Only got 30 minutes to exercise before the family wakes up? Try this quick and quiet medicine ball full-body workout

Medicine balls are a great way to build strength and stamina.

You can use them to add resistance to bodyweight moves like squats and lunges, or perform ball slams with them to improve your cardio fitness and core strength.

I particularly like using them as an unstable surface, placing my hands on them when I do moves like planks and push-ups, which makes it harder for my core muscles to hold me steady.

If you're looking for a full-body workout that you can squeeze into 30 minutes, try this six-move circuit—all you need is a medicine ball.

All the moves are quiet, so you can do it in the morning before the rest of your family wakes up.

My six-move medicine ball workout

Perform each exercise for one minute to complete one round, then rest for 30 seconds before beginning the next round. Aim for three rounds in total.

1. Weighted squat
2. Weighted reverse lunge
3. Slam ball variation
4. Pullover
5. Mountain climber
6. Russian twist

1. Weighted squat

Time: 60sec Rest: 30sec

• Stand holding a medicine ball at your chest.
• Lower into a squat, pausing when your thighs are parallel with the floor or lower.
• Push your heels into the floor to stand, squeezing your glutes, and repeat.

2. Weighted reverse lunge

Time: 60sec Rest: 30sec

• Stand holding a medicine ball at your chest.
• Step one foot back, lowering your back knee to tap the floor or close to it.
• Drive through your front foot to return to standing.
• Repeat on the other side and continue alternating.

3. Slam ball variation

Time: 60sec Rest: 30sec

• Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding the ball overhead.
• Squat and drive the ball down between your legs, without slamming it on the floor.
• Maintain a tight grip on the ball as you return to standing.
• Raise it overhead again, and repeat.

4. Pullover

Time: 60sec Rest: 30sec

• Lie on your back, holding the ball with arms extended over your chest.
• Keep your lower spine pushed into the floor, engaging your core.
• Bend your knees and raise your legs, so your calves are parallel with the floor.
• Lower the ball behind you until it’s just above the floor.
• Pause briefly, then reverse the move, and repeat.

5. Mountain climber

Time: 60sec Rest: 30sec

• Kneel with your hands on the ball in front of you.
• Step your feet back, so you’re in a high plank position, your body in a straight line from your shoulders to your heels.
• Drive your right knee toward your left elbow, then return it to the starting position.
• Repeat on the other side and continue alternating.

6. Russian twist

Time: 60sec Rest: 30sec

• Sit with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, holding the ball at your chest.
• Engage your core and lean back slightly.
• Hover your feet above the floor to make the move harder.
• Rotate your torso to one side to tap the floor with the ball.
• Return to the center, then repeat on the other side. That’s one repetition.