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Pilates Ball Exercises.
Index
Pilates ball exercises for legs and glutes
Ball Squat
- Squat against the wall and rest your back on the ball, with your knees at 90 degree angles and place your hands behind your ears.
- Lift yourself up by extending your legs and slowly lower yourself down after a short pause.
- Take a breath as you stand up and slowly release it as you return to the starting position.
Ball Squat – With weights
- Squat against the wall and place your back on the ball, knees at 90 degree angles and grab a weight in each hand.
- Lift yourself up by extending your legs and slowly lower yourself down after a short pause.
- Take a breath as you stand up and slowly release it as you return to the starting position.
Ball Squat – Single-leg
- Lean on the ball with your right shoulder and keep your right arm extended forward. Place your right foot on the calf of your left leg.
- Stand up by extending your legs and slowly lower yourself down after a short pause. After the series repeat the exercise on the opposite side.
- Take a breath as you stand up and slowly release it as you return to the starting position.
Ball Split Squat
- Standing with the ball behind you, rest one ankle on the top of the ball and bend down until your knee is at a 90 degree angle.
- Stand up by extending your legs and slowly lower yourself down after a short pause. After the series repeat the exercise on the opposite side.
- Take a breath as you stand up and slowly release it as you return to the starting position.
Ball Hip Abduction
- Standing with the wall to your right, rest your right thigh on the ball with your knee bent.
- Squeeze the ball by pressing your leg against it and gradually return to the starting position after a short pause. Alternate legs after each set.
- Breathe in as you push and release slowly as you return to the starting position.
Ball Hip Adduction
- Stand on your right leg and place your left foot on the ball. The leg should be extended out to the side…
- Roll the ball towards you and slowly return to the starting position after a short pause. Alternate legs after each set.
- Breathe in as you push and release slowly as you return to the starting position.
Ball Reverse Leg Curl
- Lie on your back, feet on top of the ball, legs and back should be straight.
- Roll the ball towards you by bending your knees and slowly return to the starting position after a short pause.
- Keep your back straight at all times.
- Breathe in as you push and release slowly as you return to the starting position.
Ball Squeeze – Seated
- Sit on the ball with your legs apart and place your hands on your chest.
- Squeeze the ball between your legs by bringing your thighs as close to each other as possible and slowly return after a short pause.
- Take a breath as you squeeze the ball and slowly release it as you return to the starting position.
Ball Reverse Bridge
- Lie on your back with your feet on top of the ball, knees bent.
- Lift the lower back and buttocks by extending the legs and lower slowly after a short pause.
- Keep your back straight at all times.
- Take a breath as you stand up and slowly release it as you return to the starting position.
Ball Calf Raise
- You should stand facing the wall and lean on the ball with your chest.
- It is simply a matter of standing on tiptoe. Once you are on tiptoe, you should hold it for a few seconds and then slowly lower yourself down after a short pause.
- Make sure that only the calf muscles are exercising.
- Take a breath as you stand up and slowly release it as you return to the starting position.
Pilates ball exercises for shoulders
Ball Rear Deltoid Row
- Lie on the ball on your stomach with your abdomen, back and legs extended and hold the weights at your sides, arms outstretched.
- Raise the weights upwards until the elbows are at a 90 degree angle then rotate upwards and lower slowly after a short pause.
- Breathe in as you push and slowly release as you return to the starting position.
Ball Rear Deltoid Raise (Bent elbows)
- Lie on your stomach with your abdomen on the ball, back and legs extended and hold the weights at your sides with your elbows at a 90-degree angle.
- Keeping the angles at the elbows, raise your shoulders until your arms are parallel above and slowly lower after a short pause.
- Breathe in as you push and slowly release as you return to the starting position.
Ball Rear Deltoid Raise (Sideways)
- Lean on the ball sideways, hold the ball with your left arm, keep your back and legs straight and hold a dumbbell in your right hand, arms outstretched.
- Keeping your arm extended with the dumbbell in your hand, slowly raise the dumbbell to the front and lower your arm back to the starting position after a short pause. Then repeat, supporting the other side of the body and raising the left arm.
- Breathe in as you push and slowly release as you return to the starting position.
Ball Scapular Protraction
- Rest your hands on the top of the ball, back and legs extended.
