Physioball exercises

[Guest pointe]

I had just changed to a new ballet teacher, doing adult ballet classes. I had my very first class with her yesterday. I enjoyed her class and it was a very humbling experience for me.

 

After having taken classes from the same teacher for almost 6 years, I realized that I had some faults in ballet technique after switching to this new teacher. :eek: And I had been doing ballet classes with these faults in my technique. Particularly in my body alignment the use of my leg and feet muscles.

 

She also told me that she is concerned of me carrying excess weight in my thighs. She suggested that I do a 3-months' class on physioball exercises that her studio also offers. My question is - what type of exercises they do using the physioball?

 

I would also need to change the way of training and walking, because I have the habit of wanting to lock my knees. I would appreciate feedback, especially from Ms. Leigh and Mr. Johnson.

 

Thanks!

 

~pointe~

[Mel Johnson]

I must confess a total cluelessness as to what this appliance is, unless it's a variant on the old Medicine Ball so beloved of Edwardian Physical Culturists. The Medicine Ball was used for a very broad assortment of activities which featured the said sphere, which was anywhere from ten to seventy centimeters in diameter, and covered in leather. It was available unweighted, or up to fifteen kg!

 

US President Herbert Hoover had a sort of volleyball regimen he followed with one, with his cabinet officers, in order to promote physical fitness. The program had been designed for older men by Physical Culturist Bernarr MacFadden, who was among the first modern exercise gurus to extol the virtues of ballet training!

[Jaana Heino]

A physioball, also known as a Swiss ball, is a big ball made out of PVC or something such, and associated with certain (type of?) excercises designed to build strength and co-ordination deep abdominal muscles.

 

I am in the impression that the method was first developed to help with the rehabilitation of people who had lost some control from the lower half of their body due to e.g. spinal injury, and spread there to an excercise method for those who need more control of their center than most - dancers, martial artists, etc.

Unfortunately, this is all I know of the method - this is based on what I heard when in medical school. I have never seen the excercises done, and neither have any idea on their effectivity compared to other methods like Pilates or whatever.

[Kate B]

I have seen the kind described by Jaana used along with pilates, for abdominal strength work and flexibility work. I've never tried it though, but it looks fun.