Train Like A Surfer
Have you ever seen female surfers, skateboarders, or snowboarders? They're lean, firm, and have loads of springy energy because they do lots of core training and workout to be able to bounce back from falls quickly with less injuries. They do that on their boards and you can too by using a wobble board, bosu ball, or indo board. According to Fitter First an online merchant that sells all types of balance tools:

Regular use of Wobble Boards gives you:
• Greater confidence in sports and daily living.
• Improved balance and coordination.
• Better proprioceptive awareness for injury prevention.
• Greater trunk and pelvic girdle stability.
• Increased leg and ankle R.O.M.
• More core and upper body strength with sitting and pushup exercises.
• Improved posture and a better overall relationship with gravity.

Perform just one set of squats with medicine ball overhead press on a wobble board, and you'll quickly learn how much more of an ab workout you get when your balance is being challenged. Working with balance boards also boosts your calorie burn and your concentration which makes for a much more effective workout.
Try either the bosu ball or the balance board below to get started.

Train Like A Soccer Star
Mark Verstegen a sports conditioning expert that trains some of the top athletes in the world inlcluding soccer star Mia Hamm, believes that everyone can benefit from core training, plyometrics, agility drills, and other techniques used by athletes. After a fun tour through his Athlete's Performance facility in Phoenix AZ, Verstegen actually took time out of his super busy day to sit down with me and share some of his training secrets. He explained that most people neglect some of the most important aspects of training including elasticity, active recovery, and energy system development. "You need to do the right things in the right proportion and worry more about how well you can do it and less about how much you can do. Don't limit yourself." says Verstegen.

Take elasticity for example, your body's ability to store and release energy efficiently. "If we've stored and released energy correctly, we'll react like a Superball which bounces very high. If energy is lost, we'll react more like a flat basketball, dropping on the ground with minimal bounce" explains Verstegen. If you want to be better at running, tennis, or kickboxing, then adding some agility drills and plyometric moves, i.e. side to side jumps to sprints, split jumps and ankle jumps, into your program will help you improve performance and prevent injuries. The added bonus is you will burn more calories, get in shape faster, and have more fun doing it. His Core Performance book offers great programs and exercises that can easily be incorporated into your existing routine for incredible results.
Read Core Performance and learn more about the training techniques that will help transform you from fitness buff to athletic goddess.