Body Aligned Pilates • August 3, 2016

Equipment Series: The Ladder Barrel 

What does Pilates have in common with beer?

A wooden chair is sitting on a wooden floor in a pilates studio.

(Well, that certainly got your attention!)

According to legend, Joseph Pilates used an empty beer keg to create his first Ladder Barrel. And he saved the metal rings from around the beer keg to use as the first Magic Circles (more on those in a later post). Who knew, right?

So as the name implies, the Ladder Barrel is made up of a cushioned barrel-shape. It faces a ladder made up of several rungs to allow you to secure your feet or hands. The base is adjustable so that it can accommodate most body sizes. This piece of equipment was designed to effectively engage the postural muscles as you move through several different planes in space, helping to align the spine.

A black and white photo of a man doing exercises on a pilates machine

There are some Pilates instructors who only utilize the Ladder Barrel at the end of sessions for stretching. But at Body Aligned if you hear, "Let's move to the barrel," don't necessarily think your session is over! We love how the Ladder Barrel can also be an extremely versatile piece of equipment for strengthening and stability, as well as for improving flexibility and stretch.

Ab work can be incredibly targeted when done on the Ladder Barrel. Side sit-ups are also very effective. Of course, back extension movements are a natural fit. You can either lie backwards over the barrel and gently extend your spine, or lie face down and use the barrel for stabilization as you lift your upper body into "Swan". And there's always the challenge of "Horseback" (it looks exactly like it sounds) to strengthen both the core and the legs. Ask about it! It's fun! The list of movements are endless.

But yes. At the end of the session, the Ladder Barrel will still be there to reward you for your hard work by providing a stable place to stretch out your hips and hamstrings. Increasing flexibility and mobility in these areas can help alleviate sciatica. That alone might make the Ladder Barrel your new best friend. (Plus stretching always just feels good!)

Contact us today to set up a private Pilates session so that one of our instructors can help you experience this fun and effective piece of equipment. For new clients, your first session is free! For complete details see our Pilates section.

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