Pilates and Core Workouts

Challenge Your Core Strength with an Exercise Ball

A large exercise ball can also be called a core strength ball because it adds an extra element of instability to any exercise, allowing you to utilize your core muscles. Fitness professionals and athletes of all ability levels can benefit from adding core strength ball exercise moves to a workout.

A large exercise ball is also known as a Pilates ball—you can use the ball to increase the intensity of Pilates mat exercises, such as the chest lift. If you are new to Pilates, try doing this exercise on a mat before trying it on the ball, so you learn how to raise your torso with control, without coming up as high as you would for a typical crunch.

The chest lift may seem like a crunch, but it isn’t. Keep these points in mind when doing a chest lift on a Pilates ball:

• Exhale as you curl your upper body away from the ball.
• Keep your feet flat on the floor.
• Don’t try to come all the way up. Lift your upper body just so you feel the upper abdominal muscles, then lower down slowly.

Leg Circles Make a Well-Rounded Workout

Many Pilates exercises can be modified using a large fitness ball, also called a Swiss ball. However, some Pilates exercises must be done on a mat. Add mat-based Pilates leg circles after a fitness ball workout, and you'll have the ingredients for a great core fitness plan.

• Start by lying on your back on a mat with both legs extended flat on the floor. Keep your arms at your sides.
• Raise your right leg toward the ceiling, keeping your right hip on the mat. If your legs don’t form a 90-degree angle, that’s okay.
• Drop the right leg a few inches down toward the left hip.
• Open the right leg out and swing it in a small circle back to the starting point.
• Repeat 5 times, then switch and extend the left leg.

Power Abs: Two Balls are Better than One

To get that shapely torso, you need to work all of your abdominal muscles. Pilates ab exercises build abdominal strength, but so do twisting crunches. Twisting crunches engage the internal and external oblique muscles on the sides of the torso. You can engage the abs even more by using a large Pilates fitness ball and a small Pilates ball.

Here’s how to do it:

• Start by lying on a fitness ball, with the ball at the center of your back.
• Keep your feet flat on the floor.
• Hold a small Pilates ball in your hands and extend your arms up towards the ceiling.
• Keeping your arms extended, twist your torso to the right so that your arms are parallel to the floor and your fingers are pointing towards the side wall.
• Rotate back to the center and repeat on the other side. Work your way up to 3 sets of 10 repetitions.

Score More with a Strong Core

Want to improve your sports performance? Don’t neglect your core muscles. Strong core muscles support the coordinated movements of your arms and legs, and a strong core helps fight fatigue at the end of a game, race or workout.

Add some fitness ball exercises to your workout routine and you’ll notice improvements in your core strength. A fitness ball, also known as a core strength exercise ball, can be used to enhance a range of exercises, including:

• Upper body: Try doing push-ups while balancing your legs on a fitness ball (also known as a Pilates Swiss ball).
• Lower body: Different types of leg raises done on a fitness ball will work the core muscles and leg muscles simultaneously.

Pilates Works Your Mind and Body

Pilates is one of many types of “mind-body” workouts. As in yoga or tai chi, Pilates exercises make you think about how you are using your muscles during a workout. The benefit: You are training your muscles to perform more efficiently in everyday life. For example, the focus on proper body mechanics in Pilates may help you naturally stand up straighter and sit taller.

For example, a Pilates exercise known as Rolling Like A Ball seems simple, but requires mental concentration and a balance of abdominal and lower back strength. This exercise is a good way to test whether your lower back and abs are equally strong, or whether you need more work on one or the other.

• Start by sitting on a mat and balancing on the “sit bones” of your rear end, with your knees bent and your feet a few inches off the floor.
• Roll backward onto your back, then roll up to the balancing position again, without letting your feet touch the floor.

Have a Ball and Power Up Your Pilates

One of the benefits of Pilates exercises is that there are ways to make them tougher as your fitness level improves. Many Pilates moves can be made more challenging by incorporating a large fitness ball, sometimes called a Pilates ball or yoga ball, into the exercises.

For example, the Roll Over is a Pilates move that is usually done on a mat. But doing Pilates on the ball adds an element of instability.

• Start on your back with your arms flat on the floor by your sides.
• Place a large Pilates ball or yoga ball between your shins, and extend your legs straight up.
• Exhale and lower the legs slightly, and then inhale as you raise them again.
• Exhale and draw the legs down towards the body so they are parallel with the chest.
• Roll onto the broadest part of your shoulders.
• Inhale and extend the backs of your legs.
• Exhale and roll back to the starting position, with your legs straight up.

