Swiss Ball

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The Swiss Ball is a very popular piece of equipment in the fitness industry. It was in about the year 2000 that it started to be widely used in this country. This rise in popularity certainly had a lot to do with the American fitness expert Paul Chek. He has constantly promoted their useage and has produced some very interesting and informative videos about them.

It is now highly unlikely that you would find a gym that doesn't have a selection of swiss balls (also called gym balls and stability balls). Some personal trainers and fitness instructors regard them as a fantastic piece of equipment to be used for everything possible. Others are not quite so enthusiastic.

In the June/July 2007 edition of Fitpro Network the benefits of swiss ball work was debated between Douglas S Brooks MS, exercise physiologist, (in favour of the swiss ball) and Charles Poliquin MSc, strength and conditioning coach, (not in favour).

Douglas Brooks explained that it wasn't an all or nothing arguement. He argued that there is a place for unstable surface training (swiss ball, BOSU, foam rollers, balance boards). However he adds that there are many other types of training that are important as well. He states that the traditional approach to training doesn't incorporate any of the unstable surface training whilst many functional trainers may focus too much on such training.

Douglas sees that research to support the use of unstable surfaces is slowly appearing and hopes that traditionalists will include some of this type of exercise in their programmes.

Charles Poliquin is not quite so enthusiastic about the swiss ball, but he doesn't dismiss them completely. He does use the swiss ball for a few very specific exercise, but feels that generally they've been over-hyped. He regards trying to squat on a swiss ball as moronic! Fortunately this isn't an exercise I've ever tried or suggested to anybody else.

According to Charles research has shown that core training using the swiss ball only works for 6 weeks. Also he says that you'll get more abdominal muscle activation from performing the squat or deadlift than you will from any swiss ball exercise.

Personally I use the swiss ball quite regularly with my one to one clients. I use them for specific exercises that I find very beneficial, but I definately use a variety of other exercises as well.. I find the ball to be very effective and it can add a fun element to training (although Charles calls it 'entertainment training' not 'strength training"). As long as other strength specific exercises are included in the programme I don't see too much of a problem with that.

Further research was looked at by Raphael Brandon in Sports Injury Bulletin issue 38. Two pieces of Canadien research, one by Kathryn Clark and the other by Stuart McGill both found more use of the abdominal muscles during a curl on the ball than during the same exercise on the floor or using the ab roller.

Raphael goes on to suggest that this effect found in research doesn't neccessarily carry over into the gym. This is because the exercise needs to be performed properly to be effective and as Raphael says (and I agree) he very rarely sees it being done correctly. Please check with a good personal trainer that you're doing it right.

McGill's research also found that spinal loads were greater when sitting on a ball or stability disc than when sitting on a chair. Whether or not this is balanced out by the increased movement available on the ball waits to be seen.

In conclusion I think the swiss ball is a great piece of equipment, but it is definitely not the be all and end all.