Pilates and Exercise Ball Workouts

I've always been interested in staying in shape and anything that I think can help me do so. As I have mentioned the exercise ball is the piece of equipment I use for strength training and the eliptical and treadmill are my favorites for cardio. I continue to try different routines and exercises on a regular basis. The exercises I have listed on my blog site for the exercise ball are some of my tried and true favorites that have given me results.

I have come across a new interest and have been pursuing it now for the last several months. I had purchased a pilates circle some time ago and have tried some exercises with it, both on the exercise ball and by itself. I had come across several articles in my Fitness and Health magazines regarding Pilates and decided to give it a try. It has been interesting and challenging which is why I'm still pursuing it. I have learned that there is a lot more to Pilates than I realized.

Pilates is based on nine different principles. I started off purchasing the pilates circle and finding different exercises in my magazines and online utilizing it. I liked some of the exercises and some of them I wasn't sure what to think. I decided I needed some extra help to figure out the proper way to do some of these pilates exercises. I found a DVD online called Stott Pilates Stability Ball Challenge and ordered it. Once I got the DVD and started to use it I was both thrilled and intrigued with my purchase. Thrilled because I felt like I was getting results in doing the exercises, and intrigued because, I also felt like I still had more to learn to master some of these pilates moves.

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Exercise Ball Workouts for the Chest and Arms

As I mentioned before the results I get and the versatility of exercise ball workouts is why I continually use them. A couple exercises that I have gone back to time and time again for my arms and chest are:

Incline Dumbbell Press

A. Start out sitting on the exercise ball with a dumbbell in each hand (I use 8lb dumbbells) walk your feet out in front of you until your upper back is resting on the exercise ball. Your hips should be lower than your shoulders. Bend elbows raising hands up to shoulder height, elbows should be aligned with your shoulders and pointing toward the floor.

B. Contract (tighten) your abs and glutes, slowly extend both arms upward hold for a few seconds and lower arms back to starting position. I do 2-3 sets of 12-15 repetitions.

Single Arm Chest Fly

A. Begin sitting on exercise ball holding a dumbbell in your right hand, walk yourself forward until your upper back and neck are resting on the exercise ball. Raise your right arm up toward the ceiling.

B. Tighten your abs and glutes, slowly lower your right arm out to the side until it is about shoulder height, hold for a couple seconds and raise arm back to starting position. I do 12-15 reps and then switch arms. I do 2-3 sets.

Both of these exercises require you to use your core to help keep the ball stable while performing the exercise. The key to doing this is being sure you keep your abs and glutes tightened while performing the exercise.

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My Favorite Exercise Ball Workouts for the Core

One of the most rewarding benefits about exercise ball workouts for me is the effect that they have on my core. No matter what type of exercise I am doing on the exercise ball it involves engaging the core (stomach and back) to stabilize myself. Of course there are certain exercise ball workouts that specifically target those areas as well. A couple of my favorite workout exercises for the core are:

Ball Crunch:

A. Lie on exercise ball with back supported underneath you on the ball. Walk yourself forward or backwards until your shoulders are off one end of the ball, your feet should be flat on the floor, knees bent and aligned over your ankles, hands behind your head with fingers unclasped. Instead of hands behind my head, I sometimes use a 2-4 pound medicine ball and bring it back behind my head.

B. Tighten abs, exhale, and start to curl torso upward, bringing ribs towards hips keep chin level. Slowly lower to starting position and repeat. With medicine ball straighten arms and bring ball up over head toward knees as you curl upward and slowly lower back down bringing ball back behind head.(I do 12-15 reps).

Ball Rotation:

A. Start out sitting on a exercise ball holding a dumbbell or medicine ball (2-4 pounds) in both hands, walk feet out until your back is resting and supported on the ball from shoulders to buttocks, knees should be bent and aligned over ankles, feet flat on the floor. Hold the dumbbell or medicine ball out in front of you, arms extended so dumbbell or medicine ball is above the chest, your elbows should be slightly bent. Your head and neck should be aligned with the spine.

B. Keeping your shoulders and hips aligned with each other rotate your torso and move the dumbbell or medicine ball to one side of your body, return back to the center and then rotate to the opposite side.(I do 12-15 reps).

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Favorite Exercise Ball Workouts Using Multiple Muscle Groups

I like the variety of different exercises I get with exercise ball workouts. I have found a few different sources to get new ideas over the years. I subscribe to Fitness, Shape, and Health magazines. Each of these magazines also has websites. I can find exercise ball workouts along with pictures in the magazines and videos on the websites. A couple of my favorite exercises that involve a variety of muscle groups on the exercise ball are:

Shoulder Press and Leg Raise (shoulders, core, and legs)

A. Sit on exercise ball with legs parallel and knees bent to 90 degrees (sit on ball with feet flat on floor). Holding a dumbbell in each hand (I use 5 pound dumbbell in each hand)keep your back straight and engage abs (tighten abs). With palms facing each other lift your hands to shoulder height, elbows should be pointing downward.

B. Being careful not to lean back (keep back straight and abs engaged). Press (raise)your right hand overhead and straighten your left leg in front of you simultaneously(both at the same time). Hold briefly then slowly lower both arm and leg to the starting position. Repeat with opposite arm and leg to complete 1 rep.(I do 12-15 reps).

Close-Grip Ball Push Up (biceps, triceps, shoulders, chest, legs, abs, back)

A. Start by placing hands on exercise ball about shoulder width apart with arms extended, feet on floor spread hip width apart, legs straight. Slightly lean forward keeping head and torso aligned and engage abs (tighten).

B. Keeping your body as straight as possible bend your elbows to lower your body, keeping elbows close to your sides, straighten arms to starting position and repeat(I do 12-15 reps). You can make this more of a challenge by executing the move on the balls of your feet.

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Exercise Ball Workouts 10 Years Later

Let me start by saying that I am no fitness or health expert. I am an ordinary, soon to be 42 year old woman, who over the years has tried many different exercise routines, machines and what I call gadgets. Some of these I’ve liked and some I haven’t. 

When my daughter was four years old she referenced a Jell-O commercial jingle while poking at my arms and stomach. It was then, that the reality of all those articles I had read in the past about losing muscle mass as we get older was true. After this incident I was on a mission to become toned and fit. In the past 15 years I have come up with a few favorite exercise routines. I own and like an elliptical trainer and treadmill but, for toning and strengthening exercises the exercise ball is my favorite.

I purchased an exercise ball almost ten years ago and still use it today. I continue to find and try different exercises, stretches, routines and workouts using exercise balls. I have tried the bender ball and a bosu ball, but still like my exercise ball the best. I have incorporated hand weights, resistance bands, medicine balls, and most recently a Pilate’s circle. For me doing an ordinary exercise such as ab crunches or a push up on an exercise ball makes the exercise more challenging. I can add a medicine ball to those ab crunches and I’m now getting some variety and arm work in with that basic abs move. No matter what reason I decide to use my exercise ball for, the fact that I have gotten results from using it over the last 10 years is what has kept me motivated to continue to use it. Whether it's for an entire workout, a few quick core exercises, or just stretching, the exercise ball has helped me keep that wiggle and jiggle off me and in the Jello-O. 

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