Chinese Baoding Balls

[tele-rain]

I’ve always heard about these Baoding balls, Chinese meditation balls, Chinese exercise balls, etc, in terms of the variety of benefits they apparently possess. Seems they can be useful for a myriad of ailments, both physical and mental. They come with chimes but I opted for the solid stone type. I thought the chimes would drive me a bit nuts while learning, but I think I will get those once I get better at the exercises.

I haven’t found any decent “starter” videos yet on YouTube, I mean it seems simple enough to explain. But I haven’t seen any that specify if there is a certain way to move the fingers. Is it just self explanatory? The end result is to rotate the balls in your palm, ideally without touching but I think at first it’s inevitable that they’ll clank together. Is that okay just for exercise purposes, or should the goal right out of the gate be for them not to touch? Are there different techniques for the different goals you’re trying to achieve? For example, I want to try them for finger dexterity, strength, and to alleviate some numbness that happens when playing guitar (or just in general when my arm bends a certain way). I know I have to address this with a doctor too, which I will, but I know the result will be some form of physical therapy, so I’m trying this ahead of time.

They are also used for mediation practice, focus, and calming anxiousness. I can’t really understand the last one because it can make you more anxious at the beginning while trying to learn to rotate them without dropping, which is where I’m at right now. But I guess the point is you learn to focus more and be attentive, this resulting in less drops, and achieve some zen peacefulness.

Anyway, just wondering if anyone’s used these and what their experiences are. Please share!

 

[TeleTex82]

Not to be confused with Ben Wa Balls.

 

[tele-rain]

Not to be confused with Ben Wa Balls.

Definitely not!!

 

[Mike Eskimo]

Nope.

Next...

 

[El Tele Lobo]

I'm a huge advocate for these things. They are FAR more effective than those (dangerous and injury-inducing) spring-loaded hand exercisers. Used properly, they improve flexibility, speed and range of motion in the hands.

Start with them in a relaxed hand with one near the thumb and one near the pinky. Slowly move them around the hand using a motion similar to pulling off (rather than hammering on) a series of chromatic notes on the guitar neck. At first, good movement and not dropping them is the goal. As you get more comfortable, work on rotating them without touching them. Then practice reversing direction. As you improve, try seeing how far apart you can get them as they rotate around one another. This will work your hands and fingers through their full range of motion. Do this with both hands. Eventually speed will come as well as the ability to consistently avoid touching them together and the ability to suddenly reverse directions at speed. Only a few minutes a day is necessary to see improvement.

Best of all, they are far less likely (barring extreme overuse) to cause a repetitive strain/strenuous motion injury. What you will notice is improved strength, reach and mobility in the fingers and hands. They work simultaneously as both a training tool and a relaxation tool, especially with the chimes (which I'm not that crazy about either, honestly, but they are relaxing).

I find these work best if they aren't too large...about 1" to 1-1/4" diameter is ideal. Much larger and they become unwieldy. I also prefer the chrome ones versus the painted ones, personally, I find them easier to grip.

They are great for warm-ups and cool-downs before and after playing, for improving dexterity and speed and for improving flexibility and reach.

Have a ball!

 

[tele-rain]

I'm a huge advocate for these things. They are FAR more effective than those (dangerous and injury-inducing) spring-loaded hand exercisers. Used properly, they improve flexibility, speed and range of motion in the hands.

Start with them in a relaxed hand with one near the thumb and one near the pinky. Slowly move them around the hand using a motion similar to pulling off (rather than hammering on) a series of chromatic notes on the guitar neck. At first, good movement and not dropping them is the goal. As you get more comfortable, work on rotating them without touching them. Then practice reversing direction. As you improve, try seeing how far apart you can get them as they rotate around one another. This will work your hands and fingers through their full range of motion. Do this with both hands. Eventually speed will come as well as the ability to consistently avoid touching them together and the ability to suddenly reverse directions at speed. Only a few minutes a day is necessary to see improvement.

