For some reason, the exercise ball has become almost de facto equipment in gyms everywhere, but few people know much more about ball workouts than just how to use them. But anyone who knows anything about exercise knows that the key to exercising is using the equipment as much as possible.

In fact, a large percentage of your calories expended during exercise will come from your body's energy consumption; ball workouts are not just great fat burners, they are also great calorie-burning machines. If you spend any amount of time sitting, however, you will quickly find that using an exercise ball can make your core muscles much stronger.

First, sit properly on the Exercise Ball. You may want to get a good stud finder to make sure that you are sitting on firm ground, and not just looking at a map. Once you have chosen a firm surface, you may want to tuck your tailbone in to avoid tipping over. When you feel comfortable, you can begin. If you need to adjust the resistance, that is okay, but once you have found a good rhythm on exercise balls, you should stick with it.

The most important thing to focus on during your exercise ball workouts is core strength. Core strength means everything from your abdominals to your obliques, and every other muscle in between. Core strength is the basis of your whole body, so if you do not strengthen your core, you may not be doing all that you can do to improve your body. Your core will hold you up, so you must work it if you want to keep your abs strong and your back balanced.

There are a couple ways to get a good workout on exercise balls. The first is a balancing workout that will require you to use both of your arms and both of your legs, while you curl your body forward, arching your back, so that your shoulders and hips came together. Balance can be tricky, though, so if it feels like it is too much at first, keep at it. You will be amazed by how quickly you can develop your balance skills, and you will be able to carry out many different exercises on them. Keep at it, and you may start to develop a workout that will include using only your abs for support.

There are some other exercises you may want to consider for your exercise ball workouts. Side bends, a squat, lunges, and other similar movements can strengthen and condition your core muscles, as well as your lower back, your hamstrings, and your quads. These movements can also help you improve your posture, as well as strengthen your ankles, knees, hips, and shoulders. You may want to start with a few sets of each of these exercises to start out with. Once you have mastered the basics of using an exercise ball, you may want to switch to using free weights for additional resistance and to challenge your muscles further.

Exercise balls provide an excellent and easy way to work your core strength, which is the basis of a lot of athletic activity, from running to lifting weights. Whether you just want to tone and sculpt your abs, strengthen your quads, or build up your hip strength, you will be happy with the results you get from using them. They are easy to use, inexpensive, and are ideal for many different types of workouts.