Dara Torres, 41 year-old with two kids, will be heading to Beijing for her fifth Olympic appearance. Knowing that she’d be competing with younger athletes, she has dedicated herself to training smart and eating healthy by hiring coaches and a nutritionist; Dara knows her “aging” body recovers slower than younger swimmers from training and competitions.

Dara’s training regimen is different from the conventional method, spending majority of the time swimming. Dara has implemented a diverse strength training program that helps her gain balance, muscular endurance, and strength.

Training with a stability ball, BOSU, stretch cord, or a medicine ball will increase one’s overall athleticism, which Dara has tried to improve since her last international race appearance. I recommend challenging yourself by doing chess press, shoulder press, push-ups, and abdominal exercies on an unstabilized surface to maximize stabilization and strength training.