Shanghai Nancy of mainland China offers Swiss balls with resistance bands.

Exercise balls from mainland China and Taiwan are becoming more versatile as suppliers step up efforts to increase the competitiveness of their models. The latest designs are being fitted with devices that make them suitable for a greater number of applications.

Through these enhancements, makers are hoping to expand market reach and boost sales. At many companies, the primary objective is to achieve economies of scale that will offset rising production costs and improve margins.

Originally designed for balance training and core conditioning, stability or Swiss balls are now being offered with resistance bands that allow them to be used for upper and lower body workouts. Some models have handles built into their designs.

In medicine or therapy balls, hand grips that enable them to function as dumbbells for muscle-specific workouts are popular. There are also several designs with rope handles or straps that make them suitable for swinging or chopping drills.

Shanghai Nancy Sporting Goods Co. Ltd and Wuxi Kunda Sporting Goods Co. Ltd, both mainland-based, are offering stability balls with straps and resistance tubes. The former manufactures PVC models up to 120cm in diameter, while the latter has 10 to 100cm designs.

Medicine balls with nylon straps or molded grips can also be sourced from these companies. Most have standard weights of 1, 2 or 3 pounds, but heavier options ranging from 11 to 20 pounds are available.

At Shanghai Pisces Sporting & Leisure Products Co. Ltd, stability balls are available with resistance tubes for upper body workouts. The devices are attached to a balance ring that provides the added stability needed for some exercises.

Nanjing Sanying Sporting Ware Co. Ltd has double-grip medicine balls in its selection. Models range from 1 to 7kg.

In Taiwan, Taffeta Inc. has fitted the BWR series of therapy balls with rope to make them suitable for upper body strength training. The rubberized products weigh 1.5 to 5kg.

According to the company, the structure of the models is similar to that of its previous designs. Consequently, the series did not require the installation of a new production line. Workers only needed to acquire a new skill for the assembly of the rope and ball.

Taffeta's selection also includes double-grip medicine balls. Many of these have patents in Taiwan, Japan, the US and Germany.

As part of efforts to widen the applications, and consequently, the markets of exercise balls, suppliers are releasingdesigns with pebbled or knobby surfaces. These models can be used to soothe sore muscles and improve blood circulation.

Mainland-based Double Sporting Goods Co. Ltd is among the companies with massage exercise balls in their selections. Diameters start at 4ft.

Shanghai Pisces offers designs that are 55 to 75cm in diameter.
Ergonomic improvements
Price forecast

Alongside measures to increase versatility, suppliers of exercise balls are adding several features to make models safer and easier to use.

Tafetta, for instance, has widened the handles of its double-grip medicine balls for better ergonomics.

Peaklie Co. Ltd, also of Taiwan, is offering a gym ball with six rings to help users get a better grip when working out. These devices allow several people to exercise simultaneously without danger of slippage.

The patented model is available in diameters of up to 26 inches. The popular size, however, is 22 inches.

In line with the safety trend, the latest stability balls from both sides of the Taiwan Strait are typically in burst-resistant PVC designs. These models do not explode but deflate slowly when punctured with a weight below the stated burst-resistance level.

At Wuxi Kunda, the selection includes Swiss balls with burst ratings between 250 and 300kg. Load capacity ranges from 250 to 500kg.

Shanghai Nancy and Shanghai Pisces both offer models with burst resistance levels of up to 300kg.

In Taiwan, Jumball Industries Corp. is manufacturing burst-resistant PVC gym balls with foam lining. Measuring 65cm in diameter, these products have a load capacity of 200kg. Other sizes are available on request.

The models are being marketed primarily in North America and Europe. To boost sales of the line in these regions, the company has sent designs for GS certification.

Comwin Associates Ltd is offering burst-resistant gym balls made of phthalate-free PVC. These measure 45 to 95cm in diameter.

Companies' efforts to enhance the safety of their models have given rise to a wider variety of shapes, particularly in stability balls. While round models are still the mainstream, many suppliers have expanded their selections to include egg- and peanut-shaped options.

These are generally safer and easier to use since they will only move forward or backward, unlike conventional designs that can roll in any direction.

Among the mainland-based suppliers with peanut-shaped balls in their selections are Double Sporting, Shanghai Nancy, Shanghai Pisces and Wuxi Kunda.

After rising 5 to 7 percent in 2007, prices of exercise balls from the mainland are expected to increase by 5 to 10 percent more this year due to higher raw material costs. At several companies, adjustments are also being made to recover margins lost as a result of currency fluctuation and the reduction of the export tax rebate from 13 to 11 percent.

There are some suppliers, however, that plan to lower their quotes in the next six to 12 months.

Shanghai Nancy is among these makers. Last year, the company cut its prices by 3 to 4 percent.

In Taiwan, the majority of the industry intends to maintain current prices after raising them 5 to 8 percent in 2007. These suppliers hope to contain production costs by improving QC and reducing losses from wastage and defects.