Does the Ball Bike Really Work?

It’s a ball, it’s a bike, it’s a Ball Bike! They didn’t spend too much time in the marketing department coming up with the name of this one. This is basically combining a rebounding ball with a stationary bike, with the idea being that you stabilize your core muscles while getting a good aerobic workout in. It looks strange at first, but then starts to make sense, but the real question is does it work or not?

Overview
Everyone is always looking for the Next Big Thing in the fitness and weight loss arena, so it’s no surprise that they’ve taken two staples of the gym and merged them together. Most people are familiar with a stationary bike, it’s been around for decades as a proven way to get a good lower body and aerobic workout in, without having to brave the elements outside. Rebounding balls have been around for awhile now too, and get used for all sorts of exercises, but namely ab and core workouts.

The Claim
The claim of the Ball Bike is that you can synergize the two products together, and work your core muscles while at the same time getting your heart rate up and your legs pumping. By forcing you to ballance your torso on the ball, it gets your upper body into it, and it becomes a full body exercise, like swimming. This can get you sweating in a shorter amount of time, and also with the included arm bands you’re adding resistance training, making this more of a cross-training activity.

The Hype
The hype comes from the fact that this combines three different tried and tested methods to lose weight and build muscle, and it also reduces the time you’ll spend having to do these workouts separately. We’ve never seen anything like it before, and although we thought it was silly at first glance, it makes a lot of sense to combine these different activities into one.

The Cost
The Ball Bike is $750 shipped to your door. It takes up about the same amount of space as a treadmill, and is at a similar price point, but is the clear winner over a treadmill on several counts. See below for our comparison to a treadmill and other popular at-home equipment.

The Commitment
With any exercise machine you have to commit to using it, and not just using it as a place to hang your clothes. If you get on the Ball Bike on a regular basis, you will no doubt see a difference, but the same can be said for taking a one-hour walk outside. If you stick with any activity over a long duration you are bound to see better results than if you would have taken no action.

Evaluation
The Ball Bike has already been put to the test by thousands of users, both at home and by those that use the gym models. The overall reaction has been positive, with people saying that it makes a stationary bike more fun to use – they can be so dreadfully boring people have been seen reading books and magazines while on them – and it gets you into the workout more. Putting together your strength training and aerobics is great if you have a busy lifestyle. It gets you more bang for your buck and you’ll end up burning calories even after you finish the routine. Plus you are not obligated to use the resistance bands, so you can still just get a core workout and a aerobic workout in whenever you want, and only use the bands on some days.

Versus Other Equipment
Basically, if you’re in the market for a home workout machine, you can get a treadmill, a regular exercise machine, a stair climber, or a Ball Bike. A treadmill is a popular item that many people get and then don’t end up using. If you plan to put it in a basement or somewhere else with low ceilings, you’d better not be tall or you won’t have clearance. Plus a treadmill is super boring, and loud when you run on it. A stair climber has the same drawbacks, plus it only works out your legs, so you end up getting a massive leg workout but your upper body gets largely neglected. An ordinary stationary bike cannot match up to the Bike Ball because it is one dimensional.

Final Ball Bike Review

The Ball Bike is getting our Thumbs Up, because it will definitely work if you work it. The concept is sound, and the execution is solid. It’s just a matter of following their recommended workout regimen and eating a healthy diet so that you maximize the results that you see. At least 80% of weight loss is really in the food that you eat, so getting that under control is step one. Adding something like a Ball Bike routine into the mix will only help you accelerate your results and bring you to your goal weight and look more quickly.

Our Recommendation
You should try the Ball Bike, but only if you have a track record of using at-home equipment like this. It’s not something you can just slide under the bed, or tuck away in a closet if you don’t end up using it, so be sure to resolve yourself to using it no matter what, and designate a good spot for it, say in front of the TV so you can watch your favorite show like The Biggest Loser while you get your workout in.

What do you think? Does Ball Bike work or not?