The founder of Pilates, Joseph Pilates, practiced yoga, gymnastics, boxing and circus trapeze work. His workouts isolate muscles like the deep lower abdominals and the hamstrings. According to physical therapist Joanne Posner-Mayer, an Italian toy maker manufactured the first fitness balls in the 1960s. These vinyl balls eventually moved from use in neuromuscular therapy for children to general fitness. Balancing on a fitness ball requires mental focus, and Pilates emphasizes the connection between mind and body.
Breathing Exercises
According to "Pilates on the Ball," by Colleen Craig, when asthma interfered with Joseph Pilates' exercise, he trained himself to breathe more efficiently. The fitness ball can help you observe your breathing patterns. Pilates requires you to engage your transverus abdominis, your deep lower abdominal muscles, to protect your back as you move. With this hollowed-out posture, you need to breathe with your diaphragm into your lower ribs. Learn to expand your ribs forward, to the side and the back. You can train your breathing patterns by holding the ball on your lower ribs as you lie on your back and by lying sideways on top of the ball.
Postural Exercises
A jutting chin and a humped or swayed back can strain muscles and ligaments and promote arthritis and sciatica. Pilates stretches and strengthens the small muscles that run along the spine. Sitting on the ball forces you to engage your lower abdominals to lengthen your posture. Keeping your balance while rotating or rounding on the ball gently engages your back muscles. Pilates postural exercises on the ball include bouncing without rotation or bending forward, and sitting tall with your feet flat and rounding forward over your knees and back up one vertebra at a time without letting the ball roll. The Round Back comes from the Pilates mat series, in which you sit upright on the ball, deep abdominals drawn in, and curl your lower back to roll your sitz bones slightly under you, then roll back.
Abdominal Exercises
Pilates exercises on the fitness ball use all three kinds of abdominal muscles. The superficial rectus abdominis flex your trunk and are the muscles that work in the conventional sit-up. They do not provide support for the lower back. The transversus abdominis wraps horizontally around your waist. When it contracts, it supports the lower back and narrows your torso. The exernal and internal obliques cross the sides of your abdomen. They power sideways torso bends. Because a ball can move in any direction, all abdominal muscles are engaged when you use the ball for support. You can do leg circles while lying on your back with one ankle on the ball. Small upper body curls with both feet on the ball become more difficult with this unstable support. For an advanced curl from the BodySpheres method, lie on your back on the ball with your torso tilted backward and your feet and legs on the wall. Your lower abdominal muscles remain extended while they work.
References
- "Pilates on the Ball"; Colleen Craig; 2001
- "Pilates' Return to Life Through Contrology"; Joseph H. Pilates and William Miller; 1998
- "Complete Idiot's Guide to the Pilates Method"; Karon Karter; 2001
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