This cardio yoga routine from Sky Ting will help maintain heart health and improve circulation.

One of the best perks of working at Health is that I'm lucky enough to test a lot of activewear. As a result, I've become very, very opinionated about leggings, and prefer different brands for different activities: supersoft Manduka leggings are my go-to for flights; Onzie leggings are lightweight, making them ideal for an outdoor run; and Visakai leggings, with their built-in underwear, help me flow through my weekly vinyasa yoga class.

Recently, though, I had the opportunity to try leggings from Core 10, Amazon's newest private athletic brand. The line includes both sports bras and tights, but it was their Build Your Own Bottoms that caught my eye. The tool lets you customize your own perfect pair of leggings by selecting the length, waistband, and style of your choice. Prices range from $59 for capris to $69 for full length. I went with the high-waist leggings in the 7/8 length.

To buy: from $59; amazon.com

My order arrived a few days before I was scheduled to go on a two-week vacation, and since I'd already packed most of the leggings in my regular rotation, I decided to debut the Core 10 bottoms on the five-hour flight. Let me tell you that they were incredibly comfortable—the perfect amount of stretch, a high waistband that sat comfortably on my midsection (no annoying digging!), and a fit that hugged my curves but never felt like my circulation was cut off.

RELATED: The 7 Best Workout Leggings With Pockets

They were so comfy, in fact, that I kept wanting to re-wear them throughout my trip, even though I had my other faves stashed in my suitcase. My Core 10 leggings carried me through multiple hotel gym workouts, a three-mile hike, and two flights (don't worry—I laundered them between wears).

There is one catch, though: The Core 10 line is a Prime exclusive, meaning you must have a subscription to the service to order them. If you aren't a member already, you can sign up for a 30-day free trial here.

Sure, a toned butt looks amazing in your cutoffs, but the benefits of a sculpted rear go way beyond the visual—like protecting your back, helping you run faster, and amping up your body’s overall power. That said, sitting at a desk for long hours each day can wreak havoc on those buns, leaving them weak and unable to fire properly. The good news: This strengthening series will bring those lazy glutes back to life, no ifs, ands, or butts about it!

Do 30 reps of each move in the series on one side, then repeat the sequence on the other side. Tracy also recommends 30 to 60 minutes of cardio six times a week.

Rolling Attitude and Kick

Start on all fours; lift right knee up and out to side until thigh is parallel to floor (A). Holding the position, lower leg so the right knee is facing down and is slightly in front of the left (B). Extend right leg straight back (C). Lower right leg, pulling right knee forward and coming back to “B.” Return to “A” and repeat.

Sitting Lunge and Arabesque

Start on your hands and knees; step right foot diagonally forward into a side lunge, placing right hand on right knee (A). Swing left knee in, rotating hip to come to sitting (B). Return to “A,” and then extend right leg back and up (C). Repeat.

Twisted Sit with Leg Lifts

Begin on all fours (A); twist at waist to sit on left hip (B), and then return to “A.” Keeping a slight bend in knee, lift left leg up (C). Lower left leg, crossing left knee behind right (D); lift left leg again, this time extending it straight up and out, as you bend arms and lower chest slightly (E). Return to “A” and repeat.

Knee Pull and Butt Squeeze

Start on all fours; bring left hand to hip and extend left leg back and up (A). Bend left knee, pulling it in toward chest (B). Extend left leg back out as you rotate torso to come into a tabletop bridge, with left foot and hand down (C). Rotate back to “A”; repeat.

Lunge Stand and Kick

From kneeling, place right hand down, left hand on left thigh and extend left leg straight back (A). Lower left leg, stepping it forward and lifting right knee to come into a deep lunge (B). Pull right leg forward, stepping right foot next to left to stand with both palms down (C). Reverse motion to return to “A” and repeat.

Butt Buster Plank with Alternating Leg Sweep

Kneel with your left forearm and right hand down; extend left leg straight out with toes on ground (A). Lift left leg up on a diagonal (B). Place left foot back down, and keeping arms in place, lift right leg up with a bend in knee (C). Lower back down to “A” and repeat.

