Pilates Exercise Ball
 What’s an Pilates Exercise Ball?
Originally created in 1963 by an Italian plastics company, the exercise ball has been around for a while. Aquilino Cosani perfected the process of creating puncture resistant balls from a soft PVC polymer. In the early days, these were known as Swiss balls.
This came after Mary Quinton, a British physiotherapist, began using them for neonatal treatments and therapies. She was practicing in Switzerland at the time. Soon the practice spread around Switzerland and eventually to the U.S. Today the applications run from therapy to birthing, and the balls are available in all sizes. They range from 14 to 34 inches and the proper size is determined by use, and the height of the person using it. Basically, the taller you are, the bigger ball you will want to use to get the maximum benefit.
Why Use a Pilates Exercise Ball?
You may be thinking that there is no way playing with a ball is going to help you with your exercise routines.
That is where you are mistaken; a Pilates exercise ball is the perfect piece of exercise equipment. It is light and inexpensive, and the use of it will increase the productivity of all other actions. In other words, make all your exercises more challenging. Sounds good, but how is this accomplished? When you use the ball, say in doing abdominal crunches, your body has to work harder to keep you balanced.
To do this it brings muscles into play that you would not use from the ground positions. Your back and abdominal muscles are forced to work together. Over time, this exercise will strengthen both areas and lead to a solid core. Why do you care about a solid, strong core when all you want to do is lose a little weight? The reason the core is so important is that it directly affects all other movement.
A strong core permits the efficient use of energy from the upper body to the lower body and back again. This will affect productivity of all other physical activity whether you are a runner, swimmer, or body builder. You will work out more efficiently and burn lots of calories.
Another new piece of exercise equipment that uses this principle and can add a fat burning element to your workout is the Wave. You can read my opinion on the Firm Wave Review here.
Benefits of Pilates Ball Exercises
Pilates exercises target what is called the powerhouse, also known as your core – a set of deep muscles close to your skeleton. Some of these muscle groups are difficult to work through conventional programs like step aerobics and bench presses. To work muscle groups like the transverse abdominis,(which protects your inner organs and stabilizes your spine), performing Pilates exercises on an exercise ball is your best choice. As you work these deep muscles, you will find you have improved posture as well as increased endurance.
Back problems and aches will diminish as you strengthen your core through proper use of the Pilates exercise ball. In addition, you increase the effectiveness of stretching and overall, they are just great fun! Play on one – lie on it, sit and bounce on it, even throw it up and catch it! When was the last time you enjoyed a workout so much?
All the best,
Carol J Bartram
(Pilates Instructor)
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