Pilates on the Go On the Ball

This is a Pilates workout on the ball. The back cover says that the workout is 54 minutes, I do it in less because I skip the intro and warm-up. The warm-up doesn’t do much for me and the beginning of the official part of the workout seems like a warm-up to me. Maria Leone is by herself by the side of a pool overlooking some hills/mountains. It is a nice set. And, there is soft instrumental music playing in the background.

She does all the moves, many of the traditional Pilates moves, with the ball. She holds it overhead, props her feet or knees on it, lays over it, etc. For many exercises, she does the first level of difficulty and then says you can repeat this workout as it was or you can move to the next level of difficulty, which she then demonstrates. She gives many form pointers and I had no problem understanding how the moves were supposed to feel. She stretches after many of the exercises.

As with many ball workouts, this workout may take more space than you would think. You need room to roll the ball getting into various positions.

I have done quite a bit of Pilates, but have found recently that I prefer Pilates with a “twist” - on the ball, fusion workouts, etc. This is one of those “alternative” types of workouts.

I REALLY like this workout. It just seems to flow and was doable from the beginning. I haven’t done the hardest variation of every move, but I have for most of them. And, the time just seems to fly when I do this workout. However, I do feel worked out afterward. I also feel calm and centered.

I wouldn’t start with this workout if you are new to ball workouts or Pilates. She is good with form pointers, but I think someone needs to start with something more basic. But, if you have the basics down, it’s a great workout.

This is a very nice workout that uses a Stability Ball with Pilates moves. It is very well produced in an outdoor location, and the instruction is clear. There is some instruction on how different levels can perform the exercises. The moves focus on abs/core/lower body. There are some pushups, but I don't think there is anything else that uses the upper body. There were a few moves that were a little unique, but I have seen most of them in other ball videos.

I did find that this workout was a little too slow moving for me. This is a common problem with most of the ball workouts I have tried. It seems like there is so much instruction because they want to be sure you are comfortable on the ball. This makes the workouts feel less effective to me and bit of a time waster. This one actually isn't as bad as many other ball workouts, but I am at the point with ball workouts where I just want to move more quickly.

I would still recommend this video, if you don't think the pacing will bother you. I don't think this is a workout that I will use much or really need because I am wanting either more advanced core work, or some good strength work using a ball. However, I still think it is a decent ball workout which many might enjoy.