Okay, it won’t tone like Pilates but it is definitely a must-do. There are so many things I do while balancing on my magic ball, as I have come to call it, and it’s all positive. Here are some fun suggestions:
1) I like watching movies. I love watching epics. So rather than sitting on my nice comfy couch, I sit on my exercise ball. The other day, I watched ˜Troy’. Maybe it didn’t win any Oscars but you can’t keep me away from a movie where men wear breastplates. These men were buff. Put me on my exercise ball, balancing back and forth, and I fell into an almost trancelike state. I didn’t feel near so lazy. Couch potato? Not anymore.
2) One of my favourite things to do at home alone is put a CD on and sing. Usually, I dance as well. The other day, I put on Kelly Clarkson and this time I blared, sang and balanced. I worked out my glutes and my larynx. I’ve never sounded better.
3) I’m not a big phone talker. I prefer to communicate via the wireless world. So now if I have to talk on my landline, I scoot on top of my ball. It’s a challenge to sound normal while keeping steady. Maybe even makes me sound a little breathy, and I don’t even try to explain why I break into the odd giggle.
4) I play with the cats. This has the potential to be risky: watch for tails and make sure their nails are clipped. My old cat could care less but my young cat is fascinated. She is quite fond of food herself so it turns out that both of us benefit.
5) What never ceases to amaze me is how much the exercise ball makes me smile. It’s huge, bouncy and the colour of the sun (even better on rainy days). I sometimes say ˜Good morning’ to it “ don’t worry, it doesn’t say ˜Good morning’ back. Maybe smiling uses fewer muscles but frowning is nowhere near as appealing.
