Power Ball

...I had heard of the power ball, had watched a couple of on line video clips and I just had to have one.


What is it?
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A power ball is a little ball, roughly the size of a tennis ball, maybe slightly bigger. It is round, mine is blue with a green inside. There is a little LCD on the top to measure and display the revolutions. The ball has an inner ball inside and a gap at the bottom revealing ...
...For those unfamiliar with the power ball (which I was), it i interesting and informative to look at the above website (which also sells balls), to look at some video footage for some enlightenment on the subject. At first glance it is funny, men standing up, jerking their wrist, at least that is what it looks like at first (it looks quite rude). In actual fact they are rotating their wrist, but when they are going really fast , it looks like jerking ... more

I suffer mildly from tennis elbow and I saw these balls and apparently they can help strengthen the wrist in particular to alleviate the symptoms of tennis elbow?! I am always looking out for various gimmicks related to health and fitness. I had heard of the power ball, had watched a couple of on line video clips and I just had to have one.

What is it?
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A power ball is a little ball, roughly the size of a tennis ball, maybe slightly bigger. It is round, mine is blue with a green inside. There is a little LCD on the top to measure and display the revolutions. The ball has an inner ball inside and a gap at the bottom revealing the inner ball, a little bit like the bottom of a computer mouse though a larger hole and heavier ball. The trick is to get the inner ball to spin and maintain and increase the revolutions, which in turn helps to strengthen the wrist. This is called a gyro.

www.nsdball.com
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For those unfamiliar with the power ball (which I was), it i interesting and informative to look at the above website (which also sells balls), to look at some video footage for some enlightenment on the subject. At first glance it is funny, men standing up, jerking their wrist, at least that is what it looks like at first (it looks quite rude). In actual fact they are rotating their wrist, but when they are going really fast , it looks like jerking to me. There are females on the site also, it is not just limited to men. There is an almost 4 minute video explaining the merits of the powerball and showing examples. There is also a clip of Akis Kritinelis who is able to get it to spin 16317rpm (revolutions per minute). The website is informative allows you to purchase the ball should you wish.

Developing Technique.
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I was able to achieve the technique fairly quickly and easily which suprised, but pleased me. Apparently it can be difficult at first, until you are used to it. It only took me a few spins. What you do is take the ball in your hand, LCD side down (usually in your right hand if you are right handed). There is a little cord that you place into a tiny hole, there is a bit like the end of a shoe lace to enable you to do this. You then wrap the cord around the inner ball keeping it tight. This is fairly easy as there is a groove on the inner ball for the cord to follow. It directs you to pull the cord sharply, like a lawn mower, when you have about 3 inches left. You then turn the hand over so that the gap in facing the ground and begin to rotate your wrist. The secret to doing this successfully is to do it slowly. The first two times I didn`t manage it, then I read the instructions fully (always a good idea) and realised that I had been a bit too manic before. Slow and steady is better than fast and uncontrolled. Apparently the smaller the wrist rotations, the faster the inner ball will spin, creating more resistance. As you practice with the ball, you will develop your own technique depending on what you want to achieve. You do not need to start it again when you swap hands, it is possible to do so fairly easily.

Batteries?
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The ball itself doesn`t require batteries but the LCD does. The power on the LCD is designed to turn itself off after 40 seconds if not in use to prolongue the battery life to several years apparently (though I haven`t had mine that long). The LCD shows the amount of revolutions, high score, accumulated revoltions, physical strenght index (apparently you need to keep the revoltions high for 30, 60 or 90 seconds to achieve a high score. I haven`t got into the scoring really, though it is a bit addictive trying to go faster. These scores enable friendly competition if several of you are using the ball.

Benefits.
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Using the ball is apparently good for those using their arms in exercise. This applies to many sports, tennis, badminton, golf, fencing. Musicians can benefit, drummers, pianists etc. Anything that requires a bit of strength in the arms can apparently benefit from powerball.

It can also be used in rehabilitaion. It is usesful for recuperation in sore or damaged limbs, reduce inflamation caused by carpal tunnel syndrome, RSI (repetitive strain injury), tendonitis (tennis elbow) and arthritis.

The power ball is totally non impact. The resistance generated is in proportion to the amount of effort that the user puts in.

Care of the Powerball.
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The powerball will offer many years of use if cared for properly. Do not drop it on the floor as it will damage it. Try to keep the inside clean. It is a very simple piece of kit to look after.

Precautions.
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There are the usual precautions with this. It is not advisable to use it with a heart condition. Children under 12 will require supervision. Do not touch the rotor (the inner ball) when it is moving, as it will burn.

Slow speeds are for gentle rehabilitaion.
Fast speeds are for pure muscle buiding fun.

It is a good thing to remember if you do not want to buikd muscles to not become too addicted to trying to achieve the highest speed score.

When using it for the first time, remember, it will make your muscles ache if you are not used to it, so don`t go too ove the top at first.

Price and Presentation.
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I bought mine from ebay for around £15 to include postage which was a saving. Mine is the 250hz one, prices vary as there are different variations. As always, I would recommend using search engines to find a cheaper one, but as there are cheaper versions, don`t be fooled into buying an inferior version just to save money. Mine includes a leather case and wrist strap. The leather case is lovely. It is soft black leather and smells of soft black leather. There is a wrist strap attached. The ball fits inside perfectly. The only disadvantage is, there are two cords included which are necessary to start the momentum. These don`t fit into the case very easily. They do go in if you put them in first though, you just have to be very careful not to trap them in the zip. I would recommend getting one with a case as they don`t all have one. It also came in a box with instructions.

Am I happy?
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Yes, I feel that this is strengthening my arms without making much effort. It is good fun for a few minutes a day, that is all that I do. I don`t feel the need to do it for any longer, men (or women) who want to build muscle can use it more vigorously (or smaller wrist action to achieve more resitance). It does not hurt when I use it (tennis elbow) and if it helps in the long run, even better. 

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