One of the great things about owning an exercise ball is that it stares you right in the face as it sits in the corner of your office or your bedroom. Not too easy to avoid it, is it?

Because consistency is the key to exercise, keeping the ball in your house will not only inspire you but it will also help get you going for the long haul. Perhaps you feel like watching television, but you look around and the ball is right next to you. So you roll it out and watch your favorite program as you sit on it. Doesn't seem like much, does it? But it is. Just sitting on the ball puts you in touch with your stabilizing muscles and may get you thinking about actually using them. Otherwise you may just plop down on the couch, and you know you aren't working any muscles that way!

And you can't forget the unavoidable fact that the ball is easy to transport, so you can use the ball wherever you go. Who needs a gym? Simply pump your ball using a hand pump or go to the nearest gas station and use its air pump, and you'll be ready to roll. Even if you take the ball with you and just sit on it to watch one of your favorite in-room movies, you'll be working toward something -- consistency.