What material is better for fitness handballs for the elderly?

Among the elderly who often play handball, there is currently no absolutely perfect material. The most widely recognized materials are high-density hardwood and natural jade. Many people also prefer silicone and cast iron models. The specific choice depends entirely on personal usage habits and physical conditions.

Uncle Zhang, who I met at a fitness center in the community, has been playing handball for almost ten years. He has changed four or five of them. He first bought a resin imitation jade ball for 9 yuan with free shipping for a cheap price. In the summer, after holding it for half an hour, his palms became sticky and the floor tiles cracked. Later, he changed to a pair of big fruit rosewood balls, which were just right in weight. It weighed more than a kilogram, and after three or four years of wearing it, the patina was so moist that it reflected light, and there was no ice in the handshake in winter. He had tried a cast-iron ball given by his son before. After playing with it for half a month, his wrist hurt so much that he couldn't lift it. After going to the hospital for a review, he found out that he had an old tendon sheath injury. A ball that was too heavy would put extra burden on the joints.

Of course, there are some people who don’t like wood. Aunt Li, who I met in Jingshan Park last week, was spinning a jade ball very fast while holding on to it. Her palms are particularly prone to sweating. She said that jade is cool and feels very comfortable to hold in the summer. The friction is just right when spinning without slipping. , she said the only problem was that it was too brittle. When she was taking out her pocket last month, she accidentally bumped it on the steps and got a small chip. She felt distressed for almost a week. She didn’t dare to take it out to play in the winter. She had to put it on a velvet cover and warm it for a while before touching it, otherwise her fingertips would be numb from the ice.

Don’t think that natural ones are necessarily better than artificial ones. If you are new to the game and are afraid of falling, or you are old and have weak hands, the silicone handball is more practical. My 83-year-old Grandma Wang, who lives across from me, uses a food-grade silicone handball. It is soft and can deform slightly when pinched. It does not make a sound when it falls on the ground, and it does not hurt even if it hits the top of her feet. She usually holds it while watching TV on the sofa and rubs it. She does not need to learn how to spin the ball. She just needs to move her finger joints. It is much friendlier than the hard material.

Oh, by the way, when choosing, don’t believe what the merchants say about meteorites and magnetic therapy health stones. Most of them are synthetic materials. Those who say they can lower blood pressure and open blood vessels are all IQ taxes. If you really want to choose a stone, just choose ordinary natural jade. It’s cheap and doesn’t have any messy additions. In the past, an old man bought so-called “health stones” for hundreds of dollars. When they were tested, they found trace amounts of radiation, so he threw them away in shock. As for the light and hard plastic balls, forget about them. They have no weight when spinning and you will get tired of them after playing with them twice. It is a complete waste of money.

If you really have to choose, don't just look at the recommendations online. Find one in a nearby sports store and hold it for five minutes. It's lightweight, not slippery, and won't hurt you even if you drop it. That's the one that's best for you. After all, this thing is for moving your wrists and fingers, and it's not something you buy for collection. It's more useful than expensive.