Yoga Balls

The adult obesity rate is nearly 34 percent in America, more then double what is was 30 years ago. According to nytimes.com, the obesity rate in America has hit an ultimate plateau. Although the obesity rates have plateaued, they have plateaued very high.

With the obesity rates so high, there are many things that can be done to prevent that rate from growing. Something as simple as a Yoga ball.

Yoga balls are a fun and versatile way to exercise, they can be used in school or at the office. Although they are named "Yoga balls," they can be used for so much more.

"Exercising with a exercise ball takes normal strength training to a whole new level," said Jonathan Ross, the American Council on Exercise from yogabizz.com

According to yogawiz.com, a benefit of working out with a yoga ball is that you are not working out directly on a hard surface. A wide variety of exercises are provided when it comes to using a yoga ball. This focuses on your abdominal, back and gluteus maximus.

Instead of using weight machines, you use your own body strength for these work outs. By doing this you can increase the difficulty of your work out as you feel you need to.

If you are just beginning to work out with a yoga ball, it is recommended that you do not air up the ball all the way. Less air pressure makes the ball more stable and when you begin to get more strength, air the ball up accordingly.

Receptionist/Registration Clerk, Shala Burt uses a Yoga ball as a chair while at work and to excersise in the gym.

"The health benifits are better, my posture is straighter, and it helps work my core muscles. I like it better then a chair because its more comfortable, and it's a great conversation starter" Burt said.

Yoga balls are also good for physical therapy. By using a Yoga ball to recondition your knees or back, it helps extend the muscles so you can walk better and stand straighter.

There are many different sizes of Yoga balls, and they range in cost also. Yoga balls are typically made with a resilient vinyl. Many of them can handle up to 600 pounds of pressure. One may choose their yoga ball size by the chart on the back of the box.

I have been using the Yoga Ball for two weeks and it has been working well for me. I like to use the Yoga balls for abdominal work out. Here are a few work outs that you can do to work out your abdomens.