By Dr. Umberto Miletto
The swiss ball (fitball or Swiss ball) is an unstable spherical tool born in the kinesiological and rehabilitative field; however its numerous applications make it an ideal tool also for the physical preparation in the gym as a variant of the "classic" muscle strengthening exercises.
The choice of the diameter of the fitball must be made based on the height of the subject who uses it. Always bearing in mind that the most correct diameter is the one that allows you to sit on the ball forming a right angle with your legs, indicatively, for the choice of the most suitable diameter, you can refer to the following table:
| Height | Swiss ball diameter |
| <165 cm | 45 cm |
| 65 -175 cm | 55 cm |
| 175-185 cm | 65 cm |
| > 185 | 75 cm |
The ball must be well inflated and the surface on which the ball is placed must not be slippery.
Both the merits and the defects of this training tool revolve around its natural instability. The instability of the ball, in fact, requires continuous postural adjustments, necessary to maintain balance. These adjustments are mainly performed by accessory muscles that are often not involved in normal muscle strengthening exercises.
On the other hand, the instability of the ball can be risky if the subject is not practical in using the tool.
Fitball online
Online there is a PVC fitball without handle, whose size is to be selected based on your height. The product arrives deflated in a box, complete with pump and caps (2 caps, one spare).
It is recommended to use it indoors only as it could be punctured outside. Useful for exercises such as abdominals, lumbar or to improve posture and balance. The material is of excellent quality, pleasant to the touch and does not have the unpleasant smell of plastic that can accompany this tool.
The package includes some exercises to be performed with the ball and a multilingual manual.
Alternatively, you can opt for a PVC fitball with a non-slip surface, available in 6 colors and 4 sizes, able to withstand up to 300kg thanks to the anti-burst system. The easy-to-use pump is included in the package.
This tool can be used for daily training, in the field of physiotherapy or as an alternative to the classic seat. Attention: when the ball is used as an alternative to the office chair, an important factor is given by the height of the table. However, generally, the 75cm version is the most comfortable one.
Physical skills involved
- Balance (decreasing the base of support in static and dynamic situations)
- Flexibility / joint mobility (in all muscle and joint districts)
- Posture (through strengthening of the tonic musculature)
- Strength (especially of the trunk and abdomen muscles)
- Motor coordination / control
- Muscle strengthening
Swiss ball exercises are particularly useful for athletes practicing sports where balance plays an important role. The support base (the number of points of contact with the floor and the area delimited by them) should always be taken into consideration in these sports disciplines. In fact, there is an inverse relationship between the support base and the activation of the stabilizing muscles. Greater strength of the stabilizing muscles results in greater stability of the joints which in turn results in greater recruitment of the muscles mainly involved in the exercise due to less inhibition by the structures that protect the joint (proprioceptors).
The use of the swiss ball can also be adapted to resistance or cardiovascular training. Its use in abdominal muscle training is particularly useful. In addition to allowing a greater range of movement, the swiss ball allows you to train all the muscles of the abdominal press at the same time.
Finally, the elasticity of the swiss ball can be of great help to all those who are forced to maintain a sitting position for many hours during the day. In addition to improving balance and posture thanks to its elasticity, the swiss ball is able to restore body weight in the form of a relaxing push which helps to restore vigor to the intervertebral discs.
The fitball
Squat on swiss ball
Sponsored content: My-personaltrainer.it presents products and services that can be purchased online on Amazon and / or on other e-commerce sites. Whenever a purchase is made through one of the links on the page, My-personaltrainer.it could receive a commission from Amazon or other cited e-commerce. We inform you that the prices and availability of the products are not updated in real time and may change over time, so we invite you to check availability and price on Amazon and / or on other cited e-commerce.
