Sunday, February 8, 2009

Fitness Ball Use in Pilates

By Julia Channel

Searching for fast results? Combining a fitness ball with your Pilates workout will help you obtain that goal while you are having a fun time.

The fitness ball enables you to be off the ground, helping you with engaging stabilising muscles in a workout that is second to none.

The fitness ball, initially named "Pezzi Ball," was later referred to as the "Swiss ball." The diameter of the ball is approximately 35 to 85 cm. It is made of an elastic that can withstand the pressure of your body, known as PVC.

Swiss balls were designed mainly for use with newborns and infants, then afterwards as a tool for physiotherapy, although it soon developed a following in the fitness industry. Whilst they were never originally a part of the Pilates concept, these fitness balls have been enthusiastically adopted by the Pilates community when people saw their actual potential and are now considered as an essential element in any Pilates programme.

You can get that trim tight body you have been aiming for by doing Pilates, and using the fitness ball will boost the intensity of these exercises because you have to use your core muscles to balance yourself. When you add a fitness ball to the equation, you are giving your workout a immense boost. The ball causes you to constantly use deep muscles to keep your balance. This gives you a Pilates workout that packs double the punch.

How is this accomplished by the fitness ball? A fitness ball strengthens the small muscles around your spine. They are known as micro stabilisers. This toning strengthens the musculature and helps prevent back injury and pain. Strengthening your back muscles allows you to work out longer and achieve better results!

The fitness ball conditions both your abdominal and your back muscles.

Using the fitness ball is immense fun as well, because it allows you to add some variety to your workout - no more boring, repetitive routines! No more hard floor, either - and you get an added bounce as well!

Would you like more? You can include weights in the mix: just take care that you choose a much lower weight than for a usual routine, because the combination of stabilising and weights intensifies the workout. You will feel your overall strength increasing rapidly. With this method, you will feel your confidence go through the roof as the weight you can lift grows.

The most important thing to keep in mind when using a fitness ball for Pilates, is to keep perfect form. Don't forget that the use of the ball intensifies an average workout. High reps are not always required. Sometimes form is more important. A low number of reps done perfectly can be very effective. The stabilizer muscles will get stronger and you will find that you are well beyond your regular fitness levels in no time at all!

For more information on the benefits of using a fitness ball in your workout program, be certain to visit the website. - 15438

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