This small Pilates tool can tone your entire body—here’s how to use it

Small, affordable and surprisingly effective

close up shot of a woman on an exercise mat with a pink pilates ball under her hips with knees bent.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
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Pilates can help you build deep core strength and endurance, but studio classes can be pricey. The good news? You can bring the benefits of Pilates home with just a small, cost-effective tool: the Pilates ball.

This versatile piece of equipment doesn’t just enhance your mat work—it also adds resistance and increases range of motion for full-body training. Its shape creates an unstable surface that activates stabilizing muscles. In other words, it turns up the intensity of your workouts.

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Glute bridge

Jennifer Rizzuto performs a glute bridge with a Pilates ball inside on a yoga mat. She is on her back, with her hands by her sides, knees bent and feet planted on the floor. Her hips are lifted in the air and the Pilates ball is squeezed between her knees.

(Image credit: Future)

Sets: 3 Reps: 15-20

  • Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
  • Place a Pilates ball between your knees.
  • Engage your core and maintain a neutral spine.
  • Press your knees into the ball, squeezing your inner thighs.
  • Lift your hips, squeezing your glutes, then lower back to the floor with control. Relax your inner thighs but keep the ball in place.

Trainer tip: Avoid arching your lower back when lifting your hips. For an extra challenge, maintain pressure on the ball throughout the set.

Toe tap

Jennifer Rizzuto performs a toe tap Pilates exercise inside on a mat. She is lying on her back with her arms by her sides and a Pilates ball placed underneath her hips. Her knees are bent, with one leg in the air and the other tapping on the floor.

(Image credit: Future)

Sets: 3 Reps: 12-16

  • Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place a Pilates ball underneath your hips, slightly above the tailbone.
  • Engage your core, maintain a neutral spine and lift your knees to a table top position, so shins are parallel with the floor.
  • Press your arms into the mat for support.
  • Slowly lower one foot toward the floor, keeping your knees bent, and tap your toes on the ground.
  • Return to the starting position with control then repeat on the other side.

Trainer tip: If balance is tricky, complete a full set on one side before switching. Keep your lower back from arching excessively.

Chest press

Jennifer Rizzuto performs a chest press with a Pilates ball inside on a mat. She is lying on the floor with her knees bent and feet close to her buttocks. Her arms are straight and she is holding a Pilates ball overhead.

(Image credit: Future)

Sets: 3 Reps: 12-15

  • Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
  • Place a Pilates ball in between your hands, on the center of your chest.
  • Press your hands firmly into the ball.
  • Extend your arms upward, while maintaining pressure on the ball.
  • Return to the starting position with control.

Trainer tip: Actively engage your chest muscles as you press into the ball for maximum effectiveness.

Jennifer Rizzuto
Jennifer Rizzuto
Writer

Jennifer Rizzuto is a freelance fitness journalist based in New York, NY. She’s been a NASM-certified personal trainer, corrective exercise specialist, and performance enhancement specialist for over a decade. She holds additional certifications in nutrition coaching from Precision Nutrition, and pre/post-natal exercise from the American Council on Exercise. As the daughter of a collegiate football coach who was never any good at sports, she understands how intimidating it can be to start an exercise regimen. That’s why she’s committed to making fitness accessible to everyone—no matter their experience level.

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