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Medicine ball

Piece of exercise equipment

Medicine ball
Summary

Piece of exercise equipment

Exercising with a medicine ball
plank
Man exercising with a medicine ball

A medicine ball (also known as an exercise ball, a med ball, or a fitness ball) is a weighted ball with a diameter of about a shoulder-width. The size of a medicine ball is approximately 13.7 in, often used for rehabilitation and strength training. The medicine ball also serves an important role in the field of sports medicine to improve strength and neuromuscular coordination. It is distinct from the inflated exercise ball, which is much lighter and larger which is up to 95 cm in diameter.

Medicine balls are usually sold as 2 - balls and are used effectively in ballistic training to increase explosive power in athletes in all sports, e.g. throwing the medicine ball or jumping whilst holding it. Some medicine balls are up to 14 in in diameter and up to 14 lbs weight, or in the form of weighted basketballs.

History

[[Aaron Molyneaux Hewlett]], Director of the Harvard College Gymnasium c. 1860, with a medicine ball and other equipment

Hippocrates is said to have stuffed animal skins for patients to toss for medicinal purposes. Similar large balls were said to have been used in Persia, specifically by Persian wrestlers, as well as by gladiators. The term "medicine ball" dates back to at least 1876, in American Gymnasia and Academic Record, by Robert Jenkins Roberts Jr. The first known photograph of a medicine ball in the United States was taken in 1866 and shows Harvard athletic instructor Aaron Molyneaux Hewlett surrounded by his equipment.

References

References

  1. "Medicine ball".
  2. (November 2015). "Current Concepts of Plyometric Exercise". International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy.
  3. (October 2015). "Short-term Periodization Models: Effects on Strength and Speed-strength Performance". Sports Medicine.
  4. (6 October 2014). "Medicine balls are ancient fitness tools that keep bouncing back". [[Reuters]].
  5. (2018-09-10). "Medicine ball has history of improving movement". Arkansas Democrat Gazette.
  6. (2012-07-10). "The Ball That Just Won't Die". ESPN.com.
  7. Warren, George Kendall. (c. 1860). "A. Molyneaux Hewlett [photographic portrait], ca. 1860".
Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

balls exercise-equipment strength-training
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