Abs on the Ball

May 1, 2003
The Pilates Method of exercise considers the abdominal area to be the body's powerhouse and claims that its proper conditioning can result in optimum movement and enhanced stability. Noted Pilates instructor Craig (Pilates on the Ball) presents a unique approach to abdominal conditioning by adapting Pilates techniques to exercise balls. The result is a fun but challenging workout that can be incorporated into any fitness regimen. Craig covers more than 80 illustrated exercises, which require concentration and balance to perform with a ball. She explains that traditional exercises, like sit-ups or those using machines, may limit development to only the larger abdominal muscles. However, the exertion required to maintain these postures on the mobile surface of an exercise ball should recruit both deep and superficial abdominal muscles for a superior workout. Craig offers good advice on form and breathing and explains the purpose of each exercise in a reader-friendly format that encompasses easy, intermediate, and advanced levels. Full of sound guidance, her book brings a fresh element to fitness training that will complement basic exercise collections in both public and academic libraries.-Deborah Anne Broocker, Georgia Perimeter Coll., Dunwoody

Copyright 2003 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 24, 2003
Craig preempts reader doubts about the need for her latest fitness-on-the-ball book with a first chapter called"Why Another Book on Abdominal Conditioning?" Here, she explains the drawbacks of some traditional abdominal conditioning methods, the implications of recent research, the benefits of the Joseph H. Pilates method of core strengthening and the ways that an exercise ball enhances an abdominal workout. Then Craig takes the reader from the fundamentals of Pilates-based abdominal work on a ball (from breathing to body parts) and on to basic, intermediate and advanced exercises. The book concludes with a series of 15 and 30-minute workouts incorporating moves described in previous chapters. Black-and-white photos clearly illustrate how each exercise should be done, making this book appropriate even for those with a limited fitness vocabulary. 150 b&w illustrations.