Pilates Plays Role in Breast Cancer Recovery

Research has shown that exercise is an important part of the physical and psychological healing process in women recovering from breast cancer. The centering and concentration of Pilates exercises, as well as the opportunity to rebuild core strength, can be helpful for patients who may be returning to exercise after time off due to cancer treatments.

The Arms Reach and Pull Exercise is appropriate for women recovering from breast cancer. This move can help strengthen the shoulders and open tight chest muscles.

Here’s how to do it:

• Stand as straight and tall as possible.
• Extend your arms out in front of you, parallel to the floor, with your palms facing in.
• Think about sliding your shoulder blades down toward your waist.
• Inhale and reach your arms forward a few inches, opening your shoulder blades apart. Keep your arms straight in front of you.
• Exhale and return to the neutral shoulder position, keeping your arms extended.
• Exhale and draw your shoulder blades together, moving your arms a few inches back.
• Return to the starting position. Repeat the sequence 3-5 times.

Exercise Balls Stretch and Strengthen

An exercise ball workout using a large exercise ball, also known as a Swiss ball, can include strengthening and stretching exercises.

Many exercisers use a fitness ball to engage their abdominal muscles and increase the intensity of a workout. Crunches or balance exercises are more challenging when you do them on a ball because an exercise ball workout promotes core strength by encouraging different muscle groups to work together. Fitness balls are great tools for stretching, too.

Try this simple stretch after doing abdominal Swiss ball exercises, or anytime your back and chest feel tight:

• Sit on the ball with your feet flat on the floor.
• Roll down onto the ball so that the ball is in the center of your back.
• Allow your head and upper body to relax, keeping your feet on the floor.
• Breathe deeply and think about opening your chest.
• Hold the stretch for a minute, or longer if you want.

Pilates for Men

Because the popularity of Pilates in recent years seems to be fueled by women participants and instructors, some men may think that Pilates exercises are geared towards women. In fact, the strength flexibility, and balance that Pilates provides are important components of a men’s fitness program. Pilates can help improve performance in any sport by strengthening the core muscles.

If you are a guy who wants to give Pilates a try, go for it, and keep these points in mind:

• Modify as needed. Some men who haven’t done much stretching lately may find that their hips and hamstrings are tight during Pilates exercises. But any Pilates move can be modified to allow new participants to stretch gradually as they learn proper form and get used to the movements.
• Use your head. Focusing the mind is an important component of Pilates that may be unfamiliar to those who haven’t tried other mind-body exercise. Pilates isn’t about powering through a workout, it’s about being in tune with your body and how your muscles are responding. Like anything else, your focus will improve with practice.

Tips for Your First Pilates Class

If you are new to Pilates, find a class that is tailored to beginners. If possible, choose a class that you can drop into and pay per class, so you can decide whether the class and instructor are right for you before committing time and money to a several-week session.

Some other points to keep in mind for your first Pilates class:

• Travel light. Most Pilates workouts are done on mats that the gym or studio provides. If you prefer to bring your own mat, you can use a yoga mat, or buy a specific Pilates mat, which is usually a bit thicker than a yoga mat.
• Dress loose, but not too loose. Any workout clothes can be worn for a Pilates abs workout or any Pilates exercises. The key is to wear comfortable, stretchy clothes, but nothing too baggy—your instructor can’t check your alignment if he or she can’t see how your arms and legs are positioned.
• Minimize the accessories. Leave your necklaces and bracelets at home. They may be distracting and they may interfere with your range of motion.

Take a Stand: Standing Pilates Exercises

Many people think of Pilates as a type of exercise ball workout, or exercise that you do on a mat or a complex machine. But there is another school of Pilates—standing Pilates—in which all the Pilates exercises are done standing up.

Try this simple standing Pilates exercise, the Wall Roll Down, to work your abs and stretch your hamstrings:

• Stand with your back flat against the wall and walk your feet about six inches away from the wall.
• Extend your arms straight overhead.
• Starting from the head and neck, slowly roll forward, peeling your back away from the wall one vertebrae at a time. Be sure to keep your hips flat against the wall.
• Roll forward so your hands are approaching the floor, but keep your arms straight and in line with your ears as you bend forward. Let your head and neck relax.
• Engage your abs as you reverse the motion and slowly roll back up to the starting position.

Pilates Fusion: Know What You're Getting

Pilates classes may be just Pilates classes, but there are other workouts that use elements of Pilates, such as fitness ball workouts or power yoga. Any exercise has its benefits, but are you getting a Pilates workout when you take a class that combines Pilates with yoga, dancing, or using Swiss ball stretches or resistance bands?

