Pilates with the machines is the best pilates you will take, period. But unfortunately, you need both a facility and a trainer to use pilates on the machine, and that can be both costly and time consuming. Using pilates with additional materials, such as a yoga ball, can be equally as beneficial.
These exercises are shown in pictures, but additional exercises are described in words, because there are so many variations that are possible! The first exercise is also the most challenging. Let's call it the stork. The stork involved core, shoulder, back, and leg strength. Keep the yoga ball balanced as you put both knees onto the ball, and once you feel that you are sufficiently balanced, lift your leg up to the ceiling, points your toes towards the ceiling. Use your butt and abs to lift your leg, and keep yourself balanced by using your abs and shoulders to keep the ball from moving. Try to keep still with your leg raised for ten seconds. If moving fluidly from point to bent knee is easier for you, you can do that instead. This still is a very difficult exercise, no matter which variation you try! 
The next yoga ball pilates exercise is an easier one. This is a variation of a saw, which typically you sit on a mat for, with a straight back and straight arms, and reach your opposite arm to your opposite leg. In this next exercise, you are doing the same thing but on top of a yoga ball, which requires more flexibility, more core rotation, and balance on the ball. Try and complete as many as you can. Make sure you are pulsing at the end of the reach, with your hand beyond your foot, as the ladies are doing in the picture.This is a good exercise for both back strength and flexibility. A flexible back is also a back that is less prone to injury, and for those of you who have had back injuries, you can attest to the fact that it's no fun.
The final exercise involves multiple variations on top of what the picture involves. In the picture with the woman in black, she rests her straight legs on the ball, lifting her body about two inches off the floor. An addition to this exercise would be to complete a full hip bridge, which is where you lift your hips to become parallel with the rest of your body, so you go from a v-shape to a straight line. Once you are able to do this easily, you can try to continue the hip bridges with one leg hovering over the ball. Keep one leg lifted and one leg on the yoga ball at all times, and keep the balance in your hips, making sure the ball doesn't run away from you as well. :)This ends the pilates blog. I hope now that you consider adding pilates to your regime as cross training to help your body get toned, more flexible, and strong for the tennis court. Please comment and leave any suggestions for next week's blog, and any blogs in the future that you would like to know about. See you next Friday!
