Fitball

These balls originally come from Switzerland and hence the name Swiss Balls. They have been known for more than 40 years and are widely used in therapeutic settings, such as physiotherapy and exercise therapy.

Swiss Ball training is certainly not only suitable for the elderly or people with disabilities. In recent years, the Swiss Ball has been used in all kinds of training programs. You will also encounter the Swiss Ball in many strength training programs of top athletes.

Practical training tips

• Make sure you have enough space around you. For some exercises you also need a decent amount of space.
• Make sure your feet are firmly on the ground and cannot slip. Place a non-slip mat underneath or use shoes that do not slide.
• You can make the exercises heavier or more difficult by creating more unstable situations or by increasing the external load (using dumbbells, elastic bands, barbells).
• The more air in the ball, the more unstable the ball is. Beginners should not pump the ball too hard. If you have more experience or if the exercises come easily to you, add more air.
• You can vary the degree of stability by moving your standing legs closer together. For example, do a crunch while lying/sitting on the Swiss Ball with your feet 50 cm apart and compare that with the feet right next to each other. The feet next to each other are less stable and therefore the training becomes more difficult or better.
• A general training rule is to do Swiss Ball exercises after your regular exercises. First put a lot of strain on the primary muscles and then do the exercise with the Swiss Ball to train the stabilizing muscles. If primary muscles are tired, you train the stabilizers even better.

Synonyms: exercise ball, stability ball, fitness ball, pilates ball, yoga ball, training ball, workout ball, balance exercise ball, fitness trainer ball, core ball, physio ball, health ball, rehabilitation ball, stability trainer, body balance ball, exercise stability ball, sports ball, therapeutic ball, muscle strengthening ball, balance ball