Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Fitness Ball - Using It In Pilates

By Julia Channel

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

The fitness ball elevates you and works stabilizing muscles like no other exercise.

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

Swiss balls were designed primarily for use with newborns and infants, then afterwards as a tool for physiotherapy, although it quickly 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 fraternity when people realised 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 yearning for by doing Pilates, and using the fitness ball will increase the intensity of these exercises because you need to use your core muscles to balance yourself. When you add a fitness ball to the equation, you are giving your workout a big boost. The ball causes you to constantly use deep muscles to maintain your balance. This gives you a Pilates workout that packs twice the punch.

How does the fitness ball do this? It works on the micro stabilisers around your spine, strengthening the associated muscles and reducing the chances of future lower back pain. In turn, the strengthened muscles around the spine afford even more overall body strength " you can achieve extended workouts with less fatigue.

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

Using the fitness ball is great 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 add weights to 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 explode as the weight you can lift grows.

It is vital that when you are using a fitness ball in Pilates that you keep good form. The ball makes a normal workout that much more intense, so keep this in mind. Allow yourself the freedom to complete a lower level of reps, maintaining perfect form. The stabilizer muscles will gain strength and in next to no time you will find that you are well past your original fitness levels!

Visit this web site to learn more on how a fitness ball can improve your Pilates routine and other exercise programs. - 15275

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