Convenient fitness: The amazing things you can do with a gym ball

If you're a freshman student living the dorm life like Garry Y. Itkin, you will be happy to know that there are several ways to make your life more interesting even with your limited budget. Signing up at the gym is expensive, but you can do almost any gym exercise inside your dorm room at only the added cost of a gym ball.

Below are a few examples of what you can do:

1. Modified pushups

A gym ball can quite ably carry your weight, and with it, you can modify how you do pushups. You can either push down on the ball from an inclined position for a more manageable level of resistance, shares Garry Y. Itkin. You can also give your arms an additional workout when you rest your feet on the ball. It's also an added challenge that you can enjoy when you need to stabilize yourself and ensure you don't tip over when you do those reps.

2. Bench with an extra challenge

When you are on a bench press, you enjoy the benefit of having a stable platform that allows you to do your work with relative ease. If you want to work on your balance, turn the gym ball into a bench. However, this is not advised when you need to lift have plates, warns Garry Y. Itkin. You might be surprised at how doing this activity with a gym ball and a pair of dumbbells can be both challenging and exciting.

3. Back muscle isolation

Even with more complex gym equipment, it's not that easy to target and isolate your back muscles. This becomes difficult because you need to get leverage from the groin area, a very sensitive and vulnerable body part. However, with a gym ball, you can rest your mid-section comfortably as you face the ground. You can extend all your limbs into the Superman pose and feel those back muscles contracting instantly from this position.