Medicine Ball

There seems to be so many opinions available about the best ways to get healthy and to maintain your health. The medical community has many varying opinions regarding what is the best diet and what are the best forms of exercise. The one common opinion is that some form of exercise is needed to maintain a healthy body. There are many forms of exercise to choose from. To me adding variety to my exercise routine not only keeps me interested in exercising, but also insures that I exercise different muscles in my body. A great strength building exercise is the use of a medicine ball. A medicine ball is a weighted ball that comes in a variety of sizes and weights. A medicine ball can be used individually or with a partner or in a group. Working with a medicine ball provides a full body work out.

Training with a medicine ball has been around for many years. For team sports the use of a medicine ball can take the place of individual training with free weights. There are many schools and athletic clubs that cannot afford free style weights for strength building programs, but a medicine ball is inexpensive and can be used to train several people at one time. For people that are not motivated to be involved in strength training, the fun that goes with the use of a medicine ball can help get them started in building up their muscles.

The main thing to consider when introducing a medicine ball for strength training is to insure that all the participants are properly warmed up. Some stretching exercises performed prior to bringing out the medicine ball will cut down on injuries to the muscles. The medicine ball comes in a variety of weights. Some start as low as four pounds and advance to 25 pounds. For most group training settings a 12 pound or 15 pound medicine ball is the safest size to use. The strength training begins with the simple passing of the medicine ball from one participant to the other. As the muscles warm and strengthen this passing is done from varying positions such as under hand, over hand, above the head, behind the back and so on. The medicine ball can also be passed from one person to the next with the legs. This is accomplished by having the participants lie on their back and hold the medicine ball between their feet and have the next person that is in the same position transfer it to between their feet. This is enjoyable for others to watch, but at the same time strengthens the leg muscles.

Traditionally a medicine ball is made out of leather. You can purchase a medicine ball that you fill with water. The amount of water determines how much the ball weighs. This is a nice option if you are transporting the medicine ball to use with a group in various locations. The medicine ball strengthening work out can be accomplished in 30 to 40 minutes.