I’ve always been a fan of the home workout. Even before the coronavirus pandemic left us with little alternative, I much preferred sweating it out in my own living room rather than a busy gym. But I realise that it’s not necessarily for everyone; some people need the social element, that competitive edge, or the general kick up the backside that only a personal trainer at the gym can give you. Working out at home requires self discipline, self motivation, and some serious commitment.
And of course it’s not just those three factors that are the problem, it can also boil down to simply not having enough room at home or perhaps not owning the right equipment to do the workout you want to do. But is that just an excuse? Surely there must be a way to work out at home despite certain limitations.
Working Out From Home Just Got Easier
With more of us now working out at home the Zelus Fitness Balance Ball Trainer has just made our home workout situation a whole lot easier and I should know because I’ve been sent one to review and it’s a pretty nifty bit of kit!
So first things first, what is a balance ball trainer?
It is essentially half of an inflatable exercise ball that has a secure base so that it can lie flat to the floor, allowing the user to perform movements while balancing on the ball. We all know how important it is that we strengthen and look after our core – a strong core helps with stability and balance, but also strengthens the lower back muscles, it is our central support system if you like and if we don’t look after and train our core it can lead to lots of health issues later on in life. Which means having a piece of kit like the Zelus Fitness Balance Ball Trainer at your disposal is of huge benefit.
What Do You Get With The Zelus Fitness Balance Ball Trainer
Now you might be thinking, “I haven’t got the space for something like that”, but that’s the beauty of an inflatable balance ball, you can simply deflate it in between uses and then carefully slide it away underneath the sofa or under a shelving unit to store it until next time and you’d barely know it was even there. The inflation and deflation process is really simple too – the balance ball itself comes with its own pump, which despite looking a little weedy is more than up for the job. Simply fit the correct valve and pump by hand or foot until you reach the optimum height (there is a guide to help you with this and it’s also useful to have a ruler to hand to make sure you get it right – safety first and everything!) and then seal with one of the valves supplied. It literally doesn’t even take 5 minutes, it’s that quick and easy, so there really are no excuses for getting out of that workout.
As well as the ball and the pump you also get two resistance bands that neatly clip onto each side of the ball, which then allows you to add a degree of resistance to your workout when you’ve got used to using the balance ball. Don’t for one minute think that these bands will offer you something to cling onto for support when you’re wobbling around on top of the ball as that is not their purpose and trust me I tried and it doesn’t work! The resistance bands have soft foam handles so they are comfortable to hold even if you are gripping them tightly and are great for adding an extra element to your workout so that your arms get involved too.
The ball itself is made of reusable PVC material and is non-toxic and chemical-free. You’ll be pleased to hear that it is anti-burst and doesn’t go out of shape, in fact it supports up to 331 lbs in weight so I’d say it’s definitely up to the job.
There are also 11 anti-skid texture lines to help with grip and these are comfortable enough should you wish to do the workout barefoot, with socks on, or wearing trainers, it’s whatever works best for you.
What Exercises Can I Do On The Zelus Balance Ball Trainer?
If you’re a bit of a novice when it comes to exercise you might want to take it slow and steady to begin with, the last thing we want is you causing yourself an injury before you’ve barely even got going. The good thing is, the Zelus Fitness Balance Ball Trainer comes with a really useful reference guide, which lists 6 or so simple exercises you can do on the ball to help get you started. To be honest, even as someone who regularly exercises, I found staying on the ball trickier than I imagined it would be and that in itself is a good beginner exercise to make you really think about the current state of your core.
From press ups to squats, lunges to seated knee tucks and planks, the variety of exercises you can use your balance ball for is vast and it’s good to know that while the rest of your body is getting a workout your core is too. As well as using the balance ball for stand alone exercises you can also introduce it into say a Pilates or yoga routine that you may already be familiar with, just to add a bit more difficulty. Our muscles very quickly build a memory and so it is important to change exercise routines from time to time to ensure they continue to work out in different ways and therefore help further progress your performance and fitness levels.
Anything Else I Need To Know About The Zelus Fitness Balance Ball Trainer?
A small thing admittedly, but just in case you’re not so keen on the standard gym ball blue colour, the balance ball also comes in silver, pink and purple… well it’s gotta match your decor right 😉
The ball is available to buy on Amazon for £39.99 which includes free delivery, so while you may not have the budget for big pieces of gym equipment, this certainly isn’t going to break the bank and especially as we can get you a further 10% discount when you use the discount code we have for you below.
I think for me one of the huge benefits of owning something like this is that it is multi-functional, it is compact, and it is light enough to pick up and move around the house or out into the garden if the weather’s nice so that you can make your workout work for you.
Times have changed, more than we could have ever imagined, but now that we have come to terms a lot more with the way the world is now and now that we have accepted that the new normal is going to be around for a good while yet, it’s vital we adapt our lifestyles. And one such way is to keep ourselves fit and healthy by working out at home, in an environment we know our contact with others is kept to a minimum, thus reducing the spread of covid. The healthier we are, the better our chances of fighting this disease.
*product gifted for review
If you’d like to get your own Zelus Fitness Balance Ball we’ve got a cheeky little discount code for you to enjoy 10% off of the listed price.