Exercise ball

An exercise ball, also known as a Swiss ball, is a ball constructed of elastic soft PVC with a diameter of around 35 to 85 cm (14 to 34 inches). It is used in physical therapy and exercise.

The ball is also known by a number of different names, including balance ball, birth ball, body ball, ball, fitness ball, gym ball, gymnastic ball, physioball, pilates ball, Pezzi ball, sports ball, stability ball, Swedish ball, therapy ball, or yoga ball. It is larger and much lighter than a medicine ball.

History

The physical object known as a "Swiss Ball" was developed in 1963 by Aquilino Cosani, an Italian plastics manufacturer. He perfected a process for molding large puncture-resistant plastic balls. [ cite book
last = Flett
first = Maureen
title = Swiss Ball: For Strength, Tone and Posture
publisher = Sterling Publishing Company, Inc.
date = 2003
isbn = 185648663X ] Those balls, then known as "Pezzi balls", were first used in treatment programs for newborns and infants by Mary Quinton, a British physiotherapist working in Switzerland. Later, Dr. Susanne Klein-Vogelbach, the director at the Physical Therapy School in Basel, Switzerland, integrated the use of ball exercise as physical therapy for neuro-developmental treatment. Based on the concept of "functional kinetics" [cite book
last = Klein-Vogelbach
first = Susanne
title = Functional Kinetics: Observing, Analyzing, and Teaching Human Movement
publisher = Springer-Verlag
date = 1990
isbn = 0387153500 ] , Klein-Vogelbach advocated the use of ball techniques to treat adults with orthopedic or medical problems. The term "Swiss Ball" was used when American physical therapists began to use those techniques in North America after witnessing their benefits in Switzerland. [ cite book
last = Carriere
first = Beate
coauthors = Renate Tanzberger
title = The Swiss Ball: Theory, Basic Exercises and Clinical Application
publisher = Springer
date = 1998
isbn = 3540611444 ] From their development as physical therapy in a clinical setting, those exercises are now used in athletic training [cite book
last = Hillman
first = Susan Kay
title = Introduction to Athletic Training
publisher = Human Kinetics
date = 2005
isbn = 0736052925 ] , as part of a general fitness routine [ cite book
last = Milligan
first = James
title = Swiss Ball For Total Fitness: A Step-by-step Guide
publisher = Sterling Publishing Company, Inc.
date = 2005
isbn = 1402719655 ] and incorporation in alternative exercises such as yoga. [cite book
last = Mitchell
first = Carol
title = Yoga on the Ball
publisher = Inner Traditions / Bear & Company
date = 2003
isbn = 0892819995 ]

Benefits

A primary benefit of exercising with an exercise ball [http://www.sportsmith.net/Categories.aspx?Category=f4a8dfe6-c061-44ed-9189-c8a7e1bed682] as opposed to exercising directly on a hard flat surface is that the body responds to the instability of the ball to remain balanced, engaging many more muscles to do so. [ [http://www.ptjournal.org/cgi/content/full/80/6/564 Vera-Garcia FJ, Grenier SG, McGill SM (2000) Abdominal muscle response during curl-ups on both stable and labile surfaces. "Phys. Ther." 80, 564-569] ] Those muscles become stronger over time to keep balance. Most frequently, the core body muscles — the abdominal muscles and back muscles — are the focus of exercise ball fitness programs. [cite web
last = Mayo Clinic Staff
title = Slide show: Core exercises with a fitness ball
publisher = Mayo Clinic
date = August 24, 2007
url = http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/core-strength/SM00046
accessdate = April 2008]

Other uses

Some people sit on an exercise ball [http://www.sportsmith.net/Categories.aspx?Category=f4a8dfe6-c061-44ed-9189-c8a7e1bed682] instead of a chair (for example, an office chair). This is based on the theory that the abdominal and back muscles are constantly engaged and active in order to maintain proper posture and balance on the ball. However, there is no scientific evidence of those benefits occurring by just sitting without additional exercises. [cite journal |author=Gregory DE, Dunk NM, Callaghan JP |title=Stability ball versus office chair: comparison of muscle activation and lumbar spine posture during prolonged sitting |journal=Hum Factors |volume=48 |issue=1 |pages=142–53 |year=2006 |pmid=16696264 |doi= |url=] [cite journal |author=McGill SM, Kavcic NS, Harvey E |title=Sitting on a chair or an exercise ball: various perspectives to guide decision making |journal=Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon) |volume=21 |issue=4 |pages=353–60 |year=2006 |month=May |pmid=16410033 |doi=10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2005.11.006 |url=] Using a Swiss ball as a chair is sometimes prescribed by physical therapists for back patients in sedentary jobs.Fact|date=September 2007 However, some people warn against using a Swiss ball as chair due to ergonomical considerations. [ [http://www.ergoweb.com/news/detail.cfm?id=1091 Ergoweb, Opinion: Balls as Office Chairs a Bad Idea] ]

This large plastic ball, known as a "birth ball", can also be used during labour to aid the descent of the fetal head into the pelvis. Sitting in an upright position will also aid fetal positioning and is more comfortable for the woman. Sitting on the ball with arms placed on a bed, table or otherwise sturdy object for support and gently rocking the hips may help the woman during contractions and aid the natural physiological process of birth. [ cite book
last = Wesson
first = Nicky
title = Labor Pain: A Natural Approach to Easing Delivery
publisher = Inner Traditions / Bear & Company
date = 2000
isbn = 0892818956 ]

ee Also

*core training
*strength training
*National Academy of Sports Medicine
*overtraining
*American College of Sports Medicine

References

External Links

[http://www.nasm.org/nasmpro/fittools.aspx?id=13512&ekmensel=c580fa7b_92_0_11752_4 Exercise Program: Getting Your Core Right]