WOMEN’S FITNESS

ball
Have a

Get long, lean and limber with Pilates

The Pilates method encourages
amazing core strength whilst
promoting spinal flexibility and
supple joints. Caroline Sandry shows
you how to use a soft ball to achieve
great posture, strength and tone
Muscle balance
Muscle balance is determined by the length
of a muscle around a joint and the strength
of the muscle. We can classify most muscles
as stabilisers or mobilisers. Stabilisers are
made up of slow twitch muscle fibres and
primarily stabilise a joint and assist in
holding posture. Mobilising muscles are
responsible for movement and tend to be
more superficial and are made of fast twitch
muscle fibres – see muscle fibre box out.
People with poor posture or poor alignment
tend to have weak and untoned stabilising
muscles which can lead to pain and injury.
Pilates exercises target the larger,
mobilising muscles such as the rectus
abdominus and the hip flexors, but also
the smaller stabilising muscles, such as
the lower fibres of the upper back
(trapezius and serratus anterior) to
stabilise the scapula (shoulder blade) and
the abdominal muscles (transversus
abdominus and multifidus) which stabilise
the spine and pelvis.
It is therefore important to focus on your
alignment throughout to ensure that the
correct muscle groups are challenged.
The exercises in the workout are
designed to be performed as a complete
workout, or as individual exercises that
can be added into your existing regime.
They aim to open the chest, strengthen
the core and build stability. Use slow,
controlled movements throughout, and
gently engage your deep stabilising
muscles by drawing your pelvic floor
upwards and your belly button inwards.
This is a gentle contraction (not ‘bracing’).
Practice by lying on your back (with a
neutral spine, which is neither arched nor
flat) with your knees bent, and one hand
on your abdomen. As you exhale, gently
draw your belly button down without
moving your spine. Inhale to release. Try to
build up to holding the contraction for
several breaths, breathing into your ribs.

Muscle fibre types

Muscle fibres are either fast or slow
twitch. Fast twitch are and fast to fatigue
but are responsible for explosive
powerful movements, such as sprinting
and jumping – mainly anaerobic activity.
Slow twitch fibres contract slowly and
are more enduring. They are responsible
for aerobic, endurance activities such as
running or swimming.
Spine flex forward – warm up
✱ Sit up tall with a straight spine and shoulders away from your ears
✱ Inhale to prepare, exhale and flex the spine forward from the head drawing your belly button
in towards your spine
✱ Inhale wide into your ribcage
✱ Exhale and press your palms gently into the ball to engage shoulder stabilisers as you
rebuild the spine one vertebra at a time

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Hip rolls
✱ Lie on your back with the ball held between your knees, arms
lengthened on the floor beside you and neutral spine
✱ Inhale to prepare, exhale and tilt the pelvis, gently gripping the ball
✱ Continue exhaling as you peel your spine off the floor one vertebra at
a time
✱ Inhale to hold still in the bridge position
✱ Exhale to slowly flex the spine one vertebra at a time back to the floor
✱ Repeat 5 hip rolls

Controlled curls
✱ Place the ball just under your shoulder blades with your feet and knees
hip-width apart and feet flat on the floor
✱ Keeping your shoulders away from your ears, extend your arms by your thighs
✱ Inhale to prepare
✱ Exhale and draw navel to spine, bringing the bottom rib and hips closer
together in a controlled crunch
✱ Inhale release to neutral spine
✱ Repeat 10 times

This is not a big movement, but should feel ‘deep’.

Extended curls
✱ Start in the same position as controlled curls
✱ Place your finger tips gently behind your ears
✱ Inhale and extend your spine back over the ball – lengthening rib to
hip
✱ Exhale and curl up to the controlled curl position
✱ Inhale lengthen back and repeat 12 curls

If you have any issues with your back, start in neutral and do
not extend back.

Oblique twister
✱ Start as with curls, fingertips behind ears
✱ Exhale and keep neutral spine as you rotate towards the right, looking
right with your eyes, and hold in twist for a couple of seconds
✱ Inhale back to centre
✱ Exhale to the left and repeat 8 – 10 times each way

Avoid this exercise if you have disc issues.

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Ball teaser
✱ Lie on your back with your knees together, left leg bent and right leg
extended upwards
✱ Inhale and take the ball overhead
✱ Exhale and curl up one vertebrae at a time, rolling the ball up your leg
to your toes (or as far as possible without jerking)
✱ Inhale to hold
✱ Exhale to flex the spine one vertebra at a time back to the floor
✱ Repeat 6 to 8 times

Keep your shoulder blades down and stay wide across the
front of your chest

Spine extension Oblique reach back

✱ Lie face down with your legs hip to shoulder width with your palms
under your face
✱ Inhale to prepare
✱ Exhale, draw navel to spine and extend your upper spine off the
floor, keeping your head and neck in line with your spine
✱ Inhale into your ribs to stay up
✱ Exhale to lengthen back to the floor
✱ Repeat 8 times
Try to focus on lengthening your upper back, extending
your head as far away from your hips as possible
✱ Sit up tall with knees bent
✱ Place the ball behind you to the right, with your right hand placed
on the top, and your left hand reaching forward at shoulder height
✱ Inhale to prepare
✱ Exhale and flex your spine as you roll the ball back, looking back
to the right
✱ Inhale and roll back up to start position
✱ Repeat 6 to 8 times on each side
Keep your shoulders away from your ears and navel to
spine at all times. Do not attempt this flexion with rotation if
you have any back or disc injury.

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Rolling
shell
stretch
✱ Kneel your bottom
onto your heels
with your face
down and hands
stretched forward
to rest on the ball
✱ Inhale deeply to
prepare
✱ Exhale and draw
your abdomen in
as you roll up one
vertebra at a time
gently pressing
hands into the ball
to engage shoulder
stabilisers
✱ Inhale and exhale
to roll down and
repeat slowly 5
times

Final stretch and chest opener

✱ Place the ball under your shoulder blades and gently extend backwards
✱ If necessary place a cushion under your head
✱ Bring your feet together and knees apart to open the hips
✱ Take deep slow breaths and allow the front of the body to open and release.

If this is too extreme, place a cushion or pillow under your head

Pilates express mat which is extra thick to protect the spine and has
Velcro straps to ‘roll & go’ available from www.stott-pilates.co.uk

For best results try to perform
these exercises at least three
times per week
Small Pilates ball available from Pilates Solutions
www.pilatessolutions.co.uk
Caroline wears clothing by ZOCA available from
www.sheactive.co.uk

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