Medicine ball facts for kids
A medicine ball is a heavy ball used for exercise. It is also called an exercise ball, a med ball, or a fitness ball. These balls are usually about the size of your shoulders, around 13.7 inches (35 cm) across. People often use them to get stronger or to help recover from injuries.
Medicine balls are also important in sports medicine. They help athletes improve their strength and how well their muscles and brain work together. A medicine ball is different from a large, inflated exercise ball. Those are much bigger, up to 36 inches (91 cm) wide.
Medicine balls come in different weights, usually from about 2 to 25 pounds (1 to 11 kg). Athletes use them in special training called ballistic training. This helps them gain explosive power. For example, they might throw the ball or jump while holding it. Some medicine balls can be as big as 14 inches (36 cm) and weigh up to 14 pounds (6.4 kg). Some even look like weighted basketballs.
History of the Medicine Ball
The idea of using a weighted ball for health goes back a long way. The ancient Greek doctor Hippocrates is said to have told his patients to toss animal skins filled with sand. He believed this helped them get better. Similar large balls were used in Persia in 1705.
The name "medicine ball" was first used around 1876. It appeared in a book called American Gymnasia and Academic Record by Robert Jenkins Roberts, Jr. The first known photo of a medicine ball in the United States was taken in 1866. It shows Aaron Molyneaux Hewlett, a sports instructor at Harvard, with his exercise equipment.
Images for kids
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Director of the Harvard College Gymnasium around 1860, with a medicine ball and other equipment
See also
In Spanish: Balón medicinal para niños
