Swiss Balls, Wobble Boards and a whole plethora of different unstable surface devices have become increasingly popular in Personal Training and Sports Conditioning, although are they evidence-based? They look cool, which may be a selling point for people, however is it the best tool for the task or goal chosen?

From a common sense standpoint, as a fitness practicioner or trainee, you might think “well, training on an unstable surface is harder and my favorite athlete trains with them, therefore it must be better for me, right?”

Statement 1: Athlete X is better because he trains with swiss balls
Statement 2: I want to be a great athlete
Statement 3: I’m going to train with swiss balls to be a better athlete

This same logic applies here:

Statement 1: Tall People are good at basketball
Statement 2: John is really tall
Statement 3: John is good at basketball

Based on our logical statements, neither of these sets of statements really hold water in the bucket of fitness paradigm, because there are other mediating factors that determine efficacy in regards to what constitutes good athleticism in both the case of swiss ball training for sport/fitness and tall people being good at basketball. It is a multi-factorical equation here, with many variables.

For one thing, by placing an individual on a swiss ball, for example, one is limiting the amount of force that can be produced. Therefore, if one wants to eventually get stronger, he or she will have to lift heavier loads eventually. And i don’t know about you, but i wouldn’t want to put a lot of weight on top of me while on a swiss ball.

From a recent study on unstable surface training:

“Merely adding labile surfaces may not increase the load on the neuromuscular system for specific patients. An argument can even be made that adding Swiss balls to certain exercises (wall squats and spine extensor exercises) decreases the stress on the musculature due to decreases in muscle activation following the incorporation of a Swiss ball.” (Lehman, 2007)

In conclusion, it is important to consider the efficacy and purpose behind using a swiss ball with the understanding that it may not carry over into the results one wants to achieve long term.

CR

Charlie Reid Uncategorized