- Strive to lift your body only by moving your shoulders and return to the starting position slowly after a short pause.
- Breathe in as you push and slowly release as you return to the starting position.
Ball Shoulder Rotation
- Lean on the ball face down with your abdomen, back and legs extended and hold the weights out to the sides, elbows at a 90-degree angle.
- Keep the angles of the elbows and try to lift the dumbbells with a small shoulder rotation until the forearms are parallel above.
- Breathe in as you push and slowly release as you return to the starting position.
Pilates Chest Ball Exercises
Ball Dumbbell Press
- Rest your upper back on the ball, shoulder blades resting on the top of the ball, back extended, knees bent at a 90 degree angle, with a weight on each arm.
- Push the dumbbells up without letting them touch each other and after a short pause slowly lower them back down.
- Breathe in as you push and slowly release as you return to the starting position.
Ball Dumbbell Press (inclined)
- Rest your whole back and shoulders on the ball, with your knees bent and a weight with each arm.
- Push the dumbbells up without letting them touch each other and after a short pause slowly lower them back down.
- Breathe in as you push and slowly release as you return to the starting position.
Ball Push Up
- Face down, lean with your hands on the top of the ball, with your legs and back fully extended.
- Stretch your arms out and slowly lower yourself down after a short pause.
- Breathe in as you push and slowly release as you return to the starting position.
Ball Push Up (kneeling)
- Kneel in front of the ball with your hands on top of the ball and your back extended.
- Stretch your arms out and slowly lower yourself down after a short pause.
- Breathe in as you push and slowly release as you return to the starting position.
Ball Push Up (Feet Up)
- On your stomach, rest your thighs and knees on the top of the ball, legs and back fully extended and hands on the floor, elbows bent.
- Stretch your arms out and slowly lower yourself down after a short pause.
- Breathe in as you push and slowly release as you return to the starting position.
Ball Chest Fly
- Rest your upper back on the ball, shoulder blades resting on the top of the ball, back extended, knees bent at a 90 degree angle, with a weight on each arm.
- Keeping your elbows slightly bent with your arms crossed, slowly raise your arms and after a short pause, return to the starting position.
- Breathe in as you push and slowly release as you return to the starting position.
Ball Bear Hugs
- Sit on a bench with your back straight and hold the ball against your chest, with your hands on either side of the ball.
- Squeeze the ball tightly to your chest and slowly release after a short pause.
- Breathe in as you push and slowly release as you return to the starting position.
Pilates Ball Exercises for Abs
Crunch Ball
- Lie on the ball with your back low and place your hands behind your ears. Do not let your elbows come together. Keep them at the level of your ears.
- The feet should be flat on the ground, slightly apart with the knees bent at an angle of 90 degrees or slightly more. The lower back should always be in contact with the ball.
- Tighten your abdominal muscles gently.
- Gently bend your back to lift your shoulders towards the ceiling (not towards your knees), strictly using your abdominal muscles.
- Return to the starting position gently.
Ball Reverse Crunch
- Lie on the floor and place your legs apart on the ball at a 90 degree angle.
- The arms should be open in the form of a cross.
- Grab the ball with your legs and try to lift it using your abdominal muscles and return to the starting position after a short pause.
Ball Side Crunch
- Rest your hips on the ball, arms across your chest, legs extended and feet wide apart for balance.
- Lift the upper body off the ball and lower again after a short pause.
- Alternate sides after finishing each set.
Ball Sit-up
- Lie on the ball with your back bent backwards so that your head is also resting on the ball.
- Place your hands behind your ears. Do not let your elbows come together. Keep them at the level of your ears.
- The feet should be flat on the ground, slightly apart with the knees bent at an angle of 90 degrees or slightly more.
- Tighten your abdominal muscles gently.
- Gently bend your back to lift your shoulders towards the ceiling (not towards your knees), strictly using your abdominal muscles.
- Gently return to the starting position.
Ball Jackknife
- Place the instep of your feet on the ball with your legs outstretched, chest to the floor and extend your arms to stand up.
- Keeping your weight with your arms extended, roll the ball forward by bending at the knees and hips.
- Then, extend your legs back after a short pause.
*Images from: http://www.ball-exercises.com
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- We give you 17 exercises to train your Abs! See this post.
