(I received this product as a gift or at a discount in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.)
Despite being a long-time pilates and fitness enthusiast, I’ve never actually worked with a pilates ring like this Go Sport-it Fitness Pilates Ring (you can buy it here), so I was really looking forward to giving it a try.
The ring is very lightweight and covered with soft rubber-like material. There are two gently curved foam grips on both the inside and outside of the ring. I used it between my ankles, around my ankles, between my hands, against my hip, on the outside and inside of my thighs, and on both sides of my wrists/forearms, and I found it to be comfortable no matter how I moved.
It comes with a workout guide, but there are only six exercises on the guide. If you’re new to pilates or exercise in general, you might want to access some additional help or resources to give you more ideas about how to use it most effectively.
I have taught a lot of pilates classes with a fitness ball, and there are many exercises where the ring works great in place of that ball. The ring is much more manageable, but you still get that extra resistance. Even simply having something to hold when you’re doing, say, a roll-up, helps you stay focused and more aware of what your arms are doing and how you’re using your core.
Depending on how strong you are, you might find it doesn’t offer enough resistance on certain exercises, but in general I found the extra resistance to be plenty on many of the exercises I did. I was surprised, even, during the Hundred (a pilates exercise you will see in the video below) that when I kept some gentle pressure on the ring between my ankles, I had to focus harder than I expected to keep my legs stable at first.
I will continue to use this ring to get extra resistance during exercises where I normally wouldn’t be using resistance equipment, as during a pilates practice. If I’m settling down to a strength workout, I will still want weights or bands.
If you’re just starting an exercise program, the ring might provide enough resistance through a variety of exercises to get you started, and it’s an inexpensive way to start building your home gym. As you get stronger and start needing weights to build strength, you’ll be able to continue using this during your pilates practice. If you are a regular pilates practitioner, the Go Sport-it Fitness Pilates Ring is a great way to add a new dynamic to your workout.
