Ball work for a healthy back
Ball work and other Pilates-like training have taken gyms by storm. But how do they benefit us?
There are 2 kinds of muscles in the body, mobilizers and stabilizers.
Mobilizers are the visible, superficial muscles of the arms, chest, back and legs. They're designed for one-all, powerful movements of brief duration (i.e. traditional weight training exercises like chest press, bicep curls, rows etc.).
Stabilizers are the deep, inner layer of muscles, also called the postural muscles. They are designed to contract over longer periods of time to provide stability and mobility. They are usually smaller, deeper muscles that fix the spine joints in place and support the sockets and joints (spine, hips and shoulders).
Back pain, stiffness, or injury occurs with a poorly functioning nervous system. ('Back' includes the neck, shoulders, upper back, and lower back.) When the nervous system isn't able to effectively 'fire' or communicate to the mobilizers and stabilizers to contract in the appropriate way, pain or injury occurs.
This is where Pilates and ball work comes in. (Also known as Swiss ball, stability ball, physio ball and blue ball). While mobilizers get a lot of attention with traditional weight training exercises, stabilizers need attention too, especially in people who suffer from back pain. Pilates and ball-based training helps tone and program the stabilizers, but it doesn't stop there. There's evidence that working on a moving surface such as a ball wakes up inactive motor units and enables them to fire successfully. (The body is lazy and only works as much as it has to). Working on a moving surface throws the body off balance and forces your brain to confront the unfamiliar, resulting in sensory nerves becoming better trained and our body organizing itself better for function and power.
You may have to start with pre-pilates exercises, which goes back to basic breathing and simple movements (remember, less is more, the focus is on low level, gentle movements), that are repeated so they become ingrained in the body's muscle memory, and ensures the lower back and abs are firing appropriately. Be patient, most of us aren't used to training the invisible, inner muscles. Find a good personal trainer that is familiar with spinal stabilization to help.