How to Do Sit Ups With a Stability Ball

By eHow Sports & Fitness Editor

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Sit ups are a common way to exercise the abdominal muscles, so it's no wonder there are various ways to do sit ups in pilates. Pilates is a way to exercise which teaches participants to have precise, controlled movements for greater muscle tone. One way to make regular pilates sit ups a bit more challenging is by introducing a stability ball into your routine.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Step1

Warm up before you begin by jogging or walking briskly for several minutes. You can skip the warm up when you're using the pilates ball as part of a larger workout session.

Step2

Start out easily by balancing on the ball. This is a small, simple exercise, but it really works your core abdominal muscles. While you're balancing, sit as straight as you can with your shoulders completely relaxed.

Step3

Lie with your back molded to the ball. You should try to place the dead middle of your back (or the small of it) right on top of the pilates ball. You should try to keep your spine as straight as possible.

Step4

Place your feel firmly on the floor, trying your best not to arch your back. Your spine needs to be as straight as possible to allow you to take balanced breaths and to help you avoid back problems.

Step5

Perform your sit ups as usual, bringing the upper half of your body all the way up. Pay attention to the slight burning sensation in your core abdominal muscles.

Step6

Do 20 sit ups each session, 2 to 3 times per week. For faster, more noticeable results, you may want to combine your pilates sit ups with another pilates exercise.

Tips & Warnings

Place your hands on either side of your head while you're doing your sit ups to give yourself a bit of resistance and a challenge. Just remember your hands are not there to help you get up. You should rely solely on your core abdominal muscles to pull you into an upright position.
For an easier exercise, cross your arms and place them on your chest.
If you feel serious discomfort in your back, or if you feel as if you are straining your muscles instead of building them up, stop working with your pilates ball immediately and consult with your doctor. You may be doing the exercise incorrectly or you may have a serious back problem that needs immediate attention.

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Comments

bugmenot2 said

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on 6/11/2008 I was always told that one had to have a certain degree of spinal extension and flexing to gain any benefit from this exercise over standard sit-ups. Well not including the stabilizer muscles that are obviously worked out in both methods.