A medicine ball is a heavy ball, roughly the size of a volleyball. Often used for rehabilition and strength training, it serves an important role in the field of sports medicine. It should not be confused with the larger and lighter Swiss ball. A ball is a round or spherical object that is used most often in sports and games. ... Strength training is used to develop the strength and size of skeletal muscles. ... Sports medicine or sport medicine is an interdisciplinary subspecialty of medicine which deals with the treatment and preventive care of athletes, both amateur and professional. ... Swiss balls allow a wide range of exercises to be performed. ...

Medicine balls are usually sold as 8 lb., 10 lb. or 12 lb. balls and are used effectively in plyometric weight training to increase explosive power in athletes such as boxers, baseball pitchers and basketball players. Plyometrics is a type of exercise that uses explosive movements to develop muscular power. ... A complete weight training workout can be performed with a pair of adjustable dumbbells and a set of weight disks (plates). ... Professional boxing bout featuring Ricardo Dominguez (left) vs. ... Baseball is a team sport in which a player on one team (the pitcher) attempts to throw a hard, fist-sized ball at a player on the other team (the batter), who attempts to hit the baseball with a tapered, smooth, cylindrical bat that can be made out of either... Sara Giauro shoots a three-point shot, FIBA Europe Cup for Women Finals 2005 For other uses, see Basketball (disambiguation). ...

They are used by boxing professionals to improve the strength of stomach muscles, by a coach or trainer dropping the ball from a certain height onto the stomach of the boxer, simulating a punch coming from an opponent.

They are also extensively used by secondary schools as a fitness aid, by lifting the ball, or performing different exercises (such as sit ups and leg raises) with the ball incorporated to increase the strain on a particular muscle.

A medicine ball is also commonly used by athletes who have sustained an injury, and seek rehibilitation.