Alternating Butt Lifts

Start on hands and knees; keeping a bend in knee, lift right leg up (A). Return to start, this time dropping left forearm down as you extend left leg up (B). Continue alternating.

This is a partial workout. You can find the rest of the moves at Life by Daily Burn.

When you look at a slam ball, leg and glute exercises may not be the first thing that comes to mind. But incorporating this soft weighted ball into your booty routine will work your lower half hard. Weak hamstrings, glutes and hips can lead to knee and back pain. So if you’re looking for a way to strengthen these muscles, while building power, the slam ball can kill two birds with one big, squishy ball.

Gerren Liles, PROJECT by Equinox master trainer and Reebok ONE Elite ambassador likes to use it for a quick leg workout. “The slam ball is a simple tool that allows you to move in multiple dimensions and directions, and can serve as a load to develop strength and power,” Liles says.

In addition to tightening and toning, the slam ball creates an unstable environment that forces your body to work harder to balance weight. (Stability challenge, anyone?) And because you’ll move in different planes of motion, you’ll work your core, legs and arms, too.

“The ball can be used as a prop to challenge your stability, as you’ll see in the Bulgarian squat and soccer tap drill. It can also be used as a form of resistance in the squat with front push and hamstring curls,” Liles explains. Check out just how versatile this space-efficient piece of equipment can be in the six exercises below.

RELATED: The 30-Minute Slam Ball Workout

6 Slam Ball Exercises That Build Lower-Body Strength

These moves will not only blast your lower half, they’ll help improve your ankle mobility, agility and reflexes. Add some intensity, and they’ll get your heart rate up, too, Liles says. Do 8 to 10 reps of each exercise for two sets.

GIFs: Tiffany Ayuda / Life by Daily Burn

1. Bulgarian Squat

This variation of the squat challenges your balance. To keep your foot from rolling off the ball, engage your core so you can move with more control, Liles says.

How to: Stand with your feet together in front of a slam ball. Step your right foot back and place your toes on top of the ball (a). Keeping your weight in your left heel, slowly lower your body into a lunge, bending your right knee towards the floor. Your left knee should form a 90-degree angle to the floor. Be sure your left knee is stacked above your ankle (b). Straighten both legs and return to standing (c).

RELATED: 6 Squat Variations for Total-Body Strength

2. Lying Hip Bridge With Hamstring Curl

Take your glute bridges to the next level with this variation that also strengthens your hamstrings. The lack of surface area on the ball is an added challenge to making the movement slower.

RELATED: 5 Exercise Machines That Aren't Worth Your Time 

How to: Lay on your back with your hips lifted off the floor and your calves and heels on top of the ball. Plant your hands on the floor at your sides (a). Draw your heels in toward your butt with control, bending your legs. Your hips should elevate even higher as you squeeze your glutes to bring your heels in (b). Slowly extend your legs back out to the starting position (c).

3. Lying Quad Extension

Your quads, hamstrings and glutes are some of the biggest muscles groups in your body. This simple move fires up all three, helping you torch more calories per workout.

How to: Lie flat on your back and place the ball between your calves with your knees bent. For an added core challenge, you can lift your head off the floor and bring your chin towards your chest (a). Without moving your hips, bring your legs straight up towards the ceiling (b). Then, bend your knees until the ball touches the back of your legs. Remember to press your low-back into the floor throughout the entire movement (c).

Don't delay breakfast. Don't skip breakfast just because your day is hectic; eating in the morning helps keep your body at its metabolism-boosting best. Eat a filling breakfast soon after you wake up so your body will be ready to burn energy; try these make-ahead healthy breakfast ideas for grab-and-go mornings.

Muscle up. Overdoing it over the holiday may have still you upping your cardio, but don't forget to add strength-training to your routine as well to build more calorie-burning muscle. Start your day off with this 10-minute muscle-building workout to increase your metabolism and look your best this holiday.

Midmorning snack. Snacking is a good strategy for maintaining weight, but make sure you choose ones that are filling and healthy. Choose ones that have fat-burning properties for an extra boost for your metabolism. Winter foods like pear and cinnamon are a tasty way to burn fat; check out more metabolism-boosting foods here!

This article originally appeared on fitsugar.com