You’ve seen those big, round, inflatable balls called exercise balls all around and maybe you’ve wondered what they’re for and how they work. They’ve become quite the thing lately, found in many homes and gyms. A serious personal trainer wouldn’t be without one. What’s the big deal? They’re inexpensive to acquire, fun and easy to use and they might just be the most effective piece of fitness equipment made. They are amazingly productive in promoting fat loss and toning your muscles, particularly your ‘core’. And there are lots of exercise ball workouts available to try.

Exercise balls, also commonly known as stability balls or fitness balls, can be found almost anywhere and are not expensive to buy. They run anywhere from about $20 to as much as $50 or more. The more expensive ones will usually come with extras, such as instructional videos. Basically, it’s simply a large, inflatable rubber ball made to support a weight of up to half a ton.

Make sure to get the correct size, determined by your individual height. When sitting on your fitness ball, with your feet flat on the floor, your knees should form a ninety-degree angle. If not, you need to get a different size.

Now that you’ve got your ball, what can you do with it? If yours didn’t come with an instructional video and you’re not inclined to go to a gym or a personal trainer who can teach you the correct way to use it, then go to the Internet. There are numerous sites available online which can teach you not only what exercises to do but how to do them and what results you can expect. Many include very descriptive pictures you can follow and some even have how-to videos you can watch to help you along.

A fitness ball is most beneficial in developing your core. Your core includes the muscle groups at the center of your body, the torso. This is your center of gravity. Included are the muscles in front and to the sides of your stomach, commonly referred to as the ‘abs’. Back muscles, shoulder muscles and certain neck muscles also help make up the core. Working on these muscles will benefit your entire body, since this is where all body movements originate.

Just sitting on your ball will start to prove why it’s so effective. In order to sit there without rolling off or falling over takes balance and causes your core muscles to contract. Just sitting there, you’re already exercising. However, there is a long list of specific exercises that can be accomplished with the aid of your new device.

Certain exercises have been developed to target specific areas of the body. For example, trunk extensions are meant for the back. Crunches will work the abs. Bent knee bridges help the buttocks and hamstrings. One exercise, called Superman, works the entire back area.

The best recommendation is to get a ball and get started, even if it’s only sitting on it while watching TV. Better yet, go online and visit one of the many sites full of exercise ball workouts. They work. In no time you should experience significant fat loss and start to see the flat abs you’ve been wanting to attain. Go for it!

It will be wonderful fun working out when you begin using the exercise ball workouts today! Easy and enjoyable routines that will help you to meet your goals using exercise ball workouts.