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	Q: I am looking for a specific piece of exercise equipment for my husband. I'm sorry I don't know the name of it, but here is a description. It is used by NHL Players. It is an inflatable used for squats & lunges, but at the same time helps you control your balance while doing your repetitions. Please try and help me. If you don't know, maybe you could point me in the right direction. A: Thanks for the question. We have to admit, however, that you've stumped us a bit. Based on the description that you gave us, we're a little unsure. However, there is a trend among hockey players and athletes to use inflatable gym(nastic) balls as a new fitness tool. (They were developed originally to help bad backs.) Now, some of the motivation behind them is better balance and a better overall workout. These balls are generally 2-3 feet in diameter and are usually inflated so that they have a little "give". Players use them to do abs, flies, and even lunges. The benefit comes from the person needing to keep themselves balanced throughout the exercise. Several muscle groups receive a workout in the process. Where the contradiction lies with your question is squats. We haven't seen these balls used while doing squats. With this said, however, there are several techniques and exercises that can be done with a gym ball, and their popularity is spawning more and more uses.       For more information about gym balls, visit the following links from bodytrends and gymball.
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