This is a guest post by John Polley, who owns the very successful JP Active in Perth and is one of PT Academy’s most experienced SandBell presenters. Thanks, JP!
Today, I’d like to share some thoughts on Sandbells. I’ve been using them at JP Active for around 18 months now. They’ve been a real value for money purchase for the business and get used every single day by myself and my team.
I’m a movement conditioner, meaning I work with people who want to move and feel better. Some require help with difficult conditions like osteoarthritis, cerebral palsy, peripheral neuropathy, plantar fasciitis, back pain and knee pain. Others are at the other end of the scale, professional athletes requiring that little bit extra to perform at the highest level. Most are in between. What this translates to is us using Sandbells in every part of the business and with almost all of these clients.
I think the reasons are many and varied. As I’ve said in a recent video, they have the versatility to be used:[list type=”icon-arrow”]
- As a knee pad for prone work
- As a comfortable load to hold areas stable
- As a resistance for 3D whole body movements
- As a tool to improve grip strength
- As a dead weight to throw, slam and catch at infinite vectors and velocities
- As a non-intimidating load for new, returning, or older clients
- As a reconditioning tool
- As a play thing for games, challenges and fun competitions in groups [/list]
On top of this, they are a very safe tool. They’re neoprene, filled with sand. Most other tools we see in the gym are metal or hard rubber. Drop them on a foot and well, you have a real problem, for the foot and your business! It’s extremely difficult to injure yourself in this way with a Sandbell!
Most importantl, my clients LOVE using the Sandbells. This reason is enough to continue using them! We are a client centred business and we want to engage our clients on all levels – mental and emotional as well as physical. Sandbells do this. They return people to childhood, to the beach, to fun and happy times. You don’t think “exercise” when you pick up a Sandbell. You think, “play time!”
As for my own training, I like using it most for whole body, integrated and challenging loaded motion. I love to throw in all different directions, driving through the hips and of course, I love to slam those things into the floor, into the wall and we have our own slam here at JP Active – the “slam bounce”. That’s a slam, standing on a vibration platform, into a foam block, which bounces the Sandbell back up at unpredictable angles. Catch it and slam bounce again! So much fun and seriously demanding.
I’m lucky enough to present education in Australia and New Zealand as a Sandbell master trainer, workshop presenter for OD on Movement, conference presenter and a mentor to personal trainers and movement coaches. I can honestly say Sandbells feature in all aspects of my industry work, my own business and my own training. They fit into my philosophy and my approach to work, life and training. It’s not because they’re a “tool for exercising”. It’s because they’re a highly versatile, adaptable and unique form of resistance that allows you to work your body in a way that is authentic to the human design and structure. Happy slamming folks!
JP
Upcoming Hyperwear Sandbell CEC courses near you:
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