Slam Ball Versus Medicine Ball: Which Is The Right Addition To Your Workout Routine?

Most working adults have a busy schedule that leaves little time between work, family, and sleep for exercise. That's why people often create workout routines — a schedule ensures that they have 20 minutes, an hour, or more in of their hectic schedules to take care of their personal fitness. The results pay off, as working out gives you all sorts of physical and mental health benefits. These include stronger bones and muscles, boosted brain health, and even a lower risk of developing chronic diseases like cancer, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

For those people who have access to a gym or at-home gym equipment, you might wonder which equipment is right for your workout routine. One popular category of workout equipment is called exercise balls. There are many different types of exercise balls, each with its own unique properties that make it optimal for working out specific muscles. Here are the key differences between two popular types of exercise balls — the slam ball and the medicine ball.

According to SMAI, slam balls and medicine balls have a few major design differences. For starters, slam balls are weighted because of their sand filling. These balls have little (if any) bounce. Slam balls also have a tough, graspable outer rubber casing. You can raise the ball overhead, perform jumps or squats while holding it against your chest, and of course, do all sorts of slamming exercises.

Medicine balls are empty and only hold air. Instead, their weight comes from their rubber casing. Notably, medicine balls do bounce. They're ideal for repetition exercises where you need to bounce the ball off a wall, or even catch it off the wall. You can also do partner tosses over long distances. Slamming a medicine ball will result in damage and even tears to the ball, as it is not designed for enduring heavy impact.

If you are going to do high-impact throwing exercises or simply want a heavy ball to provide resistance during bodyweight exercises, a slam ball may be the better choice. On the other hand, if you want to work on throwing a ball a long distance or bouncing one off the wall, then a medicine ball may be the right fit.