What is the difference between a medicine ball and an exercise ball?

The greatest advantage of using a medicine ball over a regular weight lifting exercise is the option to throw the ball at any time during the exercise. Throwing an object off your body arouse groups of muscles in your body to work simultaneously and therefor much more affective and difficult than a normal exercise.

Medicine balls are constructed of leather or vinyl covered nylon cloth, and filled with impact absorbing materials to give them weight. Vinyl covered medicine balls typically are sand filled and are not used for exercises requiring bouncing.

Working out with a medicine ball with handles offers a better grip for exercises that involve dynamic movement. Handled balls make abdominal crunches more effective and allow you to perform exercises like arm curls; which could not be done using an ordinary medicine ball.

Safety should definitely be on your mind. You should be exercising in an open space; many exercises using a medicine ball involve throwing and catching the ball. Make sure to always be using the proper technique as to not pull/strain any muscles.

Effective workouts with medicine balls should last between 30-45 minutes, 2-3 times a week. Each session to consist of 8-10 different exercises with 2-3 sets of each. It won't take too long for you to begin noticing results.

There are so many uses for a medicine ball. I have found a couple of very simple exercises you can do. The first is called the "woodchopper". Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and hold the medicine ball above your head. Then bend forward at your waist and bring the ball down between your legs. Here is what it should look like:

A second exercise you can do is called a "squat to press". Stand straight holding the ball. Next you need to bend your knees and lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Then you need to drive your heels into the floor and push your body back to the starting position and bring the ball up over your head. Here is what this exercise should look like:

There are so many more exercises, I highly recommend researching them online or contacting a trainer for assistance.

Medicine balls are weighted balls weighing anywhere from a few pounds up to 30lbs. They have several uses in strength training and rehabilitation. They have gained a lot of popularity I the field of sports medicine.

There are plenty of Exercise Balls each serves for a different purpose. Including balance ball, birth ball, body ball, ball, fitness ball, gym ball, gymnastic ball, Physioball, Pilates ball, Pezzi ball, sports ball, Swedish ball, stability ball, therapy ball, or yoga ball.

A medicine ball is aweighted ballroughly the diameter of the shoulders. Oftenused for rehabilitation and strengthtraining, it serves an important role in the field of sportsmedicine. It should not be confused with the larger, inflated exercise ball.