How is that summer body coming along? I always start spring with great intentions to step up my fitness routine, and then I remember how much I enjoy ice cream and chocolate. Life is short, and for me that means finding balance—enjoying treats while still making time for movement and strength. That balance is what a sustainable, healthy lifestyle looks like.
On the topic of balance, I’m the type of person who will go to the gym and give everything I’ve got for 45–60 minutes. I used to push so hard every session that I convinced myself every workout had to be maximum intensity. Over the last six weeks, though, I’ve retrained my mindset: it’s perfectly fine not to go all out every time. In fact, dialing back intensity on some days helps me recover and keeps fitness enjoyable. Having a broken foot recently forced me to rethink why I exercise in the first place—I do it because it’s fun, it makes me feel good, and I genuinely enjoy it. It also inspired creativity in how I structure workouts; the medicine ball has become a go-to tool for me.
Lindsey from Nourish Move Love put together several workouts I love. She knows firsthand how to modify routines after a broken foot and is an experienced trainer and group fitness instructor in the Twin Cities. Her workouts often emphasize single-leg stability, upper-body strength, and core work. Core training is popular for a reason—strong abs and midline control improve posture, daily function, and performance. Below is a med ball–focused core circuit featuring eight effective exercises you can do at home or in the gym. If you don’t have a medicine ball, many of these moves can be done using a dumbbell or another weighted object you can safely hold.
The Amazing Abs Workout with a Medicine Ball
Instructions: Complete 20 repetitions per exercise, for 2–3 sets. Rest 30–60 seconds between sets depending on your fitness level.
Equipment: Medium-to-heavy medicine ball (approximately 5–20 lbs). Choose a weight that challenges you while allowing controlled movement with good form.
Exercise Notes: Focus on controlled breathing and a steady tempo. If you have a lower-body injury or are managing a foot issue, perform seated or supine variations where appropriate and avoid any movements that cause pain. Quality over quantity—maintain a neutral spine and engage your core throughout each rep.
Workout:
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Roll-Up Crunch + Twist: Start lying on your back holding the med ball overhead. Roll up into a crunch, reach the ball toward one hip, then lower back down with control. Alternate twists to each side to target the obliques.
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Leg Lift + Toe Touch: Lie on your back with legs extended. Lift your legs and reach the med ball toward your toes, then lower legs slowly. Keep tension in the lower abs throughout the movement.
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V-Reach Throughs: Form a V-sit and pass the med ball through your legs to the floor behind you, then open back up and reach forward, bringing the ball across your chest. This engages the full rectus abdominis and hip flexors.
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Figure 8 Bicycles: Hold the med ball and perform bicycle-style leg drives while tracing a figure-eight pattern with the ball across your torso. This adds rotational challenge and coordination.
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Cross Body Leg Raise + Chop OR Straight Leg Raise + Twist: For the cross-body option, raise one leg while chopping the ball across your body toward the opposite foot (20 chops per side). Alternatively, perform straight leg raises and add a controlled twist at the top.
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Overhead Sit-Ups: Perform full sit-ups while holding the med ball overhead, then return slowly to the start. This increases resistance through the full range of motion and challenges the shoulders and core.
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Med Ball Twist (Russian Twist): Sit with knees bent, heels on the floor or elevated for more challenge, and rotate the med ball side to side. Right + left equals one full repetition; aim for a total of 40 twists if following the higher rep option.
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Total Body Crunch: Finish with a compound crunch that engages both upper and lower abs while holding the med ball—bring knees in as you curl the torso toward them, then extend back with control.
Finish the routine with light stretching for the hips, lower back, and abdominals, and hydrate. If you love med ball core work, check Lindsey’s workouts for additional circuits and variations tailored to different fitness levels on her site.
