The uselessness of stability balls...

[Abide]

I just read a paper that indicates that stability balls are not effective. Here is part of the conclusion

"Unstable surace training has been shown in the literature to be fully contraindicated for human performance, especially if used in conjunction with dynamic movements. Society will have to accept that achieving physical fitness requires hard work with the basic tenets of exercise and nutrition."

My favorite idea...

"Those who would like to improve core strength and spinal stability should perform traditional, functional resistance training exercises, such as Olympic lifts (ex. power cleans), squats and deadlifts.



I'll have to find the link and put it up.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

I would think that the Bosu

I would think that the Bosu would help with balance, at least, and that's a good thing.

 

[Abide]

No according to the study it

No according to the study it doesn't even help with that. The only thing it helps with is being more skilled at the balance ball It doesn't translate to actual sports.



Here is the link.

http://www.scienceofrunning.com/search/label/core%20strength

 

[Abide]

The reason I am posting this,

The reason I am posting this, is because like shoes, I think we should critically examine everything we are told about excercise...



Oh yeah and I am an olympic lifts training coach... nah I'm just messing with you. haha.

 

[C. Beth Run.]

Very interesting! Goes so

Very interesting! Goes so against what I've heard in various places. I wonder if the study will be borne out with future research or not.

 

[jschwab]

I sit on a stability ball at

I sit on a stability ball at work, but at the gym the most I will use it for is to add a bit of difficulty to squats (I hold it in my hands and raise it above my head). I found deep water running destabilized my whole torso - that taught me the value of weight bearing exercise as being primary.

 

[barefoot.zumba.runner]

I beg to differ it's

I beg to differ it's uselessness..colicky baby + bouncing baby, in arms, on ball for hours, during meals, during feeding, during quiet time, computer time, while watching movies, = priceless moments of peace

Everything has it's purpose, it's not the tool but the manner in which you use it that's important

 

[barefoot.zumba.runner]

oh and for back

oh and for back labor...godsend

 

[C. Beth Run.]

Zumba--I spent MANY hours on

Zumba--I spent MANY hours on my stability ball with my first baby too!

 

[Abide]

Haha yes you are right. They

Haha yes you are right. They are good for stretching out on too.

Just not good for core work.

 

[Mike]

Are those the really huge

Are those the really huge blow up balls that sometime have sand in them?

 

[Abide]

No they are huge but they are

No they are huge but they are filled with just air. They are also talking about doing excercises on a half ball. I think you are thinking of a medicine ball.

 

[Matt]

I still haven't learned to

I still haven't learned to stand on my stability ball yet.

I'm a big fan of body weight exercises. Cheap, but very effective if you do them right.

 

[Jimmy Hart]

The problem with a lot of the

The problem with a lot of the ideas behind all the stability techiniques in weight training is that the muscles learn in ranges and phases. The neurological system fires in very specific ways. Neither of these lend itself to being able to develop extra balance or body control in a 360 degree range all at once. Stand on a BOSU on one foot and you are creating a 360 degree proprioceptive environment. The body can not train to be better as that and protect or make you better suited for balance in all directions at one time. Too many nerves trying to fire and too many ranges for the muscles to manage. If you can stand on the BODU on one foot it's because you have developed certain muscles to be dominant and they contract more to hold you still. The minute you lean in a direction that causes the secondary stabilizers to take control you will lose your balance and fall.

Noe take your ball and do sit ups on it and it will benefit the exercise by forcing the secondary stabilizers to fire while you focus on the dominant muscles of your rectus abdominus (abs) but the minute you start rotating from one side to the other you overload the systems and usually will lose your balance. The reason people get better on these apparatus is because the already dominant muscles become more dominant and "learn" how to handle the new environment.

I have not read the article yet though so I might be contradicting it

 

[BFwillie_g]

Abide wrote:No according to

No according to the study it doesn't even help with that. The only thing it helps with is being more skilled at the balance ball

This comment kind of reminded me of the brain training games for the Nintendo DS - kids get good at those games, but the ones who play them the most sure aren't turning into geniuses.

 

[Last Place Jason]

I use the Bosu ball squats

I use the Bosu ball squats for the same reason I do barefoot burpee pullups... because it looks cool.

 

[bfr_dave]

Not good for core

Not good for core work...............I'm surprised to hear that...... I would think they would, as jscwab pointed out, and, from what I have always heard, and from my own experience, make most, if not all exercises you perform with one, more difficult which makes your effort more challenging and thus realize more benefit/results. Not to mention it can also be a good "crutch" for people who have difficulty with full-range-of-motion exercise while recuperating from injury.



JimmyHart said "The body can not train to be better as that and protect or make you better suited for balance in all directions at one time. Too many nerves trying to fire and too many ranges for the muscles to manage."

Is that right. So you're saying it's impossible for someone's body to "learn to balance in all directions at one time".

I'm not even sure what exactly you mean by that.

And, even if what you say is true about the body not being able to learn to balance in all directions at one time, I still say that does not make the stability ball a waste of time. I believe it is very effective at improving balance, and by forcing one's body to incorporate more muscle to perform an exercise when using it, that makes it beneficial.

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say any balance-training activity is going to greatly increase the possibility of improving your overall balance, maybe, in "all directions at one time"

Ever tried surfing??

 

[Abide]

Funny enough surfing was one

Funny enough surfing was one of the sports they said may benefit from using them

Sure it can be challenging, but what is the point if it doesn't provide you any benefit outside of being good at working out on a stability ball.

I don't know maybe I am being too critical of them. Although I will never use one again.

 

[Shacky]

I used to sit on my stability

I used to sit on my stability ball while doing kettlebell presses and curls. No real reason other then it was easier to get to then a chair.



I wonder if this study would carry over to Joe Montana's gimmicky shoes and the others of their type. They are supposed to imbalance you to force you to work order, the same as a stability ball I would assume.

 

[Abide]

bfr_dave wrote:I don't

I don't understand, based on one study? your decision to never use a stability ball again. No, it probably has hardly any or no benefit to a runner (but, absolutely, think that's open for debate). But, as you, and I, point out, in other, more balance-intensive acitivities (surfing, to name just one...), i cannot believe it would not have some, if not substantial, benefit(s).

It's actually a review of multiple studies. It doesn't say they are not beneficial, they are just less effective than other excercises. Basically you are better served to do your excercises sans stability ball.