Set the ball rolling

A medicine ball brings that much-needed surge of power and speed to your workouts and can be used with different kinds of exercises too

You can always trust a plainold ball to up the fun quotientof boredom-filled days.Whether it's a simple gameof catch and throw or anexplosive soccer game with your buddies,there's never a dull moment whenyou are playing ball. Even when you arestuck with a drab and uninspiring workoutroutine, a ball is one of the thingsthat can bail you out of boredom. Amedicine ball, that is.

Also called an exercise or fitness ball,a medicine ball is nothing but a weightedball that measures 14 inches indiameter and weighs anythingbetween 1- 6 kg. It's used in a varietyof different workouts fromcardiovascular and strength trainingto flexibility, speed and even powertraining.

Spice things up
Tired of the same old squats routine?Spice things up a bit by holding up amedicine ball while you do your squatsand intensify your training a bit more.Or hold up the medicine ball in front ofyou during a cardiovascular routine likerunning on the treadmill, to get theheart galloping.

"A medicine ball adds a bit of weightto your basic exercise and makes itmore challenging and intensive. It addsto the variety of your training, makesit dynamic and conditions your neuromuscularsystem," says Claudia Lepera,physiotherapist, Elite AthletesPerformance.

What's more, it allows you the scopeto get creative and use the medicineball in dozens of different strength training,flexibility and even core trainingexercises.

Use it under guidance
But it's not as if you can use it theway you like. "It may look like asimple ball, but the medicine ballis a very technical piece of equipment.So you should have a trainertelling you how exactly to useone as it takes a while to getthe movements right,"says Heath Matthews,physiotherapistwith the MittalChampionsTrust.

Beginnerstypically start withlighter medicine ballsand progress to heavierweights as theirmovements improve.

For explosive power
Apart from its usefulnessin intensifying anoverall fitness routine,the medicine ball is alsospecifically used bysportspersons in plyometrics,which is a typeof exercise trainingdesigned to producefast, powerful movementsto improve performancein sports.

"Exercises in plyometricsconsist of rapid movementsusing a medicine ballto improve an athlete'spower and speed. Forinstance, throwing themedicine ball a 100 timesagainst the wall is a goodexercise that tries to developthe body's fast twitchmuscles, which in turnimprove your speed andexplosive power," saysMatthews.

Sports person's favourite
This kind of training isespecially useful in sportslike squash, rugby andcricket, where one needs tohit the ball, or boxing, whereyou have to hit the opponent,with explosive power. A medicineball is an integral trainingtool for squash champion RitwikBhattacharya who thinks thatcore strength is an importantasset when you play squash.

"In an action-packed sport likesquash, core strength is the firstthing that breaks down and I need toconstantly work at developing it. So Ido a lot of core strengthening exercisesand throws with a medicine ball," hesays. He adds, "The medicine ball isalso a good way for me to develop power.For this, I sit down with my legsstretched out and then toss the ball forwardas far as I can."

The ball also helps him develop hisbalance. "Standing on my feet on theball is a great way to develop my balancetoo," adds Bhattacharya.

All you need to know
A medicine ball is a weighted ball that is roughly 14 inches in diameter and weighs anything from 1-6 kg. It's especially used with exercises geared to build core and abdominal strength, flexibility and even cardiovascular fitness. It is one of the oldest forms of strength and conditioning training the first reference to wrestlers training with sand filled bladders appears in Persia 3,000 years ago.While a medicine ball is an integral part of a good strength training programme, it cannot replace all forms of strength training. Ask your trainer to select a few exercises with the medicine ball for you and incorporatethem into a strength training session.
Common exercises:
Hold the ball and run.Squats and lungesAb and core strengthening exercises like sit upsRapidly throwing medicine ball against a wallStanding on the ball to improve balance

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