Target your love handles with this Pilates-based exercise
The mermaid with a ball
Benefits
This graceful move will help lengthen and strengthen your
lateral oblique, the muscles that help form your waistline. In everyday life,
the lateral oblique are rarely worked, which leads to those tell-tale ‘love
handles’ around your midsection. Using the ball makes this move more
challenging, as the constant wobble will work your abs and the stabilizing
muscles In your shoulders that much harder.
This graceful move
will help lengthen and strengthen your lateral oblique, the muscles that help
form your waistline.
How to do it
·
Sit on your right hip with your legs folded to your left.
·
Place your right hand on the ball, with your elbow slightly bent,
and extend your left arm above your head.
·
Brace your core and roll the ball out to the right as far as you
can, while reaching your left arm over your head (inset).
·
Hold for two or three seconds, then roll the ball back towards
your body and return to the starting position.
In everyday life,
the lateral oblique are rarely worked, which leads to those tell-tale ‘love
handles’ around your midsection.
Hold for two or
three seconds, then roll the ball back towards your body and return to the
starting position.
Make it easier
Perform this exercise without the ball, so you don’t feel as
unstable. This allows you to concentrate on getting the form correct and really
getting a deep stretch in your oblique.
