Medicine Balls

Increases Strength

Holding a medicine ball while performing squats and lunges will increase the intensity of the exercise being performed and therefore, build muscle strength. An excellent way to work your triceps, shoulder, and back, is to hold the medicine ball over your head and slowly bending your arms at the elbows, then lowering the medicine ball behind your head before returning to the start position.

Versatility

The best part about medicine balls is that they provide multiple benefits for the body. Exercises can target both upper and lower body muscles, hence providing a complete body workout. Medicine balls are renowned for increasing your balance, flexibility and overall agility, improving user’s posture and alignment. Squats, jumps, push ups, sit ups with chest presses are just a few of the exercises that can be performed using a medicine ball.

Hand-Eye Coordination

Tossing and bouncing a medicine ball will naturally improve your hand-eye coordination. Helpful for many types of athletes, such as baseball players, this skill benefits our everyday life as well.

Stretching

Stretching your back on a medicine ball stimulates movement in your spine and helps your body stay flexible. A mobile spine is a healthy spine and stretching your spine stimulates blood circulation and provides a path for fluid to flow in and out of the disks in our spine. In addition, performing a backstretch helps expand your lungs and removes pressure from your diaphragm.

Inexpensive

Medicine balls are inexpensive and can be used in a number of different ways to change up your workout routine and target different muscle groups. Medicine balls can also add an element of fun and challenge into your workout by simply trying to hold the ball and rolling in a controlled fashion.

Types of Medicine Balls

There are a number of types and options when it comes to choosing a medicine ball. From numerous colors, sizes and weights, there is no shortage of options.

Handles – Medicine balls also come with the handles. The handles make it easy to catch and you can ensure a strong grip on it while you are exercising.

Choosing a Medicine Ball

Choosing the proper type of medicine ball should be determined by the type of exercise being performed, your strength level and the number of repetitions you intend to complete. If a medicine ball is too heavy, your motor skills and stamina both decline, resulting in poor technique and form which can eventually lead to injuries. As your strength increases, you can gradually increase the weight of the medicine ball that you are using. A gradual progression will ensure proper technique is being used and muscles are naturally strengthening and improving their motion control. When in doubt, select a lower weight medicine ball as additional repetitions of exercises can be added to increase the challenge versus selecting a ball that is too heavy to properly be able to perform any sets of exercises or stretches.