Spot Toning

You don’t need to go to the gym to exercise and work on toning yourself. There are many options available for home exercise equipment for all budgets. Here is an overview of a few of the top ones available.

Toning Exercises with a Ball
Referred to at times as a Swiss ball, gym ball, Fitball and stability ball, there are several programs on the market today that use these large balls. These programs all work well, particularly if you want to concentrate on the abdominal muscles and lower back.

Basically, you lie on the ball front wards with your hips going downwards, and stretch / roll slowly around. You can also add crunches and leg-lifts with this ball; they are noted as one of the fastest means of improvement for the entire midsection. The ball helps you use just about every muscle in the upper and lowers abs, allowing you to focus on improving your abs quickly.

(A simple home substitute if you don’t want to buy one of these balls is to use an ottoman on wheels or other similar item.)

Toning Bands
These are available in just about every color under the sun. Varying in resistance and size, some are singular and some interlock. All allow you perform a range of workout activities with these bands.

Suzanne Somers Toning System
Who can ever forget Ms. Somers’ Thighmaster?! While it can be called a fad exercise item, the system is actually designed for fast and effective muscle toning. It features portable, flexible looped and padded rods to create resistance as you work on toning 12 areas of your body including your back, arms, abs, hips, thighs and buttocks. As you would expect, the kit usually comes with an instructional video and booklet showing the various exercises.

Body Bars & Toning Bar Stand
Used for sports conditional and cross training and circuit training, these stands are just like the ones used in fitness centers. Used for strength training, they come in various weight increments. Stand hold around 30 bars and will help to keep your workout area organized.

Toner Belts
Toner belts help threefold; they improve abdominal muscle tone, strengthen abdominal muscles and help develop a firmer abdomen.

Toning Tables
New and used tables are available for a variety of functions. Among choices are Sandbag Tables, Sit-up Tables, Stretch Tables, Leg Tables, 3 in 1 tables and Circulation Tables, and some come with sandbags and pillows. Toning tables are touted as offering a quick, effective, safe means to non-exercise, if that’s a legitimate term. Supposedly after only one hour on the toning table, you will have completed: up to around a 2 mile walk, 1,000 hip rolls, 900 back kicks or 90 step-ups. In other words, they say that by using a toning table 2 times a week for around an average 50-minute treatment program, you would be getting an equivalent of about 2 hours of floor exercise every day. A recommended 10-minute maximum per use table is compared to 800-1000 reps, with high rep movement offering increasing resistance that increases blood and oxygen going to muscles. The toning tables are said to increase circulation, trim body without building bulk, enhance skin tone and improve flexibility while eliminating excess body fluids.

Here is a brief overview of some of the tables. The Sit up Table helps strengthen and tighten midriff, waist, lower back and abdomen muscles while also reducing inches in these areas, resulting in overall increased flexibility.
The Stretch Table features a single pad that moves back and forth, firming & toning upper arms, stomach and back muscles. Results are improved posture and improved flexibility, due to the stretching of muscles and tendons.
The Sandbag Table features two pads that move in a rhythmic motion, strengthening muscles while firming and lifting flab in the buttocks and thigh area.

The Leg Table boasts slenderizing the entire leg area, firming awhile toning the inner thigh area, reducing “saddle bag” outer thighs.
The 3 in 1 Table lifts and lowers your legs with a waist-twisting motion, slimming the waist, hips and stomach while strengthening muscles in your lower back.

Finally, the Circulation Table increases blood circulation to surface skin cells, eliminates excess water retention and leaves the body relaxed and energized. Overall benefits of toning tables reported by users include increased range of motion, firmer & increased toning, strengthened muscles, improved posture and flexibility, especially with arthritic stiff joints.