Joint-stabilizing moves from Women's Health Magazine

Prevent muscle mutiny with these four feel-good moves from the April issue of Women's Health, on newsstands now! Instead of letting a great workout leave you feeling miserable, use some of these suggested exercises to prevent muscle imbalances in your: back, knees, neck, and shoulders.

Ball Squat with tubing

Pain-prone area: Fronts and sides of the knees
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and wrap resistance tubing around your knees so there's no slack in the band. Place a stability ball between the middle of your back and a wall, but put only enough pressure on it to keep the ball from falling. Squat down as if sitting on a chair, pushing out against the tubing to keep your knees from caving inward. Press back up to start. Do two sets of 12 reps, resting for 30 to 60 seconds between sets.

Ball Bridge
Pain-prone area: Lower back
Rest your upper back on a stability ball with your feet hip-width apart on the floor. Your shoulders, hips, and knees should be aligned horizontally, like a table. Brace your abs and lower your hips until your butt hovers three to six inches above the floor. Squeeze your glutes and lift your hips back to the starting position. Do two sets of 12 reps, resting for 30 to 60 seconds between sets.

Swan Neck

Pain-prone area: Sides of the neck
Keeping your head level, slowly draw it straight back, keeping your chin parallel to the ground (do not drop your chin toward your chest). Hold for two to three seconds and release. Repeat 10 times. This is the chin position you should maintain during any exercise to ensure proper neck and spine alignment.

Ball Cobra

You can find more great exercises like these at WomensHealthMag.com.

**Exercises and info provided by Women's Health Magazine.