TIPS
Try the movements first without the toning balls.
Once you have mastered the exercises, add the balls to challenge yourself.
Watch the position of your shoulder blades and the tension in your neck. Adding a weight, even 1 to 2 pounds, at the end of a long lever (your arm) can stress your neck if you don’t stabilize at your shoulder
as you hold the toning ball.
Use household objects such as a grapefruit, can of soup,
or bottle of water if you don’t have toning balls. Or find them in weights from 2 to 8 pounds at sporting goods retailers.
HAMSTRING CURLS
Lie on your stomach with your forehead resting on the backs of your hands, with toning balls placed between knees and ankles.
Your knees should be slightly bent. Feel your inner thighs working to hold the balls in place, and feel your buttocks and backs of thighs working to bend knees and draw heels toward your buttocks as far as you can. Keep abdominals tight to keep lower back and pelvis still.
Slowly straighten knees and lower feet toward floor. Do not allow your shoulders or neck to strain.
Do one to three sets of
10 repetitions. (Tip: Try
lying on your side to place balls between knees and ankles, then keep inner thighs working as you carefully turn over onto your stomach to start the exercise.)
SQUAT AND CURL
Stand with feet hip-width apart and slight bend in hips and knees. With a ball in each hand, reach your arms straight out in front of you, shoulder- width apart with palms up. Keep your shoulders away from your ears, and keep abdominals tight.
Exhale as you bend your hips and knees to squat one-third of the way to the floor while bending your elbows to bring balls toward your shoulders. Keep your upper arm still and parallel to the floor as you bend the elbows. Keep your back straight and supported with abdominals as you squat. Inhale as you return to start position, straightening knees and elbows.
Do one to three sets of 10 repetitions.
OBLIQUE ROLL
Sit up tall with knees bent and hip width apart, feet flat on mat. With a toning ball in each hand, reach your arms out in front, shoulder width apart. Keep your shoulders away from your ears.
Exhale as you roll your pelvis back while drawing your bellybutton to your spine and rounding your lower back, feeling your weight shift onto your tailbone. As you start to move the pelvis, move your right arm out to the side, reaching back in a diagonal direction. Keep your abdominals drawn in and your back rounded into a C-curve as you reach.
Inhale as you use your abdominals to return to start position, returning to sitting tall with both arms reaching out in front of you. Exhale as you repeat to the left.
Repeat five to eight times. (Tip: To make it easier to activate your abdominals, bring knees together or hold a small ball between your knees.)
