Varieties of Exercise Balls
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Chinese exercise balls are made from metal, stone, and wood and each have different purposes. For general exercise and therapeutic benefits, you should use metal balls.
Wooden exercise balls are mainly sold and bought as decorative pieces and as gifts. Since they are much lighter than metal and stone, they are not as good to use for exercising your hands. However, wood is much easier to paint so you will find them to have more elaborate and detailed symbols and pictures on the balls.
Stone balls are made from onyx, marble, or jade. These balls are much heavier since they are not hollow and are more fragile so it is not recommended to start with these if you are a beginner. Using heavier stone balls will have more of an impact on exercising your hands due to the weight. It is recommended to start with smaller balls and practice your way to larger balls.
Metal balls are the most common Chinese exercise balls, sometimes referred to as iron balls. These are the preferred exercise balls because they are durable and come in a variety of designs, weights, and sizes. Metal exercise balls come as hollow or solid balls. The hollow balls often have a chime inside and creates a mediating sound when being rotated. Designs are either engraved onto the balls or enameled on by a metalworking technique. |