The Medicine Ball

Cathy utilises the Medicine Ball, both by itself and in combination with the Fitball, in her fantastic MEDICINE BALL ABDOMINAL WORKOUT, to strengthen and improve the abs, and to work on endurance and stability.

The Medicine Ball provides an excellent complete body workout when used in combination with the Fitness Ball. Medicine Balls are also versatile in that they can be used in training, with or without a partner, almost anywhere. Medicine Balls come in range of different weights and are fun to use. Using a weighted Medicine Ball is an excellent way to improve 'core strength' (muscle strength in the abdomen, and hips).

They also provide a quality upper body (shoulders, chest and arms) workout and are excellent for toning. The Medicine Ball, like the Fitball, lends itself to both fitness and rehabilitation therapy because of the range of catching, throwing and lifting motions involved, and has been adapted by both health and fitness experts in a range of fitness and therapy regimes.

The Medicine Ball is also an ideal way of training for specific sports such as golf, tennis, boxing and basketball, because the motion used in those sports can be replicated with a weighted ball, and as a consequence build strength and endurance, improve hand-eye coordination, balance, flexibility and accuracy, and as a consequence improve performance in those sports. It is important that you DO NOT begin a training regime using the Medicine Ball without the guidance of a professional instructor.

FITBALL

The fitness or stability ball is a key part of Cathy's workout regime. A Fitball is a large inflatable ball, which looks like an outsized beach ball. The Fitball is a versatile piece of equipment which can be used to isolate various muscles such as the obliques and upper and lower abdominal muscles. It can also be used with free weights for strength training to add an extra dimension to core strengthening. The Fitball is used to isolate the core muscles of the abdomen, chest and back. This is achieved by forcing the user to engage these core muscles to counteract a loss of balance created by the fitness ball's instability.

Fitness Balls while taking weight off joints are nevertheless every bit as intense as aerobics or Pilates. The Fitball was first developed by a group of physiotherapists who devised a rudimentary version in order to help patients perform exercises without damaging their joints. As the popularity of the Fitball grew it was adapted by other health and fitness experts. It is important that you DO NOT begin a training regime using the Fitball without the guidance of a professional instructor.