Stretch of the Week: Child’s Pose with Pilate Ball

Remember when having a Pilates ball was all the rage? For many, this piece of exercise equipment ended up being left lying around the house unused. For the month of December, however, the Weekly Stretch will be putting your Pilates ball back to work! Don’t have one? You can easily purchase one at any of our Athletico clinics!

You will need at least a size 55 cm ball for all of December’s stretches. The first week’s stretch is called Child’s Pose with a Pilates ball. This stretch will work the sides of the body and include the Latissimus Dorsi, triceps and Teres major/minor muscles.

If you have a history of knee, hip, back or shoulder injuries, this week’s stretch may not be the right exercise for you. As with beginning any exercise program, contact your physician, physical or occupational therapist to review what is most appropriate for you.

How to perform:

1. Kneel with the ball in front of you. Place your hands on top of the ball. While keeping your hands on the ball, sink your sit bones (your seat) toward your heels as shown in the top photo. Keep the knees wide and big toes together.

*If knees are uncomfortable bending this far, place a folded blanket right behind the knees for support as shown in the middle photo.

2. Keep your arms extended and the muscle of the shoulder region engaged. You do not want to “hang” in the joints of the shoulders as shown in the bottom photo. This is unhealthy for the joints. Keep the head in line with the spine. Do not allow the head to hang forward.

3. As you inhale, breathe into the ribs and stretch the spine. As you exhale, keep the abdominal and arm muscles engaged. Keep sinking your hips into your heels as you hold this position for 3-5 minutes.

Interested in learning more? Email me at rachel.lackowski@athletico.com

The Athletico blog is an educational resource written by Athletico employees. Athletico bloggers are licensed professionals who abide by the code of ethics outlined by their respective professional associations. The content published in blog posts represents the opinion of the individual author based on their expertise and experience. The content provided in this blog is for informational purposes only, does not constitute medical advice and should not be relied on for making personal health decisions.