Yoga Exercise Ball

The stability ball or what has now become popular as the exercise ball originated somewhere in Italy in the 1960’s. Initially though most American Physical therapists (who happened to find the exercise ball in use amongst the Swiss) called the exercise ball the Swiss ball, under the impression that it was the Swiss who had come up with it.

Later they found that the balls being used by the Swiss physical therapists were in fact manufactured in Italy. Nonetheless they continued to refer to the exercise ball as the Swiss ball for a long period of time and it is only recently that the names Stability ball or Exercise ball has become popular.

The Aura Wellness Center in the USA was the first American fitness-training center to use the exercise ball.

The ball they procured for themselves came from the Italian manufacturers Gymnic Balls. Down the years many other companies have begun producing exercise balls but a number of loyal customers still swear by the Gymnic Ball tag.

No matter which manufacturing company your ball comes from you can use it for performing a variety of physical workouts, including Yoga and Pilates. A number of gyms, professionals and specialized athletes also use these balls in order to improve their coordination capacities.

The use of the exercise ball however is not confined to professional use alone and a number of beginners have also found them to be of particular help during their exercise sessions.

If you are a beginner at a Yoga class you can greatly benefit from the use of a Yoga exercise ball. Such a ball has been known to help various Yoga neophytes to keep themselves steady during many of the asanas. For instance new students performing the Wheel posture (or Chakrasana) often find the use of a Yoga exercise ball and a nearby wall particularly helpful.

This is because the Chakrasana involves an arched stretch of the body that not too many people can manage on their own right at the beginning.

The Chakrasana is fantastic asana that helps enhance a person’s spinal elasticity and thereby improves his/her posture. It is also known to stretch out important internal organs such as the kidneys, liver, pancreas and even the heart, improving blood circulation. Despite the usual profit it bears for students however people with high blood pressure are advised to refrain from practicing this posture. Also, students with a back or spine problem must take proper medical permission and the help of a qualified Yoga teacher to carry out this asana.