Good balance and stability are important to your physical health and working on them can help both your muscles and skeletal system stay in good shape.

An example is your rotator cuff. The rotator cuff includes four muscles around the top of the upper arm bone. These muscles are located under the muscle called the deltoid that gives the shoulder its shape. The rotator cuff helps maintain proper alignment of the joint. If the rotator cuff fails, your shoulder can fall out of alignment, nerves can be damaged and other painful damage can occur.

Most rotator cuff injuries are preventable with proper conditioning. There are other similar systems of stabilising muscles and joints in your body, including your spine, your hips, your knees and ankles. These areas - or "hot spots" - are where injuries are most likely to occur, so they should be trained consistently.

One way to train those areas, and to improve your stability and balance, is to use a Physio ball. It looks like a beach ball, or a large version of the ball you used in gym class when you were a kid. The ball creates an unstable surface to work out on. As you exercise, you're constantly correcting your balance. Other workouts can include dumbbell bench presses, seated dumbbell shoulder presses and seated dumbbell curls. You can also work your abdominals and lower back. To get the maximum effect, go at a very slow pace.

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