For June’s Exercise of the Month, Merrithew® Lead Instructor Trainer Saulo Ouverney shows you how to put one of our best-loved props to use at home.
These two exercises incorporate the Mini Stability Ball™ and can be used as part of a STOTT PILATES® Matwork series or Total Barre® floor work.
Try these exercises yourself or teach them to your clients virtually. Here are some verbal cueing tips to help you guide and progress your clients over Zoom, Instagram, Facebook or however you’re delivering your programming.
Tips
For the Side Lean:
- Tilt sideways maintaining a straight diagonal line from head to hip. Keep spine in neutral; this isn’t meant to be a side bend
- If you want to further challenge your core stability, bring your top arm overhead increasing the lever
- As you tilt sideways, you can also add in three pulses, challenging the abdominals and erector spinae
For the Ab Prep and Hip Extension:
- Place the ball between the knees, squeezing it as you lift the hips with the glutes. Hold at the top and squeeze the ball three to five times to work the adductors even more
- You can also add pulses as you lift up or down, working the endurance through the hip extensors
- Remember to keep your lower spine neutral and keep breathing throughout each action
For more at-home workouts, check out Merrithew Connect™ >