Balls

The Original FIT-BALL - Made in Italy, Completely Non-Toxic and Safe - BPA Free, Latex Free, Phthalate Free, Lead Free, Class I Medical Device

Fit-ball, also known as "Swiss ball", gymnastics ball, for yoga, for pilates, fitness, etc. was first developed by Aquilino Cozani, who founded in 1963 the Italian company Lederplastic (Gymnic).

According to American physiotherapist Joanne Posner-Meyer, the use of the exercise ball as a therapeutic tool probably began with the Swiss pediatrician Dr. Elsbeth Koengan, an early proponent of the Bobat concept. These balls, then known as "Pezzi balls", were first used in newborn and infant treatment programs by Mary Quinton, a British physiotherapist working in Switzerland. That's where the name "Swiss" comes from, even though they originated in Italy.

Later, Dr. Susanne Klein-Vogelbach, director of the School of Physical Therapy in Basel, Switzerland, integrated the use of ball exercises as physical therapy for neurodevelopmental treatment. In 1985, she published the famous book "Ballgymnastik zur funktionalen Bewegungslehre" ("Ball Gymnastic for Functional Movement Theory"), where she described several exercises with the ball. Klein-Fogelbach advocates using ball techniques to treat adults with orthopedic or medical problems.

In 1995, Joan Posner-Meier published a book, Swiss Ball Applications for Orthopedic and Sports Medicine, in the US. When American physical therapists began using ball exercises, the term became common in the United States. Since their development as physiotherapy in a clinical setting, these exercises are now used in gymnastics, yoga, pilates and fitness.

In the early 1960s, Aquilino Cosani, founder of Lederplastic (Gymnic) watched a documentary about kangaroos and realized that children never look as happy as when they are jumping. So he decided to make a toy that would allow them to jump like kangaroos.

Tried different prototypes for a bouncy ball. It was important that all tests were done by children, not adults. So after getting feedback from his sons and many other children, he attached an initially hard (later replaced with a soft) handle to his ball and called it Pon-Pon, after the sound it made when someone bounced on it. It chooses orange because it is meant to be used outdoors in the summer and orange looks very sunny and because it is suitable for both boys and girls. We decided to make it from PVC because of its elasticity and durability.

After he presents it at the Nuremberg Toy Fair, it becomes more successful than he could have imagined.

Thus was born the first bouncy ball with a handle, which also became the originator of the first original Fitball, popular as Swiss ball, yoga ball, pilates and gymnastics ball, etc., produced and introduced for the first time by the same company Lederplastic (Gymnic) and has become one of the main tools used in physical therapy and fitness.