Roll Like a Ball
Rolling like a ball is a traditional Pilates movement that is almost always included in Pilates mat courses. Some folks can roll up like a pill bug and start having a lot of fun straight away with this activity. Rolling exercises are a little more difficult for people with low backs that don't round as well, but they're definitely worth the effort.
Rolling back with support is a wonderful warm-up for this exercise. You'll need to keep your abdominal in a good C-curve scoop. Make sure you're sitting on a cushioned surface. For the spine, a thin mat on a hard floor is insufficient padding. This exercise occurs after one leg circle and just before one leg stretch in the conventional Pilates mat exercise sequence. This exercise, which is similar to the rollover, can be incorporated into a home Pilates mat program.
Rolling exercises excite the spine, engage the abdominal thoroughly, and help you tune into your body's inner flow of movement and breath. You'll discover your natural equilibrium point and learn to manage your movement. You'll be giving yourself a back massage that will help you relax.
It looks simple, but this move actually requires quite a few techniques, so practitioners often make quite similar mistakes, which can include:
- Coming up Crooked
- Bumping Instead of Rolling
- Throwing Upper Body Backward
