Stability Ball Exercises: Single Leg Stretch

Video Transcript

"Hi I'm going to show you how to use the stability ball for doing a single leg stretch Pilates move with an overhead extension with your arms so we are going to work through your shoulders and down into the rectos abdominals which is the center line of our stomach. We are even going to go deep into the transverse abdominals which is the deepest muscle in our stomach. So set up initial set up, lay down on your back, take the ball in front of you and we're going to bring the knee right underneath the ball, keep the shoulders stable, relax them down your spine and try not to choke your neck so let go of any tension in your neck. This is your first version, inhale to exhale, the knees coming underneath the ball as you are pushing in and out. Think about long lean muscles, you are trying to stretch through the toes as you pull in and out, adding on to the arms, the pull over, the arms are coming out and switch. You are stabilizing the upper body. Try not to let your shoulders drop down and then the head drop down on to the floor when you are doing this movement, keep your body up into a strong C curve. It's inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale so you've got a lot of work in your shoulders, a lot of work in your abs and you are even getting a little bit of work into your lower body, breathing one motion in and one motion out. You can change this by doing two pulses in, in and out, out or you can speed them up, inhale to exhale so you really want to focus on breathing deep into the muscles, the most effective way is the slow and controlled movements. If this hurts your neck take the ball to the side and just continue your single leg movement by keeping the hands behind the head. Come up, take a little break, repeating this two to three times and you want to try to do between 10 and 12 repetitions. Just take your time going through the motion and don't rush the rhythm and that is how you do your single leg stretch with your overhead shoulder press."