Here’s how to enhance your Pilates Practice with Mini Balls.

The Pilates Mini Ball is an effective addition to your Pilates Practice because it builds core stabilisation by adding resistance and boosting the activation of your pelvic floor muscles.

The mini ball further challenges your balance by adding an unstable surface promoting greater engagement of your deep core muscles. These essential muscles work to stabilise the entire body improving your functioning in everyday activities.

The Mini Ball

Further more the Mini Ball is especially beneficial for those struggling with back pain as it allows the exerciser to build their strength gradually providing a little bit of extra reassurance when returning to exercise following injury.

Let’s not forget the added flexibility you will gain when using the mini ball whilst stretching. The ball allows you to gently lengthen your muscles while performing your stretches and little by little increase your range of movement.

Lower back support

The ball is great for total newbies or returners as it can be partially inflated and placed in the lower back to provide support whilst doing seated or semi-supine exercises. A partially inflated ball can also provide support behind the head for those with neck pain or tension.

A fully inflated ball can be used as a focus tool enhancing your concentration & centring. This aims to develop extension & flexibility in many of the muscle groups. When placing the ball under the knee or hand during all fours exercises you emphasise the principle of balance by creating an unstable surface which your deep muscles have to work against to gain greater core control.

Aligment Enhancement

Lastly the mini ball can be used to isolate and strengthen the adductors in the inner thighs by squeezing between the knees activating the pelvic floor and glut muscles too! In this position it also helps to remind you of your correct alignment stopping you from being tempted to let your knees fall inwards.

Many of these exercises can adapted for use at home, on the go or in class. All in all, a nifty bit of transportable equipment.