A great way to lose weight and strengthen your abdominal muscles is to perform Pilates exercises with the Swiss ball. Pilates is designed to bring the body back into healthy alignment and to teach new posture habits so that the individual can move with greater flexibility in their daily lives.
Pilates exercises with ball strengthen the entire body from its center to provide stability, which can result in movements of arms and legs in harmony and stress-free.
Check out some simple exercises that can be done at home:
1. Abdominal ball
Support the ball in the back as shown in the picture, keeping your knees bent and your hands resting gently on the back of your neck and contract your abs while releasing air through your mouth. Repeat exercise 20 times.
2. Ball bending
Support the ball in the feet, as the picture shows, and try to keep the balance in that position. When you feel safe, flex your arms as much as you can, pulling your chest closer to the floor as you let the air out of your mouth. Repeat the exercise 8 times.
3. Lumbar flexion in the ball
Support the abdomen in the ball, keeping the legs straight, as the image shows, gently placing the hands at the nape of the neck and contracting the lower muscles of the back while releasing air through the mouth. Repeat the exercise 8 times.
4. Squats with ball
Position the ball on the back, leaning against the wall, separating the legs at the same width of the shoulders, bend the knees and squat while the ball slides on the back. Repeat the exercise 10 times.
5. Strengthening of legs with ball
Put the ball under your feet, as shown in the picture and lift your whole body, pressing your heels on the ball so it does not move. When lifting your whole body, you should hold that position for 20 to 30 seconds, repeating the exercise 3 times.
6. Elevation of legs with ball
Hold the ball with your feet, as shown in the picture and raise both legs at the same time, until forming a 90 degree angle. Each time you lift your legs you should slowly let the air through your mouth and whenever you lower your legs, breathe deeply.
It is important to emphasize that the exercises must be performed with precision, having required total mental concentration to control the breathing exercises so that the exercises are performed correctly.
