The medicine ball works well with keeping the back in top working condition. This is helpful to the overall body because the muscles of the back maintain the spine, which controls the entire body. The front muscles of the spine (flexor) allow the back to bend forward. The back muscles of the spine (extensor) allow the body to stand upright. The side muscles called the oblique muscles allow the back to rotate and support the body’s posture. The objective of exercising the back muscles with a medicine ball is to sustain your back in top working state. Start with a two-point ball and progressively increase the size over a 5 to 6 week period.
An excellent exercise for the back with the medicine ball is holding the medicine ball with both hands and lunge while pivoting on the foot sideways to the left as you extended your arms outward away from the body holding the ball. Your knee stays in alignment with the toe while your pivoting foot balances on the ground. You will feel a stretch occur in the right hip flexors, obliques and lats with the lower back, abdominal and gluts to support your body while you extend your reach with the ball. Carry out this exercise on the right side of the body as well. Achieve 12 to 15 repetitions on both sides of the body.
Another effective medicine ball exercise starts by holding the medicine ball near your chest. Then, execute an exploding motion forward, extending your legs and arm and throw the ball out in front of your body at an angle–45 degrees. Keep your momentum of falling outward as you catch your body after you place the knee in front. You need to concentrate on land with all the weight of the body on the front knee and foot with both of your hands. Keep the knee should length outward while making sure your knee does not crossover the toes. Raise the body as fast as possible and spirit toward the medicine ball to overcome and catch it as it rolls. Your goal is to keep the momentum of the body forward throughout each step of the medicine ball exercise without ever stopping. It takes practice but well worth the effort. Return to where you started by walking back with the ball. Perform this exercise 5 to 10 times with two sets per routine.
As a final exercise, you get to do figure eights with the medicine ball. The figure eights with the ball completely works the whole body and it really works the back. Start by standing with feet shoulder width apart and hold the medicine ball while you extend the arms above the right shoulder. As a continuous motion, take the ball toward the front of your body as if chopping a log with the ball ending near the left of your foot. Go back to the standing position, raising the medicine ball up above your left shoulder, and take the ball down near the right of the foot. In order to make the movement successful you need to bend the knees for a complete figure eight. Perform 5 to 10 times on each side.
Working with the medicine ball is a great way to keep the back strong. The back is very important for the whole body to function properly. Once you start working with the medicine ball you will gradually increase the strength of back while at the same time increasing the size of your medicine ball. Then, when your back is strong, all you have to do is maintain its strength with the medicine ball exercises.