Rolling Like A Ball | Illustrated Exercise Guide

Primary muscles: Abs, back
Secondary muscles: Core, hip flexors
Equipment: No equipment

ROLLING LIKE A BALL INSTRUCTIONS

1. Sit on the mat with your knees bent.
2. Lift both feet off the floor, clasp your hands over your shins and bend your back and neck slightly into a C shape.
3. Pull your abs in and roll back to the shoulders, then use your abdominal strength to roll back up.
4. Repeat until the set is complete.

PROPER FORM AND BREATHING PATTERN

Maintain your spine in a C shape, keep your chin away from your chest and engage your core. Inhale as you roll back and roll just to the shoulders, not to the neck. Exhale as you roll back up and use only the strength of your abdominal muscles to roll back and forth.

EXERCISE BENEFITS

When done correctly, the rolling like a ball is a great exercise to strengthen the abdominal muscles and massage the spine, reducing tension. This pilates exercise also helps to improve your balance, mobility, and spinal articulation and is perfect for keeping your spine healthy and flexible.

DEMONSTRATION

SETS AND REPS

Repeat this exercise 6 to 12 times and, for a complete back workout, pair the rolling like a ball with the pilates swimming and the cobra lat pulldown.

CALORIES BURNED

To calculate the number of calories burned doing the pilates rolling like a ball, enter your weight and the duration of the exercise:

RELATED CORE EXERCISES

Try these other core exercises to tighten, sculpt and strengthen your abs, obliques, lats and lower back:
Single leg stretch
T press
Single leg side crunch
V sit bicycles