Swiss balls are one of the most common pieces of exercise equipment, but often they are found lying around in homes gathering dust.
The odd one may be used as a chair or a fun toy for the kids to push around, or even as a social signal; after all, they are a trendy piece of exercise equipment to own.
Many balls will have been allowed to deflate and are useless.
So, now is the time to get back on the ball. Our fitness expert, Gary Dawkins, of Creative Conditioning in Dunedin, explains how.
It is just a large round ball, but the Swiss ball offers so many different fitness benefits.
The main benefit of the Swiss ball is that it trains all the smaller muscles and joints to work in a way that is not required of them in "normal" daily activities.
A Swiss ball is an unstable training tool, requiring joints and muscles to work together to perform the exercise.
This is great for toning muscles not challenged by other equipment.
It is also a good injury prevention tool, ensuring joints and smaller supporting muscles are strong.
This can help you develop co-ordination, as mind and joint/muscle awareness are heightened significantly.
So, if a Swiss ball ensures all the muscles of the body must work together to perform an exercise, it makes sense to use them as much as possible.
This is the reason you may notice more and more people using Swiss balls simply to sit on during the day at the office - because just by sitting on a Swiss ball and using it as a chair ensures your abdominal and other stabilising muscles are always working to hold you upright.
It is, however, important to ensure you are holding your shoulder blades back and remaining in a vertical upper body position at all times.
Swiss balls have little benefit as chairs if you are not keeping a strong posture while on them.
Where do I start?
Can I achieve all fitness goals with a Swiss ball alone? No.
Swiss balls are a great training tool to use in conjunction with other forms of exercise.
The reasons are: It is difficult (not impossible) to get a cardiovascular workout using a Swiss ball.
Progressively heavier weights are required to acquire optimal muscle overload for muscle growth and lean muscle development.
It is not recommended to complete Swiss ball exercises using weights such as dumb-bells until the muscles have become strong.
To achieve this, exercises should be completed on a fixed platform such as a bench.
It is important we do not overdo it on a Swiss ball with heavier weights.
Our muscles cannot tolerate the instability of a Swiss ball combined with weights.
It is not recommended to use advanced Swiss ball exercises daily because they challenge our mind and joint awareness and inter and intra muscular co-ordination to a high level.
If you have specific goals, such as improved co-ordination or postural goals, then a Swiss ball will be sufficient to start with.
But be aware that you cannot achieve all fitness goals - such as cardiovascular fitness, muscle toning, and weight loss - just because you have a Swiss ball.
Getting started with my Swiss ball:
If you do not have a Swiss ball and want one, a 55cm ball will suit most people.
There are 65cm balls for extra tall people.
Make sure you get an anti-burst ball - a lot of balls on the market are for low-weight exercises.
Take it out of the packet.
That may sound obvious, but you would be surprised how many are at home still in packets.
Find a pump and read the instructions on the exact pressure required.
Once you have pumped your ball up, you are ready to follow the programme on this page.
There are many Swiss ball exercises displayed on this page.
Some are more advanced than others.
This one is a "getting you started" on your Swiss ball programme.
As you feel stronger and more confident, you can give the more advanced exercises a go.
You need to be sensible about this.
If you cannot complete a full press-up on the ground, do not attempt a Swiss ball press-up.
Remember that a Swiss ball programme on its own is not sufficient for all fitness improvements.
Use your Swiss ball in conjunction with other forms of exercise.
If you have been following our 2009 fitness and fat-loss programme, now is a great time to incorporate Swiss balls - we are in week one of our maintenance phase.
This phase lasts for four weeks.
The programme
Seated balance: Sit on your Swiss ball with your feet on the ground, your upper body vertical, your shoulder blades back and your arms crossed over your chest. Squeeze (tense) your abdominal muscles 25%.
Hold this position for a minute and complete three sets of this.
Aim: To get your abdominal muscles working together with your other smaller muscles to improve your balance (and yes, it helps to tone your abs).
Other exercises (see pictures).
Squat against wall: Three sets of eight-15 repetitions.
Body weight squat and ball raise: Three sets of eight-15 repetitions.
Hip raise: Three sets of 10-15 repetitions.
Forward ball roll: Three sets of 10-20 repetitions.
Complete this programme each second day.
Use it in conjunction with other forms of exercise.