Like the Swiss ball, the Medicine Ball can be all the equipment you need for a full body work out.
Medicine balls were first used for strength training 3000 years ago in Persia, where wrestlers filled animal bladders with sand. They were later used in ancient Greece where they were constructed from animal skins sewn together and filled with sand. The name ‘Medicine ball’ was first coined in the late 19th century, when the words ‘health’ and ‘medicine’ were synonymous.
Modern medicine balls are usually constructed from leather, nylon cloth or vinyl, filled with heavyweight materials ranging from sand to synthetic gels. they are usually available in weights between 2lb (0.9kg) and 25lb (11.33kg), in varying sizes.
Medicine ball exercises range from explosive movement exercises, using the ball as a weight, to balance exercises where the ball is used to create an unstable platform for a foot or hand.
Over the coming weeks I’ll be posting some great medicine ball workouts, so watch this space (or subscribe to my RSS feed).