Best of all, they are far less likely (barring extreme overuse) to cause a repetitive strain/strenuous motion injury. What you will notice is improved strength, reach and mobility in the fingers and hands. They work simultaneously as both a training tool and a relaxation tool, especially with the chimes (which I'm not that crazy about either, honestly, but they are relaxing).

I find these work best if they aren't too large...about 1" to 1-1/4" diameter is ideal. Much larger and they become unwieldy. I also prefer the chrome ones versus the painted ones, personally, I find them easier to grip.

They are great for warm-ups and cool-downs before and after playing, for improving dexterity and speed and for improving flexibility and reach.

Have a ball!

Thank you!! I have to say, even with minimal attempts last night, I have already been able to drop them less. And maybe I’m crazy, but I didn’t get numbness in my left hand while driving to work which I sometimes get when my arm is bent a certain way. That’s probably just in my head, but whatever works!
Definitely Looking forward having a ball

 

[Steerforth]

Chinese Baoding Balls?

Great! Just what we need, another disease from China!

And this one sounds way scarier than 2019-nCoV, if you ask me! Who do you see about something like that, a urologist?

 

[bo]

So this isn't a food thread?

 

[Uncle Daddy]

Numbness may be an indication of early stage carpal tunnel syndrome, which can be made worse by repetitive movement. Maybe get checked over by a physio; GPs are not specialists in physical disorders.

 

[Uncle Daddy]

 

[24 track]

I have 2 pairs of them used them off and on for years , theraputic to say the least , helps with dexterity. As with anything else takes practice , once you get it they can be rewarding .

as with all things martial arts you learn to do with your weaker hand what you can do with your strong hand , or how to use both halves of your body the same way and that takes practice , I never learned how to do that, but I envy those who can.

 

[El Tele Lobo]

Numbness may be an indication of early stage carpal tunnel syndrome, which can be made worse by repetitive movement. Maybe get checked over by a physio; GPs are not specialists in physical disorders.

Having gone to a hand specialist for carpal tunnel, I can tell you that part of the treatment protocol is stretching and strengthening exercises, of which these could be a part (I even took mine and shared them with my PT).

That said, I concur that if you have numbness or pain issues, you should consult a physical therapist, preferably a hand specialist. They will not only properly diagnose your condition (carpal tunnel, repetitive motion, nerve damage, etc.), but will prescribe a treatment plan to effectively treat it, which will include a variety of stretches and exercises to first correct the condition (if possible) and second, to prevent future recurrences.

Regardless of your health state, you CAN overuse these. So all things in moderation.

 

[Obsessed]

I practice Tai Chi Chuan. It is all in the chi.

 

[Nubs]

I can't help but think these things were invented by an angry woman.


I'll see myself out now.

 

[bsman]

Is there an Italian version? (Bada boom bada bing balls)?

(image removed)

 

[johnny k]

I went to the zoo the other day, there was only one dog in it.

It was a ****zu.

I will show myself out thank you.

 

[ddewerd]

Hmmm

I have a couple of sets that I bought when I was traveling in the far east. I probably haven't opened the boxes they're in for 25 years!

Might be time to pull them out and mess around with them. (oops, I almost said "play" with them, but I figure that would open me up to a whole set of jokes!)

Cheers,
Doug

 

[MarkieMark]

Ha! Look at Doug over there.....

 

[rewind]

I use two roundish rocks about the size of golf balls mainly to help with the fretting hand's knuckes. Arthritis sucks...


A chinese physiotherapist/acupuncurist told me the real challenge of those musical balls is to not hear anything at all. I tried but failed.

 

[kuvash]

I use two roundish rocks about the size of golf balls mainly to help with the fretting hand's knuckes. Arthritis sucks...

View attachment 681149
A chinese physiotherapist/acupuncurist told me the real challenge of those musical balls is to not hear anything at all. I tried but failed.

Oh just stop it,now you are making me crazy.