Exercise Ball Balance Cycling Exercises with Excy
Exercise Ball Balance Forward Cycling
Backwards Pedaling
*Exercise illustrations ©2018 PT-Helper
Exercise Ball Balance Cycling Video
Exercise Ball Balance Cycling Setup Overview
Setup: To get started, open your Excy system and place it on the floor in front of a couch in its lowest position without the Clevis Pin. Place the right pedal at 6’o’clock for stability. Lie down on the couch so that the upper back is on the couch with your hips unsupported and both feet are flat on the floor, hip width apart or wider and your knees at a 90-degree angle. For your foot positioning, align your metatarsal head or the middle of your foot with the pedal spindle (based on your comfort). Brace your entire core and simultaneously place your right foot on the Excy system, followed by your left foot. Knee preference will vary depending on your goals (never fully extend the knee, focus on having a minimum of a 25-30 degree bend, and never have your knees extend beyond your toes while cycling). Your feet should be close to the crank arm, but never so close that your ankle hits on its way through the stroke. Avoid splaying your feet outwards or rotating them inwards while cycling. The favored foot position is barefoot or with socks. When wearing shoes, make sure they are suitable to allow you to maintain a fixed and stable position on the pedals. Arm weights and resistance bands can be added to incorporate the upper body into the workout. Exercise: Before pedaling forward in full circles, rock the pedals back and forth several times to get a feel for your center of balance by extending the hips upwards using your core, glutes, quads, and hamstrings as you cycle. Focus on pedaling smoothly and then select a comfortable resistance range as you learn to use the Excy system. At the top of the pedal range, push down while simultaneously curling your toes and using your hamstrings to pull towards your glutes. Squeeze those glutes hard and keep your abs drawn in so you don’t overextend your back during the exercise. Keep your entire abdomen strong while cycling to stabilize the pelvis, back, and to keep your hips facing forward. Always start with easier resistance and increase tension as your strength increases. The higher the resistance, the more difficult it is to pedal. Enjoy other positions for “Back and Forth” and “Backwards Pedaling” exercises.
Snapshot Exercise Ball Balance Positions
Live Workout Example
Getting Started
There’s a big advantage of pedaling, spinning, or cranking Excy with controlled forces. Take time to pedal slowly at the easiest levels until it feels smooth and controlled before increasing resistance. Before pedaling, always protect your surface with a towel or mat.
Pedaling Forwards & Backwards
Whether using hands or feet, think in terms of square rotations to improve technique. Envision pushing your hand or foot forward along the top of a square and pushing down against the front side of the square and pulling towards your body as you pull up the backside of the square. To pedal backwards, follow the same process.
Back and Forth Strokes
Pedaling back and forth is great for range of motion and strength training. Simply apply pressure, unweight the opposite hand or foot in a repeating motion.
Isometrics
Instead of relying on pedaling with resistance cranked up to fatigue the muscle, you will instead set the resistance to easy and steadily press into the pedals with even forces to constrict your upper or lower body muscles and hold it until fatigue sets in.
Resistance Guidelines for Clinic and Home Physical Therapy
Excy offers a wide range of resistance to accommodate all riders. Depending on your goals, you may want to do more rotations or cranks with less resistance, or the opposite. Excy is designed to take either path or a combination of both. Generally, rotations with light to moderate resistance are used to improve cardio vascular endurance, while high resistance with fewer cranks are used to increase muscle size and strength. It is important to start easy before increasing tension as it is easy to get very sore muscles almost immediately doing high tension cranking motions that a person is not use to.
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Upper Body Setup Guidelines
- Palms facing each other
- 5-10 degree in elbow
- Pedal axis at shoulder or 1-2″ below
- Never hyper extend elbow
- Focus on good posture and engage core
- Pin placement will vary based on user preferences and goals
Lower Body Setup Guidelines
- Start with heel on pedal with straight leg
- Cycle with the balls of your feet (aligned with metatarsal)
- 20-30 degree bend in knee while cycling
- Hips/feet/knees properly aligned (do not splay feet or knees inwards or outwards)
- Barefoot and socks favored
- Never hyper extend knee
- Pin placement will vary based on user preferences and goals
On-Demand Exercise, Home Physical Therapy, and Strength Training Instruction!
Download the free Excy mobile coaching application for on-demand, live, and guided workouts. Save workouts, set goals, and keep track of progress over time! Watch instructional videos from physical therapists to learn proper technique. Contact with questions at excy@excy.com or 425-205-9444.
