The Gyro Ball is a fitness device. It is about the size of a tennis ball or baseball and contains a weighted center that spins inside a plastic shell. By starting the internal ball spinning, either by using the starter cord provided or by stroking the side of the ball with your finger or hand, the Gyro Ball spins and creates an energy or resistance that uses the muscles of the forearm, arm and shoulder to control. By moving the ball in a pattern that supports the spinning, increased force is generated and more activity is created in your muscles.
Gyro Ball
Although it may look like a toy, the Gyro Ball is a unique exercise device. Although it has flashing lights that blink more rapidly as it spins faster and has a speedometer that lets you see how many revolutions per minute you are spinning it, it produces a vibrational resistance that forces the muscles in your wrist, arm and shoulder to work harder to resist it. When it is spinning and you learn how to pump the gyroscopic ball inside by raising and dropping your wrist, you can produce resistance up to 35 pounds of force and speeds up to 13,000 RPM's. As it increases it's speed, there is an audible whirring and a palpable increase in vibration in the ball.
Uses of the Gyro Ball
Wrists and forearms are vulnerable to injury when the muscles in those regions become weak. The Gyro Ball provides a way to exercise those muscles by providing a dynamic force that recruits those muscles to resist. It would have applications for people who work at a computer keyboard and are subject to overuse or repetitive stress problems. Other groups who are prone to overuse problems with their wrists, like musicians and video gamers, could also benefit.
Research on the Gyro Ball
Studies have been conducted on the Gyro Ball to measure how well it lives up to its claims. A study funded by Gyro Ball undertaken at Southern Utah University and published by their Biology Department showed that grip strength in study participants increased by 11% over the four week period of the study.
Conclusions
Although getting the ball spinning may present some initial difficulty, once it is moving, there is a significant amount of energy in the palm of your hand. It provides a novel and unique way to exercise the muscles in your arm, and, with it's toy like features, provides some entertainment while you exercise.
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