Pilates ball exercises focus on building core strength and can range from easy warm-ups to strenuous exercises that tone and strengthen the body. They can also include weights and are often variations of Pilates mat exercises.
The Pilates exercise program is a comprehensive program that works the body and mind. The Pilates ball is one of the most common tools used during many exercises, and Pilates ball exercises primarily focus on building core strength that supports the spine, hips, and legs. Pilates ball exercises run the gamut from very easy warm-up exercises to extremely strenuous exercises that strengthen and tone the core muscles of the body. Some Pilates ball exercises also include the use of weights, and such exercises can strengthen the core and other muscles, such as the pectoral muscles, shoulder muscles, biceps, and triceps.
Some Pilates ball exercises are simply Pilates mat exercises accented with the ball. An example of such an exercise is the roll-up. One should begin by lying on the ground with arms extended back in an inverted Superman pose. Then one should slowly rotate the arms forward. As the arms begin to move past the face and toward the torso, the core muscles will engage and push the body up and forward. The movement is complete when the fingers come close to touching the toes. To make this exercise even more strenuous, the user will hold a Pilates ball in their hands while performing the roll-up. This adds weight and resistance, forcing your core muscles to engage.
The simplest Pilates ball exercises include plank poses. A plank pose can also be done on a mat without the ball, and resembles a pushup position at its highest point. It can also be done with your forearms resting on the ground instead of just your hands. To enhance the exercise, one should kick their feet on top of the Pilates ball and perform the plank as usual. This puts more force on your core muscles once they are engaged.
By sitting on the ball, it is possible to roll forward so that the ball ends up supporting your upper back and shoulders. When in this position, the user can perform several different difficulty levels of Pilates ball exercises. A simple exercise involves getting into a bridge position: with the shoulders and upper back resting on the ball, one must engage the core muscles to create a flat, tabletop surface with the rest of the body. The knees should be bent at a ninety degree angle, and the core muscles should be engaged to provide support for the body. Hold this position for several seconds, then release. To make the exercise more intense, the user can do dumbbell flyes while holding the bridge position.
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