They have LOTS of other names: reflex balls, healthy balls, miracle balls, cloisonné balls, meditation balls, qigong balls, chiming balls, exercise balls, medicine balls, therapeutic balls, therapy balls, melody balls, relaxation balls, stress balls and worry balls.

The basic exercise consists of holding a pair of Baoding balls in the palm of one hand, rotating them (switching the relative position of the two balls) whilst maintaining constant contact between them.

Though unsupported by scientific evidence, Baoding balls are thought to exercise hand muscles, improve brain function and reduce stress, and are used as an alternative medicine practice to stimulate the acupuncture points on the hand. Baoding balls are also used in physical therapy, after surgery to the hand, to exercise the soft tissues of the hand, wrist and arm.

The first Baoding balls were created in Hebei, China, during the Ming Dynasty. Older than the Great Wall of China, they were originally made of iron and, naturally enough, were called “iron balls”.

Most Baoding balls are made from metal and consist of a pair of hollow spheres, each containing a chime that rings when an inner ball strikes the outer sphere. Baoding balls can also be made of solid jade, agate, marble, and other types of stone.

The longest living emperor of China, Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, attributed his long life to his daily practice with Baoding balls. They were prescribed by his personal doctor and the results were a leading reason for the spread of the practice.

They are actually fun to use. As the balls rotate, the musical chimes produce a pleasantly melodic sound … rhythmic and meditative.

And they have played a starring role in a surprisingly diverse range of films. Humphrey Bogart fiddled with them on the witness stand in The Caine Mutiny in 1954. Jean Reno as Leon the Professional used them to relax in The Adventurers, 2017. Laurence Fishburne using some large Baoding balls while having a father and son chat in the 1991 film Boys in the Hood, and Jeff Bridges as "Clu" used a cool Baoding ball design with the lighted stripe around the centre to control gravity in Tron: Legacy, 2010.

Finally, for a bit of weirdness and fun, watch Karuna Satori’s “ASMR Chinese Medicine Balls (Tapping, Scratching, Vibration)” video online.

So, have you got the balls?

Story Idea: Nils Benson
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References

wikipedia.org/wiki/Baoding_balls
insighttimer.com/blog/baoding-balls

Images

1. Baoding balls
2. Section of Great Wall of China built during the Ming Dynasty
3 & 4. Baoding balls in action
5. Then President Ronald Regan receiving a gift of Baoding balls
6. Humphrey Bogart's balls, The Caine Mutiny, 1954
7. Jean Reno's balls, The Adventurers, 2017
8. Video: "ASMR Chinese Medicine Balls (Tapping, Scratching, Vibration)" Karuna Satori, 2015