Ball Activities

Abstract

Carefully chosen activities using a gymnastic ball can form a useful part of the treatment programme. A ball with its characteristic shape and movements is something very familiar to us all, an object which we have experienced since our earliest childhood. During the development of adult motor patterns, most people have at some time sat on a ball, lain on a ball, thrown, caught, bounced and kicked a ball. The experience can therefore be said to have formed an integral part of our motor learning. Even in countries where a ball as we know it is not available, children have had similar experiences using other round objects such as tree trunks, rolling stones or bound-up hides. The ball can be beneficial for the treatment for several reasons.