The 35 to 85 cm exercise balls are composed of a PVC material. When filled with air, they facilitate an extensive list of core, sport-specific, resistance training and flexibility exercises. While they have become a stable at fitness and, and an integral component of many workout programs, their roots lie in child's play and physical therapy.
The Toymaker
An Italian manufacturer called Ledragomma was the first company to make plastic balls for sport and fitness. Aquilino Cosani, the company's co-owner, created a children's ball called the Space Hopper in 1963. The Space Hopper had a rigid handle, which allowed children to sit on top of the ball, hold on to the handles and hop around the room.
Early Clinical Use
Swiss pediatrician Elsbeth Kong and British physical therapist Mary Quinton were the first practitioners to put the balls to clinical use. The women specialized in the Bobath technique, a method that treated children with neurological illnesses, such as cerebral palsy. The Bobath philosophy is significant to many modern theories of movement training. Its creators believed that muscle stretching and strengthening, while important for people with cerebral palsy, was less effective than exercises that enhanced posture and movement coordination. Kong and Quinton used the ball to address postural misalignment and enhance coordination.
Functional Kinetics
Harmonious movement always fascinated Dr. Susanne Klein-Vogelbach. She taught rhythmic gymnastics at Basel Conservatory and later became a physical therapist in Switzerland. Her technique, called Functional Kinetics, gave therapists a means of observing and analyzing movements. Klein-Vogelbach used the ball in her Swiss physical therapy school, which explains why some people refer to them as Swiss Balls.
Coming to America
After graduating from the University of Colorado physical therapy school, Joanne Posner-Mayer practiced in Switzerland and learned about the therapeutic benefits of the Swiss ball. In 1991, she opened Ball Dynamics in Colorado, and wrote the book titled "Swiss Ball Applications for Orthopedic and Sports Medicine." The core training trend had begun, and the balls fit perfectly into the core conditioning philosophy. Fitness professionals, such as Gin Miller, Paul Chek and Juan Carlos Santana, began presenting ball workshops at fitness conferences, thereby bridging the gap between therapy and fitness.
References
- Neuro-developmental Treatment Approach: Theoretical Foundations & Principles Janet Howle Osseum Entertainment January 2002
- ic Newcatsle.co.uk: If You Hadn't One, You Were Hopping Mad
- FBL Klein-Voglebach: What is Functional Kinetics
- En. Ledragomma.com: About Ledragomma
- Dedeceplus; About Aquilino Cosani
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