The Pilates Ring is something you want in your fitness “prop box”.

Why would you call a pilates ring a “prop”?  Well, for one thing, it looks like something you might find in a mime’s suitcase, the kind of thing Carrot Top might use when he steps out on a Vegas stage…it’s a flexible plastic circle, inviting the imagination of an entertainer or anyone who likes props.

But in reality, the pilates ring is a different kind of prop.  It’s a tool that can boost your body’s range of motion and capability, something you can use to achieve fitness goals, and for those who might laugh at you when  they see you ‘clowning around’ with this piece of plastic – well, some well-defined research into how to tone muscle might put their skeptical laughter to bed.

So why use lightweight training tools?  You might think that the only real training to come out of this kind of workout is just for show, but that’s not the case.  The kind of training involved in pilates ring exercise starts with poise, agility and balance, and extends to a range of physical stresses that can tone muscle without heavy weights and work the body without high-impact stresses of running or jogging.

That’s not to say that the pilates ring works for cardio training, but on the other hand, all of the things that it can do may surprise you.  Lots of the ‘normal’ pilates activities, done with the pilates ring, are ‘amped up’ a notch by the light resistance that the tool provides – and that makes all the difference.  Where no resistance often equals no gain, low resistance over a period of time, say, the standard thirty minutes often recommended, can add up to improved muscle groups, strength and agility, and poise, which can increase confidence and change the way you move, even when you’re not training!

For all of those who think it’s just noise, take a closer look at the way pilates works: activities like straight arm presses, rainbow, and seated legs all define the body differently, and work to set up stresses that the body acts against.  So, while you may not see any grunting and groaning, there’s proof that real work is being done, and unlike a mime, pilates ring users are engaging in a fitness routine “for real” – (that doesn’t mean you can’t still clown around at the same time!)

Experts recommend always checking out the manual for your pilates ring, and training according to DVDs or other materials.  Even though the chances of injury are much less with the pilates ring than with classical equipment like treadmills, doing anything the wrong way can invite unintended results, and at the least, you may not get the workout the ring was meant for without going according to plan.  So order yourself one of these “steering wheel props”, break out the booklet, and have fun with it!  See for yourself the specific ways that the pilates ring can help you work out slowly but surely toward your fitness goals.

By Steve,FitnessFuture Expert.