Beer barrels and hospital bedsprings inspired Joseph Pilates, who created and developed the Pilates technique. He designed his equipment as a means of enhancing posture, strength and flexibility, and activating the "powerhouse," or deep core muscles. After his death, Pilates instructors developed other methods to accomplish these fitness goals. Some turned to technology and created complex versions of the original equipment. Others took a back-to-basics approach. The Pilates mini ball exemplifies the latter.
History
Like many late twentieth-century fitness trends, the origins of Pilates mini ball exercise are difficult to trace. Three existing fitness methods influenced its development. Medicine ball training, according to ESPN, dates back to ancient Egypt. Stability ball training, which uses larger balls, is rooted in physical therapy. Yoga instructor Yamuna Zake developed the body rolling method, which combines flexibility and self-massage techniques, in the 1970s. In the late 1980s, Leslee Bender, owner of the Pilates Coach in Nevada, began presenting Pilates mini-ball workshops at fitness instructor conventions, and various Pilates certifying organizations adapted the trend.
Agility
When used as a traditional medicine ball, the mini ball adds agility training to Pilates exercises, which tend toward predictability in their movement patterns. Agility is the ability to maintain focus, stability and postural alignment when responding to external stimuli. The mini ball half roll back toss is an example of this type of modified Pilates exercise. Hold the mini ball with both hands. Begin in a seated position with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Engage your core muscles and roll back to a "C-curve," with your lower back on the floor but your middle and upper back off the floor. Hold the position as you toss the ball into the air, and catch it with both hands. Maintain spinal stability by engaging your core muscles.
Muscle Identification
The Pilates mini ball exercises facilitate conscious activation of the stabilizing muscle groups. In an article on the IDEA Fitness website titled "Men on Mats," Leslee Bender suggests placing the ball between the inner thighs during the bridge exercise. This activates the adductors, which stabilize the knees, and the pelvic floor muscles, which stabilize the pelvis. Lie supine with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Squeeze the ball with your inner thighs as you lift each vertebra from the floor until you are in a bridge position.
Benefits
Stiff neck and upper back muscles impede the ability to perform Pilates supine abdominal flexion exercises. Some instructors use the mini ball to alleviate their students' neck tension. Lie supine and place the ball under your neck. Slowly nod your head, as if you were saying "yes," and then return it to center. Gently turn your head to the right and to the left. Perform as many repetitions as you need to relax the muscles.
Expert Insight
The "Journal of Applied Research" published a 2007 study which compared abdominal exercise on the floor, on the larger stability ball and on the mini ball. Lead researcher Jerrold S. Petrofsky, Ph.D., found that the mini ball, despite its small size, offered an acceptable amount of back support and provided an increased range of motion, which in turn increased core muscle activation.
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