better
H E A L T H
a ball
A colorful weighted ball used for strength
training offers a fun alternative to traditional
dumbbells. “You can also toss it around and
bounce it off walls and floors, something you
can't do with dumbbells,” says Neal I. Pire,
president of Inspire Training Systems in
Ridgewood, New Jersey, and author of
P lyo m e trics fo r A th le te s at A ll Levels.
Choose a
light ball—four or five pounds—to start, and
work your way up as you get stronger. This
routine provides a total body workout in
minutes a day.
3
2
SQU ATTAP
WORKS LEGS, GLUTES, CALVES, AND SHOULDERS
1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart; hold a medicine ball
with arms straight, fingertips pointed toward the floor.
2 . Bend at the knees and hips to lower into a squat, keeping
back straight, eyes foreward, as you tap the ball on the floor.
3 . Rise up and onto your toes while you straighten arms and
extend the ball overhead as if placing it on a high shelf. Lower
back onto your heels and repeat 15 times.
2
LUNGE & REACH
WORKS CORE, LEGS, GLUTES, CHEST, AND ARMS
LEG BALANCE
WORKS CORE, BALANCE, GLUTES, AND ARMS
1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart; hold a medicine ball
with arms bent in front of your chest.
2. Step forward with your right foot into a lunge, knee at a right
angle and shin perpendicular to the ground; the left leg trails
behind you in a 45-degree angle (knee should not touch floor).
As you lunge forward, extend arms out as if passing the ball to a
small child. Pull the ball back in toward your chest and push
back to starting position; switch legs. Repeat 15 times each leg.
1. Stand on one leg (bend other leg and hold it behind you
slightly), holding ball in one hand with elbow bent, forearm
parallel to the floor. Keep the stationary knee bent slightly,
engaging abdominal muscles to help balance.
2 ., 3 . Maintain your balance as you toss the ball from one
hand to the other, pausing with each “catch.” Repeat 15 times
(or until fatigued), then switch feet.
2 1 8 MARCH 2010
BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
SIDE LUNGE & TW IST
WORKS LEGS, OBLIQUES, CORE, SHOULDERS, AND BACK
1. Stand holding ball with arms extended in front of your chest.
2. Step out to the right side, landing in a side lunge position with your
right foot pointed at 2 o’clock, as you simultaneously rotate your upper
torso as if passing the ball to a person standing to your right. Rotate
back and push off with your right foot to land in the starting position.
Repeat 15 times and then switch sides.
