Move of the Month: Strengthen Your Abs with Balance

This ball move sculpts your abs as it perfects your balance, says Robert Sherman, owner of F.I.T., a personal-training studio in Bethesda, Maryland. Work up to three sets.

• Stand with feet together about a foot behind a stability ball.
• Bend from the hips, placing hands on ball.
• Keeping torso extended and abs and glutes tight, raise left leg behind you until it's parallel to the floor.
• Keep your foot flexed and your inner thigh facing the floor.
• Rotate your torso to the left and extend left arm overhead.
• Turn head to gaze at left hand.
• Hold for 3 counts.
• Lower and return to starting position.
• Repeat on opposite leg.

Originally published in Fitness magazine, May 2005.