Why Pilates on the Ball?

The secret of the ball’s success is its spherical shape. Unlike any other piece of equipment or mat, the ball is a mobile surface. The instability of the ball “jump-starts” dormant muscles, recruiting both deep as well as superficial muscle fibers. The effort of working on the ball creates a higher demand on the motor system. An exercise on the ball requires complete focus. As it builds the abdominal core, it also trains the deep muscles of the back, hips, legs and arms.

Using a full range of motion is another useful feature of the ball. On the ball, you will be focusing on stretching out the abdominals, not just shortening them by doing a series of crunches on the floor. You will feel how the lengthening (eccentric) contraction is just as important as the “curling up” or shortening (concentric) contraction. In fact, the lengthening contraction, where you use the muscles as brakes as you elongate the body carefully back into its starting position on the ball, is more work for the muscles. In some cases we will hold the body in a position without movement, increasing the tension in the muscle without changing its length. This is an isometric contraction, and it builds the endurance of the muscles.

The ball requires that you slow down the exercises, giving you time to engage the correct muscles as you pay attention to how the exercises are performed.

You should find pleasure, not pain, in these unusual and varied exercises designed to build superb abdominal strength and a healthy back. If you experience any pain, please let me know, and I could help to either modify the exercise or give you a replacement exercise.

Most important – HAVE FUN!!!!!