Cardio Ball Workout-15 minutes

Well, I am on another snow day today! I don't typically do 3 workouts a day like I have been lately, in case you are wondering (though I did go out last night and run in the 23 degree heat wave we had). But, I got up and did T25 Total Body Conditioning with my husband this morning, ate my oatmeal, and then was sitting around watching Biggest Loser on DVR and figured, hey, let's do another workout before I drop off my youngest at school! (yes, you heard right... the kids have school and I am off!)

This workout was honestly one I went into with low expectations.  I have this ball and I even have a little box of cards with exercises to do. And, though there are some good strength exercises, many are in strange positions (I guess because you have to balance to work on core stability) but I wanted to try to find something more cardio with the ball. So, I ran across a workout and decided to give it a try!

The workout was on the BeachBodyMom YouTube channel-- 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7s4YodODU0

What I Liked:

• It's 15 minutes long from start to finish.
• It starts pretty quick. You get moving without wasting much time.
• There are no strange poses with the ball or balancing maneuvers. Granted, that means you are doing less core work, but the cardio part is worth it and I didn't feel stupid.
• The first half was pretty easy. I felt like I needed some modifications to make it harder (I just tried to squat deeper, stretch higher, etc.). But, about when I was thinking that, she started giving suggestions for level 1, level 2, and level 3. Well, she must have heard me! So, I moved up to the highest level and amped it up. That was better for me.
• Ball jacks. That was fun. I did it faster than she showed it, but it got my heart rate up quick and was something different.

Concerns:

• This takes a little bit of space. I did it in my bedroom, which was pretty cramped (but I didn't want to get in my daughter's way while she was watching Disney channel and eating breakfast downstairs). I bumped into the ceiling fan a few times. You really need a good amount of space if you have a big ball. 
• I actually liked the workout much more than I expected. But, if you are looking for a sitting down or core workout, that's not what this is. 
• The leg work towards the end got pretty tough. It was lunges and then lunges with pulses. I did them with the ball extended fully above my head. My legs got sore quick! I pushed through, but if you are not used to doing lunges and squats, this has lots of leg work (yay) and you will probably have to slow down a little bit on the reps (but you'll have a great rear). 
• They say it's low impact, but I question that a little bit. You do some pivots, jumping, and deep lunges. I think those are a little rougher on the knees than I expected from a low impact workout. 

Recommend? YES! This was actually fun. I felt the ball was a nice distraction. It was honestly just there to engage your core more and encourage you to twist or reach higher. You could do it all without a ball, but it wouldn't be as good of a workout. And, if you have a weighted medicine ball or even just a kids ball, you could still give it a try. I think beginners would really like this workout. 

And... my heart rate... 133! That is way better than I expected with a workout ball! 

Wanna try? If you do, please let me know on my Facebook page, Techno Fitness!