With a recent cold snap gripping the nation and temps hovering in the low single digits in my neck of the woods, I guess it’s no wonder I sorely miss basking in the warmth and glow of the sun. This may explain why my current at-home workouts revolve around that other yellow orb in my life: my stability ball. It’s big, yellow, round, and much like the sun leaves me sufficiently warm and sweaty after we spend some time together. Since we have a lot more winter to go, it is likely that my stability ball workouts will remain the sunshine of my life until spring has officially sprung. Oh, vitamin D, how I miss thee!

The stability ball, also commonly referred to as an exercise or Pilates ball, is a fun and inexpensive addition to any at-home fitness plan. It can be used to work your abdominals, arms, legs, backside, you name it, and because you constantly have to maintain the stability of the ball, you work your core the entire time. Sometimes I even use it as a desk chair because it forces me to keep my core engaged and to sit up straight. I hope you join me in some of my favorite at-home stability ball workouts. And because I am a sucker for bad puns…I promise you will have a ball doing these workouts…get on a roll with your healthy living efforts…I hope you’re ready to go because it’s time we bounce. Okay, okay, I promise I am done with the puns now.

Bombastic Booty Pilates Workout on the Ball
First, a little disclaimer: I would probably love anything–animal, vegetable, or mineral–called “bombastic booty”. I love the name, and all it implies, so much. That being said, I can honestly report this bombastic booty ball workout is the bomb! Cassey Ho leads us through 8 minutes of leg bounces, mini sideways scissors, side leg lifts, hamstring rolls and reverse plank pulses to tighten and tone our booties. Check out Cassey’s blog, Blogilates, for additional workouts, meal plans, recipes, and that other bombastic word we all love to hear–giveaways!

SparkPeople 8-Minute Lower Body Workout with Ball
Coach Nicole Nichols takes us through a great 8 minute standing stability ball workout. We start by placing the ball against the wall and leaning into it with our lower back. As we squat, lunge, and perform calf raises, the ball moves up and down the wall and against our back. I found using the ball during these familiar exercises encouraged me to keep better form. I couldn’t lean forward and make the exercises easier because I had to keep perfect posture to hold the ball against the wall. For Coach Nicole’s tips on health and fitness, take a gander at Nicole Nichols’ blog.

Pilates Ball Whole Body Challenge #15 Five Foot Fitness
Whitney Dayberry gives us a full body workout in this 9-minute video. We start seated on the ball and perform roll-outs, hip lifts, single leg lifts, and abdominal curls and twists. We then turn over onto our stomachs to work our backs with back extensions, and arms and abs with walkouts and knee pulls. Next, we hit the floor for bridges and hamstring rolls. Can’t get enough of Whitney? I don’t blame you. Pop on over to her website, fivefootfitness.com, to learn how you can take a live online class with Whitney through powhow. How cool is that?

Denise Austin: Core & Upper Body Strength Workout
Denise warms us up with seated twists and stretches to get us ready for this 15-minute core and upper body workout. Then she takes us through arm roll outs to work the abs followed by push-ups. Next, Denise highlights the versatility of the stability ball by incorporating hand weights into the routine. We work the entire upper body and abs with weights in moves like one arm rows, rear flies, bicep curls and overhead presses. Now it’s time to put the weights down and take it to the floor to perform crunches accompanied by leg curls on the ball. We finish off with reverse crunches while holding the ball between our feet. I really liked how some of these traditional exercises took on a new feel with the use of the ball. Denise Austin’s blog is where this fitness veteran shares her wealth of knowledge and expertise.