Video:Beginner Inner Thigh Toning with an Exercise Ball
with Laurie JohnsonThe inner thigh can be a tough area to tone up and skim down. Learn how to use an exercise ball to tone your inner thigh in this Pilates video from About.com.See Transcript
Transcript:Beginner Inner Thigh Toning with an Exercise Ball
Hi! This is Laurie Johnson for About.com. Today, we're going to learn how to use the exercise ball for toning inner thighs with Pilates exercises. In order to do these exercises properly and safely, it's important to have an exercise ball that's made for your weight and height. Check the package description on your ball to make sure it matches your measurements.
Inner Thigh Toning with an Exercise Ball
First, we're going to start with a fun exercise to warm up the abdominal muscles and the inner thighs. You'll lie down on your back, holding the exercise ball above your face. Slowly bring one leg up to tabletop position and then the other. Make sure your abdominal muscles are engaged as you lengthen one leg up, high towards the ceiling, followed by the next. Open your legs wide. As you exhale, tone your belly muscles, throw the ball up and catch it between your ankles - and then drop the ball back into your hands.
Go ahead and exhale, engage those belly muscles, throw the ball back up - catch it between those ankles! - and release it back into your hands. As you're playing catch between your hands and your ankles, be sure not to wiggle and wobble in your core. You're using those belly muscles to hold the core nice and still.
Finally, catch the ball between your ankles and hold it. As you engage your belly muscles, pull your legs down slightly, about a 45 degree angle. Then reach your legs long by your side.
The Pilates 100 with an Exercise Ball
As you exhale, curl your head, neck and shoulders up, and begin pumping your arms for the One Hundred.
The One Hundred is a classical Pilates exercise that focuses on the abdominals. However, you can keep the ball between the ankles and squeeze with the inner thighs - this will tone the inner thighs as well.The extra weight and challenge of holding onto the ball might make the One Hundred harder. So if you need to modify, go ahead and bend your knees and keep pumping your arms.
To learn more, visit us on the web at About.com.
