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On the Ball
Work your core with these Pilates-inspired moves
by Elisabeth Crawford
For years, Pilates instructors have been drawn to the stability ball as an effective complement to their technique. The two methods share a common focus on the core musculature and both typically integrate stretching with strength training. While Pilates exercises are performed on a stable surface-either the floor or an apparatus such as the Reformer-the ball adds the element of instability. To perform most exercises with the ball, you must use not only the muscles required to execute the movement, but also an additional set of stabilizing muscles in your torso to maintain balance.
These core muscles are strengthened through a complex reflex response involving sensory organs-such as the eyes, inner ear and pressure receptors on the skin-that receive signals from the environment and then direct a neural message to the muscles. Just as your knee jerks when tapped by a doctor's mallet, your body will strive to right itself by contracting specific core muscles whenever you begin to lose your balance.
Here are six beginner-level exercises designed to provide a balanced workout for all major muscle groups. Aim for 8 to 10 repetitions of each movement.
Bouncing
Sit on the ball with your feet on the floor, hip-width apart.
Bounce up and down, keeping your feet on the floor. Begin at a natural pace, then gradually slow down the tempo until you are bouncing in slow motion. Maintain a neutral spine (keep the curve in your lower back), with your shoulders aligned over your hips and your knees directly over your heels.
Flat Back
Sit on the ball.
Slowly walk your feet forward until your shoulders are resting on top of the ball.
Press your hips up in line with your knees and shoulders and reach your arms overhead. Hold for three seconds, then reach your arms forward and walk your feet in, bringing yourself back to a sitting position.
Shoulder Bridge
Lie on your back, resting your legs on top of the ball with your knees bent.
Rolling through your spine one vertebra at a time, slowly press your hips up toward the ceiling. Hold the highest position for three seconds, then slowly roll your spine back down to the floor.
For more challenge, place the ball farther away from your hips so your feet rest on top and your knees are straight, or try raising one leg off the ball once you are fully lifted in the bridge.
Toss and Catch
Lie on your back and hold the ball in your hands. Extend your legs up toward the ceiling; then let them open to the sides so that you feel a stretch in your inner thighs.
From there, toss the ball into the air and catch it between your ankles. Open your legs to the sides, allowing the ball to drop into your hands. Keep your spine in a neutral position.
Knee Stretch
Lie with your stomach on the ball. Walk your hands forward until your knees are directly on top of the ball, your body in a straight line from head to toe.
From there, bend your knees, rolling the ball toward your chest. As you straighten your legs, the ball will roll away. For more challenge and to work the oblique muscles, try the Skier variation: aim the knees toward one shoulder so that the ball rolls on a diagonal.
Side Leg Lifts
Lie sideways on the ball with your legs one on top of the other. For support, place one hand on the floor and the other on the ball.
Raise and lower your top leg, keeping both legs in a parallel alignment and your torso squared to the front. Repeat on the other side.
Elisabeth Crawford, a San Francisco-based Pilates instructor, is the author of Balance on the Ball: Exercises Inspired by the Teachings of Joseph Pilates.
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