News :
New fitness tools focus on building core strength
Houston Chronicle - Houston,TX,USA, July 16 2005 -- Balls,
bands and balancing boards are, well, bountiful in the fitness market
these days and bounding all the way into our homes.
Physical therapists and team trainers have used resistance
training and balance work for a long time to build core strength and
develop mechanical integration. Now health clubs and personal trainers
are increasingly incorporating foam rollers, Bosu balls, stretching
bands and weighted balls into workouts.
And, after surveying fitness professionals, the nonprofit
American Council on Exercise predicted that balance training would be
this year's top fitness trend.
These items are popular home paraphernalia because they
are compact, surprisingly versatile and easy to figure out. They also
are handy for miniworkouts, which sometimes is all our busy days allow.
Fitness companies continue to feed the appetite by tweaking the tried-and-true,
writing books and filming videos that highlight how the gadgets can
be incorporated into workouts.
"I think we're seeing that as the typical health-club
member becomes more mature — the baby boomers, say — they get a better
understanding and appreciation of the importance of dynamic balancing
activities," says Cedric Bryant, chief exercise physiologist at
ACE.
Yet consumers don't always seem to know the best ways to
use them to maximize the potential while also staying safe. The key
word is "progression." Bryant sees signs that some everyday
(make that once a week) athletes are being challenged too much, too
quickly with movements traditionally geared for top athletes.
"Always master a technique on solid ground,"
Bryant says. "Once you get the muscular control, gradually increase
the challenge. Try the move on one leg. Once you've got that down, then
maybe try doing it on a ball or wobble board."
Thera-Band, a division of the Hygenic Corp., is a longtime
player in this market. It maintains a Web site, www.thera-bandacademy.com,
that provides downloadable exercises that combine various pieces of
equipment and explanations on how to use the devices to train specific
body parts or to prepare for certain sports. Spri Products, www.spriproducts.com,
and Harbinger Fitness, www.harbingerfitness.com, also have helpful Web
sites.
Thera-Band is best known for its bands and tubing, but
also offers a wide range of balancing products. The latest additions
to its line of progressive balance-training products are the Rocker
and Wobble boards. These devices are often used in clinical and training
settings to strengthen knees and core stabilizing muscles, as well as
to increase ankle range-of-motion and flexibility and to train sensory
systems.
The Rocker Board rocks side-to-side, while the Wobble Board
moves in multiple directions. The boards are sold through Thera-Band
distributors.
Physical therapist Phillip Page, who worked as a summer
intern for the Seattle Seahawks football team under Chuck Knox, co-wrote
a book, Strength Band Training (Human Kinetics, $17.95), which explains
more than 100 exercises. Tubes often have handles and are generally
used for the upper body. Bands are usually wrapped around hands or feet
or another device.
Page urges people to inspect the bands for nicks or tears
and make sure that the device is connected to an object, like a doorjamb,
and is secure. Perform moves at a controlled pace.
A good book on how to use a Swiss Ball is Exercise Ball
for Beginners (HarperCollins, $21.95). The moves are clearly explained
and nicely illustrated. Productive Fitness Products has a handy booklet,
The Great Balance & Stability Handbook, ($8.95), that illustrates
a series of exercises for novices and more advanced movements.
Fabio Comana, an exercise physiologist for ACE, is
enthusiastic about the trend because the devices help take adults back
to the basics of connecting with their bodies. "Kids spend a lot
of time learning these skills," he says. "They spend a lot
of time on coordination and balance training. This sort of training
builds us from the inside out, like a building needs to be."
(source : www.chron.com)
