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The Pilates Ring is another one of Joseph Pilates’s many unique creations. In its most original form, Joe used the ring from a beer barrel and connected two wooden blocks to either side! It also has many different names including; The Magic Circle, The Fitness Ring, Exercise Ring, and our personal favorite at Pilates by Ness, The Ring of Fire! At our Denver studio, we love to use this prop while teaching exercises on all of the Pilates Equipment.
The Pilates Ring was originally created by Joe for his students that had trouble finding their “center” or in other words, their alignment. Once the Pilates world upgraded from the beer barrel ring, they switched to flexible metal covered with rubber padding, and instead of the wooden blocks, they added small pads on either side. They are all about 13 inches in diameter and fairly lightweight although you can find a number of different sizes and weights depending on the manufacturer. The heavier they are and the stronger metal they are made from, the greater the challenge will be. It is intended for use as a secondary prop and it will likely progress the exercise by making it more challenging. However, one of our favorite ways to incorporate the ring is by supporting the body in a push-up position for those who have trouble demonstrating this challenging exercise. We also love to challenge our clients by placing it in between the inner thighs during exercises like Feet in Straps and placing it in between the hands for the Short Box Series.
The simple design of the Pilates Ring makes it very easy to use whether it’s during your session at Pilates by Ness or at home on your own. You can place the ring in between your ankles, your thighs, or your hands to squeeze and challenge the respective parts of the body. If it’s in between your ankles or thighs, you can expect a lovely burn throughout your inner thighs, if it's between your hands expect the burn throughout the inner arm and chest areas. We like to think the use of this prop is where the phrase “It hurts so good” came from. You can also do the opposite, placing your legs or arms inside of the ring and press out activating the lateral parts of the body. In a more rehabilitative sense, you can place the ring around your head resting on the base of your neck to assist you into the sit-up position, this helps improve head, neck, and shoulder organization.
The Pilates Ring not only strengthens the body but also helps deepen the connection throughout the body and will provide more feedback while you practice Pilates. It can be used in various positions to help with the classical mat exercise ‘The Rollup’ which can be difficult for those who lack flexibility in the spine and/or strength in the abdominals. Sometimes having something to squeeze or to push out into is helpful in finding the necessary connection to the nervous system to perform these types of movements. Another benefit of the ring is for your instructor to notice any imbalances in your body as you squeeze or press into it, these tiny nuances are important and cannot always be identified as easily.
Being as lightweight and compact as it is, this prop makes for a great addition to your home fitness routine. It is even lightweight enough to fit inside a suitcase for the true Pilates lover. Inquire with us today about how to properly incorporate this tool into your home exercise program today!
