Vinayak Fitness Area: Ball Exercises to shape your body

The plastic ball used by ball exercises was developed in the late '60s by an Italian petrochemical manufacturer named Aquilino Cosani. Although he did not design the ball for use in the fitness industry he was the first to pioneer their production and their use.

A Swiss doctor named Susan Klein-Vogelbach is responsible for promoting the use of these plastic balls in the field of orthopedic medicine at the physical therapy clinic which she founded. The origin of the "swiss ball" appellation is found in that ball exercises were first observed in Switzerland and not in Italy. This explains why they are not commonly called as Italian balls.

The concept of ball exercises was imported to America from Europe by Joanne-Posner-Mayer in the late '80s. She was the first to promote the use of ball exercises in the fitness industry specifically. Since then, exercise balls have quickly made their way into commercial gyms throughout the country and into personal gyms up to the point where they have established themselves as mainstays in the fitness industry. As of today, countless fitness professionals are promoting the use of ball exercises and from every level are incorporating them into their training regimen.

Benefits of Ball Exercise:

Ball exercises require little and inexpensive equipment. To perform the majority of ball exercises, you'll only need access to an exercise ball and nothing more.
The biggest benefit to training using ball exercises is that they are very effective at targeting core muscles, those muscles that are essential for stability and good posture but are often overlooked when exercising with fixed position equipment such as those found in gyms.

Types of Ball Exercises:

1. Ball Exercise for ABS