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Exercise ball

The need for exercise has been increasingly recognized. In addition to the benefits of better overall health and fitness, the strengthening of muscles and bones reduce the risk of fractures of the spine and hips as a major consequence of osteoporosis. An exercise ball is a large, spherical, resilient ball that can be used for a variety of exercises. These balls are also commonly referred to as a "Swiss ball", "Swiss exercise ball", "stability ball" or a "pilates ball." The ball is often inflatable, made of vinyl or plastic. Alternatively, it may be made of a solid material such as foam rubber. Exercise balls are primarily used for therapeutic exercises and occasionally employed during stretching, warm-up, and low-impact exercises. Typically, a user's body is supported by a Swiss ball during use, and the ball deforms to follow the natural contours of the user's body. Exercise balls were originally used for therapeutic exercises, but have been more widely adopted in recent years to develop a user's flexibility, balance and strength, including the strength of seldom used stabilizer muscles. The inherent characteristics of exercise balls have led to the recognition of numerous therapeutic uses for them. Due in part to these uses and characteristics, exercise balls have been incorporated into a number of exercise devices and other articles.

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