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Pilates Exercise Ball
The Pilates exercise ball workouts have evolved and become increasingly more popular in recent years. Why the hype and excitement about this type of workout? The ball originally evolved to rehabilitate and treat patients with neurological disorders and spinal injuries back in the 1960’s. Today, there have been studies published that indicate working out with a stability ball for only 2 hours per week is very effective in improving functional and static balance in older adults. Do not become discouraged as getting started with the Pilates exercise ball can be very challenging your first time on it. Many of my own students, as well as myself looked a bit silly attempting some of the Pilates exercises with the ball our first time. You’ll start to notice after just a few sessions how much more comfortable you are and how much fun it can be to work out. Size of ball and firmness. It is recommended that you use a 55 or 65 cm exercise ball. A ball that is bigger will be too heavy and awkward to perform some of the mat exercises. Click the image below to check out the new Vintage Pilates exercise balls! Fun and inexpensive too!
The firmer the ball is the more difficult most exercises will be. The softer the ball, the less difficult most will be, in general.
BENEFITS OF USING THE PILATES EXERCISE BALL: 1. You have the added challenge of balancing on or with the exercise ball to the already challenging Pilates mat exercises. 2. The exercise ball adds a new bit of variety to your existing mat workout. 3. The Pilates ball works the core (abdominals) in each of the exercises. 4. Certain positions such as with your belly on top of the ball, allows more ease on the wrist and shoulder joints while still strengthening the upper body and core. 5. The ball helps improves your balance, coordination, posture, and body awareness due to the dynamic nature of having to stabilize yourself. 6. With many of the mat exercises the ball allows you to work through a greater range of motion than you would traditionally. 7. By making slight adjustments in your body position you can progressively increase or decrease the intensity of the exercises. 8. It’s FUN and adds an element of playfulness!
I would recommend mastering some of the beginner to advanced level Pilates matwork in the ebook offered here before starting to work with the Exercise Ball. It has over 40 different pictures and detailed descriptions you can do right at home. There are progressive levels from beginner to advanced levels that will teach you the traditional principles that can be used later with the ball.
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