Thursday, December 26, 2002
B. bought me a Pilates ball! Now v. eager to explore relaxation and health benefits of yoga.
That is, just as soon as I get over the damage caused by the forty minutes of continuous air pumping to get the thing filled, and now the stressful, glowy green glare it’s giving me under the incandescent lighting (a la Rover from The Prisoner, but with more of a malevolent, radioactive aura — “Ingredients of Happy Fun Ball include an unknown glowing substance which fell to Earth, presumably from outer space”).
Moving on to more legitimate complaints, I can’t believe that the instructional video is on VHS. How… 1997! :-D
Really, though, I’m looking forward to playing with it. Besides, it bounces!
[Total aside: Is Pilates “yoga” really yoga? Somehow the whole concept screams “yuppie infomercial” to me; I swear I heard Yanni playing when I opened the box!]
I got crushed.
Comments
My B. got an opaque lavender Pilates ball a while ago. The color may be less happy fun, but I avoid taunting it all the same — you never know. Anyway, seems like a lot of people around me have been getting into the yoga thing as of late. I haven’t joined them (yet), but I must say that the ball has been helpful for my back.
I don’t know much about Pilates or balls, but yoga is awesome! I really think it may help not just your back but your RSI too. Just make sure to do it at least 3x/week to see the benefit. Obviously B. rocks.
Is a Pilates Ball something that is sold in Bobbleton?
Pilates is Pilates, Yoga is Yoga. There’s some overlap, but I think Pilates is mostly physical, whereas Yoga is both physical and spiritual, which may scare off most Westerners.
Pilates is it’s own thing [and the story of Joseph Pilates is pretty cool - Google away], though some aspects of Pilates mat exercises resemble some yoga stretches. Particularly the Ashtanga strain. Pilates ‘mat’ is something of a sports gym modification… the ‘real’ stuff involves a special contraption. B. is cool.
If you want to see some people using those balls and some crazier exercises, go to the Pro Club. In the weight room every once in a while you’ll see someone stretching over one of those balls, throwing them around, or trying to balance a very light 5 foot bar across their back.
But my favorite was the bunny hops - the trainer had somehow convinced this woman to strap her heels together then hop like a rabbit from one end of the gym to the other. It was so funny I nearly fell over while doing the squats (which would have hurt). You’re just standing there lifting up a bunch of weights while right in front of you someone hops on by doing their best rabbit impersonation. David’s boss & I couldn’t stop laughing.
Anyways, I’m sure your happy fun ball is not nearly as funny.
Yoga = good.
Pilates = good.
Yanni = terror.
He just keeps creeping up on you, huh? :)
Your Happy Fun Ball looks like that evil green glowing ball from Heavy Metal. Wasn’t it called something like the Loc-Nar? Anyway, be careful around it, or you might melt or something.
Yo, our health club is offering “Get fit on the ball (resist-a-ball)” lessons Saturday afternoons for the next couple months. You should check it out (or email me for details)!
Is that UpWords I see? I haven’t played that in ages!