Why do we call it a swissball? According to wikipedia, The physical object known as a "Swiss Ball" was developed in 1963 by Aquilino Cosani, an Italian plastics manufacturer. It became popular as a Phyiscal Therapy tool when used by a British physiotherapist professor teaching in Switzerland (used for neuro-developmental treatment) . The term "Swiss Ball" was used when American physical therapists began to use those techniques in North America after witnessing their benefits in Switzerland. It is commonly referred to as a stability ball in most gyms today. No matter what you call it, it is a very inexpensive piece of equipment for doing core exercises and various leg strengthening too. The video below shows a few of my favorite core stability exercises. The first exercise is probably the best for cyclists/triathletes. I do not like to encourage hip flexion (hip flexors are already so tight and overworked with this population) when doing core work with endurance athletes. I am 6' 4" tall and the 65 cm ball is perfect for me when fully inflated. Their is a chart to help guide one in purchasing a stability ball (not always perfect though--its really more about one's inseam measurement):
less than 5' 0"=45 cm
5' 0" to 5' 5"= 55 cm
5' 6"- 6' 1" =65 cm
6' 2" - 6' 8" =75 cm
6' 9" and up =85 cm
A Few More Images from Haiti
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