Posts Tagged ‘ball’
Exercise Therapy Ball
Monday, September 19th, 2011
What is a Ball Chair?
A Ball Chair is a fitness ball used as your primary seating device. The idea behind the Ball Chair is to accomplish a few things:
- Comfortable seating to alleviate back pain or discomfort.
- Stimulate and perhaps strengthen your core.
- Make you keep moving around and not be stagnant for extended amounts of time.
There have been many recent developments with creating complementary hardware or bases to place the fitness ball in, that provide the appearance and feel of a standard office chair. Some Ball Chairs are carefully engineered to look similar to a normal office chair.
Evolution and History of the Fitness Ball
- 1963 – The first fitness ball or “Swiss Ball” was made by Aquilino Cosani. He was able to come up with a process for making a puncture resistant ball. Those balls were then generally known as “Pezzi balls”.
- The Pezzi balls were first utilized in various programs for newborns and infants by a British physiotherapist employed in Switzerland named Mary Quinton.
- Thereafter, Dr. Susanne Klein-Vogelbach, the director of the Physical rehabilitation School in Basel, Switzerland used the ball for physical therapy for neuro-developmental treatment. The ball was used to remedy adults with orthopedic or medical problems.
- 1980’s – The Pezzi ball technology was brought to America and referred to the ball as the “Swiss Ball”, used in rehabilitation for anyone with spinal injuries.
- 1990’s – The fitness ball was moved inside the athletic paradigm and it is now seriously popular in the fitness world. The fitness ball is utilized commonly in athletic training, fitness routines, aerobic classes, yoga sessions, physical therapy, pregnancy, gardening, offices as well as classrooms. Evidently uses of the ball are still developing.
Just what are Fitness Balls constructed from?
The exercise ball is made from plastic vinyl or PVC (plastic vinyl) , however some are burst-resistant and others aren’t. Fitness balls typically have a diameter of 35 – 85 centimeters (14 – 34 inches). Some balls are more durable, made to hold more weight and , sometimes cost you a little more. It is strongly recommended that the exercise ball is inflated to the appropriate level, and the valve stem is utilized to seal the air inside the ball. Some exercise balls have “stayball technology” engineered in to the ball, which is a substance that was added within the ball to help keep your exercise ball constantly in place.
About the Author
To read more about how a ball chair might help you check out the ball chair headquarters blog.
Joe C – Therapy Ball Exercises – PT Shannon & Norma, Jan 2011 (3 min)
