Have you ever heard of the Pilates Ring?
Sometimes referred to as the “Ring of Fire”, this Pilates prop is an old time favourite!
This ring is lightweight and often soft and flexible. It has two handles that fit comfortably into your hands and can also press against various body parts to create resistance.
When you go to a Pilates class, whether is it Mat, Reformer or even a standing style of class, the likelihood of the ring being used is high!
This easy-to-use prop is famous for many movement- here are some of my favourites!
◦ Squeezing the ring between the knees in various positions
◦ Squeezing the ring between the hands with a long leaver arm position
◦ Used the ring as support during a push up movement
◦ Placing the legs through the ring and pressing outwards for adductor work and stability
◦ Pressing the ring into the thigh in a table top position to add core resistance
The Pilates ring supports the more transitional style of Pilates which focuses on “long-leaver” work.
What does this mean!?
Long- leaver work is a casual term for isometric work, meaning working the muscles at length.
By holding the ring out away from the body, the shoulders and arms are challenged differently than if you were bending at the elbows and performing a bicep curl.
We often use long leaver style work to target smaller muscles that sit around the joints.
The best example of this is the small muscles around the hips that are responsible for the alignment of your legs- if you wanted to work these in isolation, you would perform straight leg lifts in various directions.
Pilates is a great mix of isotonic (shortening and lengthening) and isometric (work under length) strengthening. It truly combines them and supports the larger muscle groups and the bigger, global muscles too!
Looking for an easy to store, transport and use tool?
Grab a ring and add it to your next workout!
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