First, make sure you are using the correct size fitness ball for your size. You may reference this size chart. Make sure your fitness ball is inflated to firm but not over-inflated. The more firm the ball, the more difficult the exercises. (The more give and surface area touching the floor in your ball, the more stability you will have.) Second, wear rubber soled shoes or use a yoga mat to ensure that your feet do not slip while you are doing this workout.

The Workout

This workout should take around 15 minutes to complete, and is a great adjunct to your gym workout after doing basic cardio. Use this workout to tone your whole body, but note that there is a focus on your arms. You will also need small hand weights 3-5lbs to start, or your preference.

1. Push-Up & Tuck

Start out with a plank position with the ball under your shins and feet, and your arms supporting your weight. Try to stay balanced with the ball under your legs and do a standard push-up. Return to plank position. Then, tuck your knees to your chest, rolling the ball closer to you. Try to keep your back straight as you perform 10 repetitions.

2. Exercise Ball Bench Press

Use the exercise ball as a bench. Start sitting on the ball with your feet on the mat and small weights in your hands. Walk your feet forward and start to lie back, allowing the ball to work its way to between your shoulder blades. Feel yourself engage your core, even as you hold this bridge position. Press the weights up perpendicular to the ground from your chest level. Do 10-12 reps here.

3. Push-Up & Pike

Get back in the same plank position as in Exercise #1. Perform a push up. This time, instead of tucking your knees towards your chest, draw the ball towards you, but feel your body invert over your shoulders, keeping your knees straight and hinging only at the hips. Repeat 8-10 times.

4. Single Leg Ball Bridge

Get back into the same bridge position as in Exercise #2. Hold one weight with both hands out in front of you. Try to get your shoulder blades pressed forward and engaged. Get your feet close together or touching, and don’t let your butt sag. If you feel balanced with this, try kicking out one leg, hold for 3 seconds, then alternate and kick out the other. You will really feel your gluts, back extensors, hamstrings and core! For added difficulty, try oscillating the weight in your hands from side to side. Repeat 10 kicks for each leg.

5. Core Kickers

Flip back over into plank position. With your body completely straight (spine in neutral) and your feet together supported on the ball, lift one leg from the hip off the ball. Pulse this leg in the air 10 times. Then switch legs. Make sure to keep your low abs really engaged here to support your back.

Cool Down

As with every good workout, remember to take a minute to cool down and stretch the muscle groups you have been working. You can try lying on the ball and opening your chest and abdominals to stretch out your front. Do easy hamstring and glut stretches and drink plenty of water. You can also try to do additional cardio after these exercises.

The ankle is held together by many ligaments. While the ankle was designed very well for the dorsiflexion- plantarflexion movements of straight forward walking and running, the lateral structures supporting the ankle are weaker and are at risk during side to side movement. The most commonly sprained ligaments in the ankle are the anterior talofibular ligament, the ATFL, and the calcaneofibular ligament, the CFL. These ligaments can be injured during extreme inversion, or outward rolling, of the ankle.

Your ankle also has muscles and tendons that move the foot and ankle, and stabilize the arch in addition to many other functions. These muscles and tendons can be strengthened to improve the stability of your ankle and prevent future injury to the structures. Applying controlled, moderate forces through the ligaments and other collagen structures in the ankle help to improve the strength and flexibility of these tissues.

Easy Ankle Exercises

First, put a sticky note in the corner of your bathroom mirror to remind yourself to do the exercises. A little visual never hurt. In the two minutes that you are brushing your teeth, try this:

#1. Balance on one foot for a minute. Switch to the other foot. Feel your fibularis muscles, the muscles along the outside of your leg from your ankle to your knee, turn on. Try to keep your balance for the full minute on each side, but use a fingertip on the counter to keep from falling. You can build up to a full minute starting with whatever you can hold and going up from there. While doing this exercise, try not to let your hips sag; you should see the line of your hips straight in your mirror. If it is too difficult to brush at the same time, add that in later.

#2. Walk on your toes. Try pacing the bathroom or walk down the hall on your toes staying tall. There is a reason dancers have strong ankles! You can also try doing calf raises at the counter to build strength in your calves before you try walking. While doing this exercise, think about coming up onto your toes with your weight centered over your 2nd toe. Try to keep your ankles straight, do not allow too much rolling in either direction. (This is a also good for ankle strength, but focus here on straight and tall.) For ideal alignment and efficiency during walking, each time you take a step you should roll over and push off your 2nd toe in a straight line.

#3. Walk on the sides of your feet. Work on curling your toes to lift your arch and really walking on the outsides of your feet. This position may feel like you are about to roll your ankle so be careful if your ankles begin to hurt or if you do not feel like you have complete control of your balance. This exercise will help the flexibility and strength of your lateral ligaments and muscle tendons in your ankle. Your ankles may become sore or your arch may become cramped. This is ok, it is a sign that you are engaging muscles that may not have been challenged in a while. Just proceed slowly and with caution.

Feel free to do any combination of these exercises as your ankle strength improves. You can do one minute single leg stands on your toes! Or, try doing calf raises with your ankles turned slightly out or in. Key things to focus on are balance, strength, and flexibility.