HOP BALLS
Exercise and play apparatus in the form of hop balls are described. The balls beneficially may omit conventional handles, hence avoiding transfer of balance-maintenance responsibility to users' hands and arms. Instead, users' thighs engage a generally-spherical upper portion of the hop balls for balance, leading to higher core muscle engagement and greater caloric loss than does play on existing balls.
1 . A hop ball comprising:
a. a base; and
b. an upper portion configured in use so as to be contacted by thighs, but not grasped by fingers, of a user.
2 . A hop ball according to claim 1 in which each of the base and upper portion is generally spherical in shape.
3 . A hop ball according to claim 2 in which each of the base and upper portion has a diameter, with the diameter of the base being larger than the diameter of the upper portion.
4 . A hop ball according to claim 3 omitting any finger-graspable handle.
5 . A hop ball according to claim 4 further comprising a neck connecting the base and the upper portion.
6 . A hop ball according to claim 5 in which each of the base, upper portion, and neck, is hollow and filled with inflation fluid for use.
7 . A hop ball according to claim 6 formed of resilient material selected from the group consisting of natural and synthetic rubbers.
8 . A method of exercising comprising:
a. sitting atop a hop ball with buttocks in contact with a base of the hop ball and thighs in contact with and squeezing an upper portion of the hop ball; and
b. causing the hop ball to bounce on a surface while continuing to sit atop the hop ball.