While it's nice to have a full-loaded fitness center with all the fixings, you don't need all that equipment to get an effective workout. Two arms, two legs, and a single fitness prop should suffice — if you choose the right one. Enter, exercise ball.
Incorporate one of these bad boys into your routine, and you'll challenge your stability, which makes every muscle work extra hard.
First-timers should choose a large, firm ball, and progress to a squishier one, which is inherently less stable and makes each move feel even more difficult. Then, get rolling with the workout below, designed by Chelsea Dornan, National Academy of Sports Medicine-certified personal trainer and instructor at Uplift Studios in New York City. Focus on achieving perfect form as you perform 10 to 15 reps of each exercise in the following order, then repeat the set two to three times for a full-body workout.
1. Lateral Lunge: Stand with the ball on your left. Shift your weight to the right foot and place your left leg on top of the ball. Then place your hands on your hips. Keeping your right knee behind your right toes, slowly (!) drop your butt toward the floor. Go as low as you can without losing your balance. Pause, then return to standing. That's one rep. Repeat 10 to 15 times, then switch sides to complete the set.
What it works: Your inner thighs, quads, and butt.
2. Elevated Reverse Lunge: Stand with the ball about a leg's length behind you and slightly toward your left. Shift your weight to the right foot, then place the top of your left foot in the middle of the top of the ball. (You may need to roll it backward a bit.) Then place your hands on your hips. Keeping your right knee behind your right toes, slowly bend your knee as if you're lunging backward. Go as low as you can without losing your balance, pressing your left shin into the ball for support. Pause, then press into your right heel as you roll the ball forward and slowly return to standing. That's one rep. Repeat 10 to 15 times, then switch sides to complete the set.
What it works: Your quads, hamstrings, and butt.
3. Push-Up Pike: Get in a plank position with your shoulders stacked over your wrists, and the front of your ankles on top of the ball with your feet together and toes pointed. Keeping your body in one straight line between the top of your head and your heels, brace your core and bend your elbows as you lower your chest toward the ground. Get as close as you can without touching the floor. Pause, then push through your palms and return to plank position. Next, brace your core and lift your butt up toward the ceiling as you roll the ball forward with your feet. Pause. With control, lower back to plank position. That's one rep.
What it works: Your chest, arms, back, abs, and hamstrings.
4. V Sit-Up With Squeeze: Begin on your back with your legs outstretched. Hold the ball with both hands and extend your arms overhead. Brace your core and squeeze the ball as you simultaneously raise your legs, the ball, and your shoulders a few inches off the ground. Exhale as you lift your legs and arms to meet in the air. Then, squeeze the ball between your ankles as you let go of the ball with your hands, and simultaneously lower your legs and arms until they both hover just above the floor. Your lower back should stay pressed against the ground the entire time. Pause, then lift your arms and legs again, this time passing the ball from your ankles to your hands. With control, lower your arms and legs back to starting position. That's one rep.
What it works: Your upper and lower abs, inner thighs, chest, and arms.
5. Stirring The Pot: Begin with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and the ball in front of you. Place both forearms on the ball and roll it forward until your shoulders are stacked above your elbows and your body forms a straight line between the top of your head and your heels. Wrap your right hand around your left fist with your palms facing together. Then, imaging you're holding a spoon with both hands as you slowly "stir" counterclockwise. Do five to 10 stirs counterclockwise, then reverse and do five to 10 stirs in clockwise direction.
What it works: Your core, arms, chest, shoulders, and back.
6. Superman to Shoulder Pullback: Lie facedown on the floor, and grasp the ball between your ankles. Your arms should be outstretched overhead with your palms facing down and your shoulders away from your ears. Then, exhale and engage your butt as you simultaneously raise the ball up toward the ceiling, and lift your chest and arms up off the ground. Keep your legs and the ball in the air as you squeeze your shoulder blades together and drive both elbows back toward your sides. Pause, then release your hands to the starting position. With control, lower your upper and lower body to the ground. That's one rep.
What it works: Your butt, hamstrings, shoulders, and lower back.
Chelsea is wearing a Blue Sports Bra, ADIDAS (Available at FOOT LOCKER), $33; Printed Leggings, NIKE, $50; Pink and Orange Ombré Sneakers, NIKE (Available at FINISH LINE), $215; with hair by GLAMSQUAD Stylist Erin Taylor.
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Elizabeth Narins is a Brooklyn, NY-based writer and a former senior editor at Cosmopolitan.com, where she wrote about fitness, health, and more. Follow her at @ejnarins.
