Friday, January 30, 2009

Power Bag - Balance and the Full Body Workout

By Julia Channel

Athletes in any sport must focus on several areas of the body during their training. A strength-based workout consists of much more than basic stamina and physical strength; you can train for boxing by using kettle bells, power bags and boxing rings to focus on your upper body.

This process will enable you to work on your flexibility, provide a total body workout and will help you to become aware of mobility limits. One simple way to achieve this is to focus on balance training into your workout.

Balance training is a method used by athletes, martial artists and physical therapists. You remain focused on your body, as you keep a steady position and maintain coordination throughout all movement. The power bag is a useful tool that can be used when stretching before or after a workout, with or without equipment.

The balance ball can be used in proprioception, which is the study of balance training. This tool will stretch out under-used muscles and help to increase movement, which will limit any muscle adhesion.

One should be careful not to jump into balance training without proper instruction and warm up. Physical trainers will generally be able to quickly assess your needs and determine which balance exercises will help increase your fitness without compromising your safety.

As always, any training should be done in moderation and all athletes should ease into their training as they go.

Can you get a full body workout solely through balance training? No, but a combination of balance training and targeting specific muscle-groups will significantly impact upon the regimen you are able to do and the results you can achieve.

For more information regarding balance training, as well as equipment necessary to maximize your complete body workout, check out www.escapefitness.com - 16732

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