The Women's Health Big Book of 15-Minute Workouts: A Leaner, Sexier, Healthier You--In 15 Minutes a Day! (43 page)

REPS:
Do 10 to 15.

TIP:
Try to walk as far out as you can; the farther you go, the harder it is.

Leg Raise

A

• Lie on your left side on the stability ball, legs extended straight out and feet stacked. Position your left hand in a comfortable spot on the ball, and lift your hips so that your body forms a straight line.

B

• Keeping your body in that position, slowly raise your right leg. Pause, then slowly return to the starting position.

REPS:
Do as many reps as you can in 1 minute, then repeat on the other side.

Row Combination

A

• Lie facedown on a stability ball and hold a pair of light dumbbells (no more than 5 pounds) with your arms hanging down and forward, with thumbs up, at 45-degree angles to the floor.

B

• Pull the weights to your chest, then lift them out to your sides.

C

• Finally, pull the weights back to the sides of your butt.

• Return the weights to the starting position. That’s 1 rep.

REPS:
Do 10 to 15.

Jackknife

A

• Lie facedown on an exercise ball with both hands on the floor.

• Walk your hands out, allowing the ball to roll beneath your body until the ball is under your shins. Your hands should be directly below your shoulders, so it looks like you’re ready to do a pushup.

B

• Tighten your abs, and bend your knees, drawing them forward, so you bring your legs and the ball under your torso. Hold for a second.

• Straighten your legs and uncoil as you press back to the starting position.

REPS:
Do 10 to 15.

TIP:
To make it harder, perform the move with your hands on a step or bench.

Single-Leg Balance Bridge

A

• Lie faceup on a stability ball with your legs bent, hips raised, and feet flat on the floor. Extend your arms out to the sides and down toward the floor.

• Walk your feet out until you are balanced with the ball between your shoulder blades. Position your feet close together, thighs parallel.

B

• Contract your glutes and slowly raise your right foot and extend your right leg.

• Hold for a count of 10. Repeat to the other side. That’s 1 rep.

REPS:
Do 5 to 6.

Balancing Bicycle

A

• Lie faceup on a stability ball with your legs bent and feet flat on the floor. Place your right hand behind your head and extend your left arm to the side and down, placing your fingertips on the floor for balance.

• Extend your left leg, foot flexed.

B

• Contract your abs and simultaneously lift your right shoulder up and to the left while drawing your left knee toward your right elbow. Return to the starting position.

REPS:
Do 10 to 15, then switch sides.

SLIDER WORKOUT

A little instability makes all your muscles work harder. Performing exercises on sliding surfaces, such as plastic sliders known as ValSlides, or even paper plates, fires up more fibers, especially in your stabilizing muscles and core, for faster tone and a greater calorie burn. This total-body toner was designed by trainer Valerie Waters, author of
Red Carpet Ready
.

START HERE:

Do the prescribed number of reps of each exercise in the order shown. Move from one exercise to the next without resting. When you’ve finished the last move, pause 60 seconds, then repeat the circuit.

Sliding Side Lunge

A

• Place a slide underneath your left foot and stand with your feet hip distance apart. Shift your weight to your right leg and extend your arms out in front of you, palms down, for balance.

B

• Bend your right knee 45 to 90 degrees (keeping your knee behind your toes) and slide the left foot on the slider out to the side as far as possible (keeping your weight on your right leg).

• Pull the left leg back to the starting position while straightening the right leg.

REPS:
Do 10 to 15, then switch sides.

Seated Side Slide

A

• Sit with legs crossed. Rest your right hand on your hip. Extend the left arm down to your side, palm on top of a slider.

B

• Lean to the left while sliding the left arm straight out in that direction.

• When the right hip lifts off the floor, press into the slide and pull yourself back into an upright position. That’s 1 rep.

REPS:
Do 10, then switch sides.

Curtsy

A

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees soft, with a slider under your left foot, arms at your sides.

B

• Press into the floor with your right heel and slide the left foot behind you to the right until the right thigh is almost parallel to the floor.