How to Choose Exercise Balls

Video transcription

Today I'm going to show you how to choose a ball using Pilates style exercises. The first ball I'm going to show you is the over ball. This ball is deflated. The more air you have in it the less stability you have. So if you're looking for a ball that has a challenge this would be the ball that you would want to choose. You can also increase your exercise by putting it between ankles or between knees and you can also use it to release the low back and neck. This ball is the bumpy ball and this ball is mainly used for people that have scoliosis but it's a great exercise, I'll show you in just a minute how to do some of those exercises and this is the exercise ball or the fip ball. This ball is great if you're looking for a good challenge in your core. I'm now going to show you a few exercise that you can do using the over ball. The over ball is great to release the low back and neck and to add a little more increased intensity in some of your exercises that you are normally doing with Pilates. So the first thing I'm going to show you is how to release that low back. Place the over ball under your sacrum and lay down on the mat, do some pelvic clocks or pelvic tilts to release that low back. The other thing you can do is release the neck. Place the ball underneath your neck, the base of your head and shake your head no and yes. Another thing you can do with the over ball is use it in between your knees to increase the intensity in your inner thighs or in your ankles. The next ball I'm going to show some exercises for is the bumpy ball and this is a good ball to use for scoliosis patients and here is one of the things that you can do to help that and these are exercises that are good for all clients. Place the ball at the sacrum and lay down on the mat. Bringing one leg to table top and the other leg to table top, straighten your feet up to the ceiling. With your toes pointed in, you're going to lower the legs, ankles first and then externally rotate to bring the ankles together. Heels out, heels together. You can do the same thing with the toes. Toes leading out and toes leading together. Another exercise you can do here is like bicycle so toes bend towards the mat and straighten up towards the ceiling, making sure that your pelvis is staying in a nice solid position so engage those abs and you can reverse as well. Lower one leg to the mat and the other. Now I am going to show you some exercises that you can do with the fip ball or exercise ball. The first thing I want you to do is rock your feet out, posteriorly tilt in the pelvis, hands behind your head. From here you can engage the abs and exhale as you come up. You can also bring one leg up and the other leg up and then roll it back up to a sitting position.