Wall Squats Lean your back against a ball that is placed against wall and stand with your feet hip-width apart and about a foot away from wall. Keep your back straight. Bend your knees and let ball roll up your back until your knees bend to about a 90 degree angle. Keep your knees behind your toes as you bend. Return to start position and repeat.

Shoulder Retraction Kneel over ball. Tuck your hips into ball and rest your abs against it. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, with your arms relaxed and at sides of ball, palms facing back. Pull your shoulder blades back. Pull your arms up, bending at your elbows to form right angles until they are parallel with your shoulders. Return to starting postion.

Don't Forget to Stretch The American Council on Exercise suggests following simple yet effective stretches on ball:

Back Extension - Start in a seated position with your fingertips supporting back of your head both your elbows out. Walk your feet out until your upper back is lying on ball while continuing to support your head and back. For a more intense stretch, lengthen your arms overhead and straighten your legs - breathe deeply and hold stretch.

Kneeling Side - Start by kneeling upright on a mat with ball at side of your right hip, place your right hand on ball and your left arm hanging close to your torso. Sweep your left arm in a wide arc up and over your head and back to starting position. Hold final arc in a lifted position 10-30 seconds for a static stretch and repeat three to five times.

Pelvic Circles - Start in a seated base position. Slowly circle your hips clockwise three to five times; reverse, circling counterclockwise. Focus on releasing tension in hips and lower back.

You can't go wrong with such a versatile and inexpensive piece of equipment. If you are looking for a simple and highly effective way to change a workout routine, look into doing your exercise on a stability ball.

The information contained in this article is strictly for informational purposes and is not intended to provide medical advice. If you are sedentary or over 40 please get clearance from a doctor before starting an exercise program.

Rick DeToma is a fitness coach, and trainer who specializes in home workouts. Contact Rick for a no obligation telephone fitness assessment at: http://www.tailored-fitness-home-workouts.com/contact.html

•Recumbent Bikes are Safer

Because you sit back and lower to ground in a recumbent bike, it is better for your body. Most exercise bikes force you to hunch over, causing a stiff back. Some dual action bikes are back injuries waiting to happen. Recumbent bikes require that you sit with good posture as you pedal.

Recumbent bikes also offer one of few cardio workouts that put no pressure on your knees and other joints. You can’t “cheat” on a recumbent bike and stand up when you’re finding it more difficult to pedal. Standing like that on other types of exercise bikes puts unnecessary pressure on your knees and ankles. Recumbent bikes let your body exercise at an angle where your body weight is not stressing your joints. Even people with back and knee problems will find a recumbent bike easy to use.

•Why Men Should Choose Recumbent Exercise Bikes

So many men neglect their lower bodies when they workout, especially in strength training. It’s common to see buffed out men with giant biceps and tiny little bird legs. That’s because it’s easier to get an upper body workout at home. If you just invest in a recumbent bike, you can set machine to high resistance. You will build leg muscle, and you can even do curls while you pedal.

Recumbent bikes can also allow men to get a great cardio workout without discomfort that only a man knows on regular bikes or other types of exercise bikes. With large, comfortable seats of recumbent bikes, you are much more likely to enjoy your workout pain-free.

If you move seat of a recumbent bike up a bit to bring your legs higher, you can even target lower abs and have to do less crunches to get bottom of your six-pack!

•Things Women Should Know About Recumbent Bikes

Two words, ladies: legs and bottoms. Recumbent exercise bikes are so comfortable and easy to use that eventually you can do workouts giving you results like you’ve spent hours a day on a stair-stepper.

Recumbent bikes can give you a fat burning cardio workout with enough resistance to help you build long, lean muscle. Picture Tina Turner legs. Recumbent bikes also are great for your inner thighs. Using different programs and settings, you will be able to target different muscle areas in your legs for longer looking, leaner legs.

According to most polls, women claim in higher numbers to not have time for exercise because of more responsibilities in home. With positioning of a recumbent bike, you can multi-task to more easily fit in a workout. You are able to read, catch news, and even use a phone or your handheld organizer.

Finding a Recumbent Exercise Bike

With prices between $200 and $3000, there is quite a variety of recumbent bikes available. Use Internet to find great deals (including free shipping most of time). Because bikes are great for any level and help you to finally be able to stick with a safe and effective workout routine, you can splurge a little. This is definitely one of best investments you can make for your health.