by Elizabeth Gillies
2004

There was a time in her life when Pilates expert, DVD star and studio owner Liz Gillies was a circus performer with Ringling Bros. So if you're casually flipping through 101 Ways to Work Out on the Ball and you happen to spy a photo or two of Gillies doing something a little... wild, don't be alarmed. There are far more exercises for beginners and just plain regular folks. Gillies just can't help throwing in a couple of advanced exercises for the few who are bored with the usual crunches, leg extensions and dumbbell-ball workouts. And she has the knowledge and capability to do it all, so who can blame her? So even if you never, ever see yourself balancing completely on the ball in Cat Pose, or doing a Pike Handstand — and if you never even plan on trying — you'll still discover a wealth of information and routines.

In an easy, conversational style, Gilles introduces both simple and complex concepts regarding fitness and posture, and tells you everything you need to know about the ball, from choosing the right one for you to basic ball moves. The exercises are nicely photographed and divided into color-coded chapters, each one focusing on a different aspect of ball workouts - standing and seated ball moves, using weights on the ball, Yoga and Pilates moves on the ball and more. Each chapter offers beginning, intermediate and advanced moves and the final chapter shows you how to put them all together for general and targeted workouts. As Gillies explains in her book, ball workouts are extra-effective in strengthening and toning your body because they challenge your balance and your stabilizing muscles in ways that no other form of exercise can. So pull out that exercise ball that's been sitting in the closet since shortly after New Year's Day (we'll be kind and not say which year) and let Gillies be your guide to this fun fitness form!

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