Small equipment can be added to many of the exercies in the Pilates repetoire to challenge and also to support the movement.
Fitness Circle
The fitness circle targets and challenges the arms and legs. It is an outstanding yet lightweight resistance tool. You’ll also get the added advantage of strengthening and activating support systems throughout the body. The circle can also be used to develop body awareness as part of your understanding of the basic principles of Pilates.
Flexband / Resistance Band
Flexbands or Resistance bands started out as rehab tools but are now mainstream equipment in the fitness world. A resistance band is one of the most portable, versatile and low-tech pieces of exercise equipment one can have. They provide adjustable resistance for both stretch and strength exercises.
Swiss Ball
The ball originated in the realms of physical therapy but is seen everywhere now from clinics to gyms to Pilates studios unlike the fitness circle or other larger equipment such as the Reformer which we invented by Pilates. The ball provides a very unstable base of support to work on so therefore challenges your core strength. Swiss balls can greatly increase the difficulty of an exercise if performed correctly. They are also great for stretching over.
Foam Roller
The foam roller
is a versatile prop and can be used for all kinds of uses, such as stretching, self-massage, body support, and stability exercises in Pilates. Like the swiss ball and flex band they originated in the rehab environment. The foam roller is just a cylinder made of high-density foam and is cheap to buy, portable and can add a new challenge to any workout.
Toning Balls
Toning balls are soft weighted balls that can used in your Pilates workout to add upper body resistance and also balance challenges. Toning balls come in a variety of weights, though in Pilates we tend to keep the weights between 1 and 3 lbs so the correct form is kept during exercises.