The Top 5 Medicine Balls
For strength training and physical rehabilitation, an amazing piece of workout equipment is the medicine ball. A medicine ball is a big ball weighted with a heavy filling inside that you can use for a variety of exercises. The Father of Medicine, Hippocrates, stuffed animal skins and had his patients throw them around for medicinal purposes in Ancient Greece. Hence the name - medicine ball. And it really is medicine for your body. You can use a medicine ball to increase strength in any muscle group, as well as improve flexibility, balance, and coordination. It's important that you choose the right weight, so you get the workout you want but don't hurt yourself. The durability and the grip of the medicine ball are also important factors to weigh when shopping for a medicine ball. We reviewed a number of medicine balls to find the best ones out there. Read on for our reviews of the Top 5 Medicine Balls.
Champion Sports Medicine Ball
Good Medicine
Our pick for best medicine ball is this one from Champion Sports. It’s an extremely well-constructed medicine ball that will serve you in a variety of workouts. This medicine ball is made from synthetic leather, which is a great material for three reasons. The first reason is that it is very comfortable to hold; it’s not rough or grating on your hands. The second reason is that you can maintain a solid grip while you’re working out with this medicine ball without it slipping out of your hands. And finally, you can abuse it all you want; this medicine ball is built to last.
Pros
- Comfortable to hold
- No-slip grip
- Built to last
Cons
- Not perfectly round
Yes4All Soft Medicine Ball
Tone Me Up
This is a terrific medicine ball from Yes4All. It comes in lighter weights, with options from two to 10 pounds. This makes it better for toning because you can do more exercises with greater range with this medicine ball. It has a PVC shell, which is soft in your hands but won’t slip when your hands are sweaty. This medicine ball is filled with unstable iron sand. That means there’s loose sand inside that shifts around when you move the medicine ball. Having the inside of the ball be unstable causes different muscle groups to work and tones your whole body.
Pros
- Lighter weights
- PVC shell
- Unstable sand inside
Cons
- Not as good for building muscle mass
Yes4All Slam Medicine Ball
Slam Dunk
This is another excellent medicine ball from Yes4All. This one – called a slam medicine ball – is designed for more extreme workouts, such as CrossFit. If you want to build muscle mass and increase power, strength, and speed, this is the medicine ball for you. The surface is grooved and textured PVC that resembles a car tire. This provides a superior grip that you can hold onto, regardless of the intensity and perspiration involved in your workout. It also makes the medicine ball super durable, so you can slam it into the ground and walls; hence why it is called a slam ball.
Pros
- Designed for extreme workouts
- Grooved and textured surface
- Extremely durable
Cons
- On the bouncy side
A2ZCare Soft Medicine Ball
Pick a Hand
For another soft medicine ball great for toning, check out this one from A2ZCare. This medicine ball is small enough that you can palm it with one hand, giving you the ability to do isolated workouts focused on one side at a time. This medicine ball comes in six sizes, from two to eight pounds, each a different bright, solid color. This medicine ball is suitable for yoga and Pilates; it improves flexibility and balance, and it can reduce stress as well. The shell of this medicine ball is made from PVC with no phthalates and filled with natural sand that does not contain any heavy metal elements.
Pros
- Palm with one hand
- Six sizes and colors
- Phthalates free
Cons
- Cannot leave on hardwood floors
AmazonBasics Medicine Ball
AmazonBasics makes an outstanding medicine ball. You can do a number of upper and lower body exercises with this classically designed medicine ball. Due to its basketball-like shape and surface, this medicine ball is the one you want for tossing back and forth with your workout partner. Grab this rubber ball and hold onto its textured grip, which won’t let it slip out of your hands. You can throw this medicine ball off the wall as many times as you like, thanks to its sturdy rubber construction. Choose from three weights – 8, 10, or 12 pounds.
Pros
- Classic design
- Textured grip
- Sturdy rubber construction
Cons
- Strong rubber smell when new
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the medicine ball bounce?
Different medicine balls have different levels of bounciness. The slam medicine ball, for example, is bouncy because it is made to throw against a wall and bounce back for you to catch it. Alternatively, the soft medicine ball filled with sand is not made for bouncing.
How big is the medicine ball?
It depends on the ball. Medicine balls not only come in different weights, but in different sizes too. Check the product page for the measurements of the medicine ball you are interested in.
Which type of medicine ball should I get?
Which type of medicine ball you should get depends on what you are going to use it for. One type of medicine ball works well for Yoga, while a different type works well for CrossFit. Determine what type of workouts you want to do with the medicine ball, and then pick the appropriate one.
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