Sphere Factor

Have a ball with yoga and improve your strength and posture

Go ahead. The next time you’re practicing, have a ball.

Using a Swiss ball in your yoga session can make poses you’ve mastered more challenging—you’ve got to work harder at balancing. But for yoga newbies, the ball (also called a stability ball) serves as extra support for tricky poses. “With the ball, it’s easier to maintain proper alignment since the ball supports some of your body weight,” explains Carol Mitchell, educational director of the International Society of Yoga Education and author of Yoga on the Ball. “When you’re practicing on the ball, you can roll further into a stretch or roll out of it. You decide what feels good for you.”

Doing poses on a Swiss ball stretches and strengthens the body in ways that improve posture. It’s also good for the abs. According to a report in the journal Physical Therapy, the oblique muscles get four times the workout when done on a ball rather than on a stationary surface, probably due to using strength to keep from falling.

The asanas below work well with a ball. Just remember: Try to keep your sense of humor when you topple off the bouncy sphere.

1. Cobra
Works transverse abdominal muscles while strengthening shoulder and back muscles

Kneel behind the ball and move the ball so it’s close to your body. Lean forward so you’re resting your chest on the ball while your hands are on either side of the ball. Tighten your abdominal muscles by drawing your navel toward your spine. Curl the toes under and press off your feet to roll the ball forward, straightening your legs out behind as you simultaneously inhale and lift your upper body off the ball. Your back is slightly arched. Hold the posture for 6 seconds, breathing throughout. Exhale as you lower your chest to the ball and place your knees on the floor. Repeat three times.

2. Reverse Plank
Targets the arms but also tones abs

Sit on the floor with knees bent and secure the ball between your feet. Place your straight arms behind you with your palms down and fingers pointing away from your body. Place one heel at a time on top of the ball, then inhale and exhale. As you exhale, tighten your abdominal muscles, drawing your navel toward your spine. On the inhale, lift buttocks a few inches off the floor, keeping arms straight. Try holding the pose for 3 seconds, breathing through the posture. Lower buttocks to the floor and repeat the series six to eight times.

3. Forward Fold with Spinal Twist
Lengthens hamstrings and releases low back, opens front of chest, shoulder muscles, and joints

Sit on the ball with your feet on either side of the ball, toes pointed outward and hands on your knees. Fold forward from the hips while keeping your back straight, leaving your hands on your knees to help support the weight of your upper body. Next, place your right palm on the floor, centered between your legs, and gently twist your spine to the left as you reach your left arm straight toward the ceiling. Your left palm will be facing away from your body. Create one long line from the fingertips of the right arm to the fingertips of the top, left arm. Look up at the ceiling and concentrate on lengthening the spine. Hold for five full breaths. Gently and slowly release the twist, bringing your left arm down to the floor to join your right arm. Then raise your right arm into the air to perform the twist on your other side. Perform at least two repetitions on each side of your body.

4. Bow Pose
Opens and strengthens chest and back, as well as glutes.

Lie on your stomach with the ball between your ankles on the floor. Arms are at your sides, palms facing the floor. Tighten your shoulder muscles and abdomen and then simultaneously lift the upper body off the floor, straightening your arms out behind you with palms facing away from your body. Bend your knees, lifting the ball and bringing it closer to your buttocks. Press heels toward the ceiling as you lift your upper thighs off the floor. Hold for 6 seconds. Lower your upper body, arms, and upper thighs back to the floor. Repeat six to eight times.