syed Asif of Team Faiyaz getting a stability ball for a workout.

As Asif’s assistant proceeded to inflate the shiny, silver blob, my heartbeat raced seeing its mammoth size. I had visions of sharing a fate like Humpty-Dumpty’s.

“Hmmm. Let’s warm up,” Asif instructed. “Hey, your posture is not right,” he gently said, even as I stood erect. “Don’t feel bad about it. Push your shoulders back”, he prodded. My protestation of it being an aggressive posture is brushed aside even as I feel my navel constricting. With the posture rectified and 10 minutes of a warm-up, the ball is brought near.

Asif assures me that it is great for a relative novice like me as well as an athlete. It is a versatile fitness tool that can be used for core strength, balance, stability and core conditioning. It is a challenge to respond to the instability of the ball. One’s natural reflexes then use what is known as the core muscles to retain one’s balance.

First, Asif asks me to ride the ball on all fours. I plonk my stomach on the ball and thank the lord as my toes and palms touch the floor. “Lift your right leg, count till five, then gently let go. Repeat with left leg similarly.” A pleasant trainer, he applauds my moves, all the while correcting the positioning of the ball and my limbs.

It’s the lower back’s turn to get the trainer’s attention. Again, I have to lie with the stomach on the ball and raise both legs till they are parallel to the floor. As he demonstrates, my eyes keenly follow his moves. Eager to show him I’m quick on the uptake, I replicate his actions.

Now, a ball embrace. “Lean over on the ball sideways with left knee resting on the floor and the left arm hugging the ball to the side. Hold on to the hip bone with the right hand and stretch the right leg out to the side of the body. Do a side leg raise. Repeat with the other leg.”

A balancing act, sure, but it comes easily once one gets to know how the ball is to be positioned. Besides, it’s loads of fun.

Conditioning for the out-of-shape abs now. With feet flat on the floor, the lower back has to be placed on the ball and the upper body and thighs kept parallel to the floor. Asif gives a word of advice. “Brace your feet against a wall or a piece of furniture. With the feet secured, there is no risk of sliding ahead.” Then, one proceeds to do the usual crunches. The shoulders and upper back are lifted off the ball. Exhale and then lower yourself slowly.

Enough for the first session, I declare. Feeling exhilarated and rejuvenated, I want vto take on the day’s tasks with renewed gusto.

The exercises are easy to follow, yet effective, targeting specific areas, without leaving you feeling maimed.

A quick tip: For those pressed for time, there couldn’t be anything better and more stimulating. You can break the workout, depending on the target area, into three or more sessions. Think of it this way — Three meals for nutrition needs, three sessions for a toned-up you.

A handy hint: There is no scope for day-dreaming, fantasising or mentally plain ticking off tasks to do while working out on the ball. You’ve gotta be at it 100 per cent.

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