How To Use A Pilates Mini Ball

How To Use A Pilates Mini Ball



A Pilates mini ball is a very inexpensive piece of exercise equipment that can help you do many exercises. While it isn’t necessary to have one to do Pilates or any type of workout, a Pilates mini ball can help make certain exercises more efficient.

Using a ball in your workout can help you focus on muscles that you might otherwise neglect. Because you often have to concentrate on holding the ball between your knees or squeezing it while making movements, it makes you more aware of the muscles you’re using.

A variety of exercises have been developed by Pilates experts to help you use a Pilates mini ball properly and get the most from the exercises. There are routines designed for Pilates beginners specifically that use the ball to make the new exerciser more aware of certain muscles and movements. Intermediate routines are more of a challenge, while advanced workouts use the ball to really go deep into those core muscles.

To start using a Pilates mini ball, try some basic exercises like these:

• Stand about an arm’s length away from the wall, and hold the ball between your hands. Put the ball against the wall and lean into it, letting your elbows bend, then push yourself back.
• Lie on the floor with your knees bent and the ball between your ankles. Hold the ball there as you straighten your legs and bend them slowly.
• Or do something as simple as sit in a chair with the ball between your thighs. Use your thigh muscles to squeeze the ball slowly and relax.

If you’ll do those exercises regularly, just 10 times each, you’ll soon start to feel and see a difference in those muscle groups.

You might be wondering what the benefit of using the ball might be in an exercise like the wall push-up listed above. Couldn’t you just stand and put your hands on the wall to do the same thing?

Yes, of course you could. And you’d still benefit from the exercises. You could tone your arms that way. But using a ball gives the exercise more intensity. Because you’re leaning against a round somewhat malleable ball, you have to constantly correct your balance to keep the ball from rolling. You use tiny muscles in ways that you don’t normally use them when you use a ball.

You can use a Pilates mini ball for a variety of exercises. Just incorporate it into things you normally do. The added bit of resistance and the requirement of balancing yourself will add another layer to your workouts.

Another nice thing about a Pilates ball is that even if you buy one made specifically for Pilates, they’re relatively inexpensive. And if you want to go even cheaper, just buy a child’s ball that’s around the same size—about the size of a soccer ball. If you have kids, you might have the perfect Pilates mini ball already waiting for you in a closet or your child’s toy box.

BONUS : How To Use The Subway Calorie Counter



One of the reasons that Subway Calorie Counter is looked up so many times each day is because the sandwich chain has marketed itself as a healthy solution to fast food. You can go into any Subway Sandwich shop and have one of seven 6 inch sandwiches made in less than 5 minutes that has 350 or fewer calories and 6 or fewer grams of fat.

The sandwich options include: ham, turkey, ham and turkey, veggie delight, oven roasted chicken breast, roast beef and the turkey club. At 370 calories, the hot Sweet Onion Teriyaki chicken sandwich just misses the mark, but still comes in at just 5 grams of fat.

That’s not to say that you can eat anything you want at the restaurant. The Subway calorie counter clearly shows that some sandwiches are off limits for dieters. For instance, the 6 inch tuna sub has 530 calories and 31 grams of fat – and that’s before you add any extra mayonnaise.

Subway’s hot sandwiches can also be diet killers. The 6 inch Toasted Bacon and Chicken Ranch, Toasted Chicken Parmesan, and Toasted Meatball Marinara all have more than 500 calories and the meatball sub has 24 grams of fat.

But the hot sandwiches aren’t the only diet busters. Double the size and you double the calories. The only two sandwich sizes at Subway are 6 inch and 12 inch. The foot long sandwiches all have twice as many calories.

Another pitfall to watch for on the Subway calorie counter is the double meat or double cheese options on any sandwich. The double meat turkey has 340 calories versus only 280 in the regular version.

The kind of bread you choose to have your sandwich made on can also affect the number of calories. The default 6 inch Italian (white) bread has 190 calories by itself. But, the deluxe breads, like Honey Oat and Parmesan Oregano can increase that by 50-60 calories by itself.

Adding cheese also increases the calories. While cheese comes standard on the sandwiches without an extra charge, it is represented separately on the Subway calorie counter. Cheese adds 40 to 50 calories per six inches.

Some condiments like mustard barely register in terms of calories. Others, like mayonnaise can pack on 110 calories for a normal serving.

When you look at the Subway calorie counter, you’ll find that the breakfast sandwiches are no diet bargain which range from 270 to 510 calories. Your best bet is either the egg and cheese on a deli roll or a honey mustard and ham on a deli roll. Stay away from the Chipitole Steak and Cheese on a 6 inch roll breakfast sandwich.

Keep in mind that there’s more on the menu than sandwiches as well. Chips, cookies, and sugary sodas will all add calories to your meal. Fortunately, Subway features the Baked Lays brand of chips which can have as few as 110 calories in a serving.

Use the Subway calorie counter to help you plan a healthy lunch or dinner at this fast food spot that is friendly for dieters.