Fitness on the Ball: A Core Program for Brain and Body

Exercise balls have steadily become more popular since they were first introduced, for two good reasons: They're fun and they work! People who are on the ball find themselves rolling toward improvements in strength, flexibility, and cardiorespiratory fitness.

Authors Anne Spalding and Linda Kelly published a version of this book just for kids, but they've done extensive research and discovered adults like to have fun, too—and stand to benefit just as much as kids in using exercise balls. So the authors expanded this new book to include exercises and information for instructors and participants of all ages and included activities that can be used not only in school gymnasiums and classrooms but in exercise facilities, workplaces, and homes as well.

This book features the following material:
-A CD-ROM that includes an image bank, reproducibles, activity sheets, assessments, lesson plans, a glossary of terms, and other teachers' tools

-An expansion from K-5 to all ages

-Photos, illustrations, and anatomical drawings depicting the muscles as they are being worked in the five core activities

-Information and suggestions for using the exercise balls in adapted physical education The exercises are easy to follow and well illustrated, making this a practical and user-friendly resource. Not only will you be equipped to do or teach the over 110 exercises included in the book, but you'll also receive valuable advice on managing your equipment and classes to help you—and your participants—get the most out of your program. And the expansion of this book to include all ages makes it perfect for schools, fitness centers, YMCAs, and wherever fitness is valued—even at home.

Fitness on the Ball is presented in three parts: Part I focuses on the basics of using the exercise ball, including safety issues, social and emotional challenges, and management of the ball. Part II features over 110 exercises that you can do on and with the ball, including exercises for core strength, balance, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, and flexibility. Part III explores the latest research on the impact of physical activity on the brain and also explains how to use exercise balls in a variety of settings, including gyms, classrooms, workplaces, and homes.

So if you want to get on the ball and take a step toward a healthier lifestyle—and lead participants in doing so as well—this is the book for you! With its well-researched information, its teacher-tested lesson plans and exercises, its visual format, and its wealth of tools, Fitness on the Ball is a sure hit, no matter what group you lead or setting you are in.

Anne Spalding is an elementary physical education teacher in Boulder, Colorado. She has presented on curriculum and integration of exercise balls in school settings at local, state, regional, and national levels. With coauthor Linda Kelly, she helped the American Heart Association launch Heart Power! in 1997, which integrated exercise balls into fitness concepts. Ms. Spalding is a Colorado State board member, on various curriculum development and assessment teams, and a member of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. She has received awards for community health education and for innovation in the classroom. In 1999 she was named the Colorado Physical Education Teacher of the Year. In her spare time, she loves biking, hiking, camping, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing.

Linda Kelly, EdD, is a retired physical educator who lives in Longmont, Colorado. She coauthored Kids on the Ball with Anne Spalding and has used—and taught the proper use of—exercise balls since 1990. She has taught senior adult ball classes for more than 15 years and has taught ball exercises to elementary students. She was an adjunct professor at the University of Colorado for 6 years. Dr. Kelly has made numerous presentations at district, state, and national physical education conferences. She wrote and received a grant for use of the ball, has published articles on its use, and helped teachers in elementary schools integrate the balls in their classrooms. She has also served as president of the Colorado Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. In her leisure time, she enjoys fitness activities (including using the ball!), reading, mentoring, and spending time with her adult children.