Balance Ball Fitness - Upper Body Workout [VHS]

Yoga and Pilates instructor Suzanne Deason combines moves inspired by both disciplines and adds the extra balance challenges of a stability ball in this 40-minute video. The exercises target the chest, arms, shoulders, back, and abdominals, with special attention to the core postural muscles. (Whenever you're balancing on the ball, you're working your abdominals and back together with the other muscles you're targeting.)

You'll need a BalanceBall or other stability ball for this workout. Deason shows you first how to use and feel comfortable with it, then she progresses through a selection of exercises: ball squeezes with the forearms for the chest, upper-body lifts from a draped-over position for the back, pushups (legs are on the ball, hands on the floor, midbody in the air, abs tightly contracted), and more. You'll feel long, lean, and strong after this workout.

Deason is a soft-voiced, patient instructor, explaining clearly and demonstrating beautifully. The scene is a wood deck overlooking a woods and stream. Quiet music plays in the background. --Joan Price