Keep these points in mind when choosing a Pilates combination class:

• Know the instructor. Find out whether the instructor is certified in Pilates, or in something like “Pilates on the ball” exercises. You may not need a certified Pilates instructor for a combination class, but know that the class may not include other traditional Pilates exercises.
• Know Pilates. If you are familiar with the basic Pilates exercises and with the basic Pilates principles of core strengthening, stretching, and concentration, you’ll know whether a class is including those elements to your satisfaction.
• Know yourself. If you feel good after a Pilates combination class and you enjoy it, that’s really all that matters.

Back Pain Problems? Try Pilates

There are many causes of back pain, and Pilates exercises are not helpful in every case. However, Pilates addresses the causes of some types of back pain, such as weak core muscles and pelvic instability. Pilates on the ball or standard Pilates exercises can improve back pain in several ways:

• Improving awareness. Many people with back pain may not realize that poor posture or weak abs may be part of the problem, but Pilates exercises force you to pay attention to how your muscles are working. You may discover areas of weakness and imbalance that can be improved.
• Improving posture. Pilates exercises help you pay more attention to your body’s alignment. For example, most people either tuck or tilt the pelvis, but Pilates exercises help the body learn to maintain a neutral position in the spine, which can help relieve or prevent back pain.
• Improving flexibility. Pilates exercises help teach the back muscles and abdominal muscles to work together, so the back can bend and twist without straining.
• Improving core strength. Pilates engages a range of muscles that stabilize the back, including the abs and the deep pelvic floor muscles.

Pilates for Runners

Running has many benefits, but increased flexibility is not among them. Also, runners who don’t do any cross training may be surprisingly lacking in core strength, which can make the difference in keeping up the pace during a marathon. Runners tend to have strong calves, quads, and hip flexors, but their iliotibial bands (which run down the outside of each leg) may be weak.

Fitness ball exercises and Pilates exercises can help runners by correcting muscle imbalances and promoting proper alignment, which can reduce the risk of injuries. Any Pilates exercise that strengthens the hamstrings is good for runners, such as the double leg lift or criss-cross. Also, a popular Pilates prop, the foam roller, works well to release tight IT bands:

• Start by lying on your right side on a mat, and place the foam roller on the outside of your right hip, at the top of the hip.
• Roll your hip slowly along the roller, and spend a little extra time on spots that feel tight.
• Roll the roller up and down the outside of your leg a few times, and then repeat on the opposite leg.

Pilates Modification Tips

So, you want to add Pilates to your fitness routine. Whether you are focusing on Pilates abs exercises, Pilates on the ball, or traditional mat-based Pilates, it helps to know about the modifications you can make until you get the hang of Pilates exercises.

Some simple modifications are:

• Watch your leg height. When doing Pilates exercises that involve stretching your legs in the air, note that the closer your legs are to the floor, the harder your abs work, but the greater the stress on your lower back. If you feel your back arching during leg-lifting exercises, keep your legs higher, and don’t lower them as close to the floor until you develop more abdominal strength.
• Get a lift. If you have tight hamstrings, try sitting on a small wedge or a rolled-up towel when doing Pilates exercises. Try keeping your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor for intense Pilates hamstring exercises, such as the Saw.

Have Time For Just One Pilates Move?

If you are pressed for time and want one quick and easy stretch, try the Saw. The Saw is one of the Pilates exercises that you can do while sitting in front of the TV, or before a fitness ball or cardio workout. This Pilates move works the back and hamstrings.

Here’s how to do it:

• Sit on the floor with your legs apart, about as wide as your shoulders.
• Stretch your arms out to a T shape, keeping them parallel to the floor.
• Bend forward from the hips and twist to the left, reaching your right hand toward your left foot. If it doesn’t get all the way there, that’s okay. Keep your left arm extended as you reach forward.
• Hold for a few breaths, and then return to the starting position.
• Repeat three times on each side.

No Need to Postpone Pilates During Pregnancy

Research has shown that moderate exercise is beneficial for pregnant women, including exercises that promote core strength. Pilates is a great choice for core strength training during pregnancy because there is little pressure on the joints, and exercises can be modified as pregnancy progresses.

Keep these prenatal Pilates points in mind:

• Check with your doctor. Some complications of pregnancy may mean that Pilates is too intense.
• Be a veteran. If you weren’t doing Pilates prior to pregnancy, this is not the time to start. Instead, use a fitness ball, also called a Pilates fitness ball, to maintain core fitness during pregnancy.
• Pace yourself. You may be able to find a specific prenatal Pilates class, or you may want to continue with your regular class (at least during the first trimester). But keep in mind that your energy levels are changing, and slow down if you are too winded to keep up a conversation.