The summer season is coming and that means it is time to play ball again! Belgian Aqua Instructor, Carine Van den Berghe shares an aqua fitness workout that blends toning and cardio intervals with a ball. The 8 inch ball is held both in the hands and between the legs to target core and upper & lower body.
Last year, Carine's colleague, Martine Flamen, shared an Aqua Ball Workout with different sized balls. The video was a hit and Fitmotivation subscribers flocked to Dollar Stores to buy balls. Due to the popularity of Martine's video, a follow-up video was a must. The summer season is an ideal time to introduce some fun ball ideas into classes.
Most pools are equipped with just foam dumbbells and noodles. Adding small balls into your classes will add more functional versatility and a heaping dose of fun. Childhood activities often include fun and games with balls. Putting them into a workout elicits fond memories and lots of smiles. But make no mistake - Aqua Ball Interval is a challenging workout.
AQUA BALL INTERVAL - AT A GLANCE
Segment #1: Cardio Warm-Up - Holding Ball
The ball is held in the hands during this segment which features lots of travel moves to get the body warmed-up and prepared to work.
Segment #2: Sculpt - Holding Ball
Enjoy some creative total body toning in this segment.
Segment #3: Cardio - No Ball
It's time to give the hands a rest. This segment features some fun cardio choreography without the ball.
Segment #4: Sculpt - Ball Between Legs
Get ready for an all out assault on the abs in the this core training segment.
Segment #5: Cardio - Ball Between Legs
All aboard the ball for a fun travel segment with the ball between the legs.
Segment #6: Sculpt - Holding Ball
Saved the best and the hardest for last! If you core workout has gone ho hum - you MUST check this out!
EQUIPMENT: PURCHASING THE BALL
In the video, Carine is using an 8-inch Togu ball, which is a higher quality fitness ball. The ball is large enough to provide buoyancy when held between the legs. Balls smaller than 8 inches will not provide the buoyancy required. The ball is too big to hold in one hand for most participants and therefore programming for holding the ball with BOTH hands should be incorporated. For ideas to mix in the use of smaller (5 inch balls) - please view Aqua Ball Workout.
Below are some links you can use for purchasing.
Togu Fitness Ball (8 inch) Europe
Togu Fitness Ball (8 inch) USA
Oriental Trading (variety of ball sizes)
5-inch knobby (12 pack for $13.99) The knobby can be easier to grip
These are just a few links that I “Googled.” If you want the most affordable pricing, spent some time and do some detective work “Googling” 8-inch balls on the internet.
Fitmotivation extends a HUGE thank you to Carine for filming this video while she was visiting the USA for the IAFC conference. In Belgium Carine works as a sports assistant in charge of organizing swimming course for adults and youths. She has taught land and water group fitness for decades. We hope to see more of Carine in the future!