Improving balance, strength, and coordination is something that athletes know will help their game, but usually is not something that comes easily, until now that is.

Recently, a new trend of Power Balance bracelets have emerged supposedly to help people improve their overall balance and performance in everyday life. The makers of the bracelets have persuaded many people that they work by backing their products up with science and claim the bands are putting the natural energy field of their body in perfect balance which in turn helps with coordination and performance. This product may seem too good to be true, and definitely has its critics.

“I think that it’s mainly a mind game, but the bracelet has helped me with my balance,” junior Andrew Risse said.

Customers thinking about purchasing a balance bracelet are allowed to do balancing activities with and without the bracelets so they can determine for themselves if they actually work. Usually it can be seen that usually their balance does improve a great deal.

“I got [the bracelet] because I was curious to see whether the advertisements were true or not,” Risse said.

Others believe that the bracelet has no real effect on a person, and is has to do with a person’s mindset. They beleieve times it could improve their balance because of the placebo effect. This means that just because someone says the bracelet will help improve balance someone else wearing the bracelet’s balance will improve, a simple mind trick.

“I haven’t bought one of these bracelets because I don’t think that they will actually help me and the company is running a scam,” junior Bekah Zorn said.

The company has based its research in an ancient eastern philosophy called holistic healing, which says that a person’s mental and physical health should both be accounted for
when assessing them.

The bracelets are meant to be worn everyday, and are even waterproof so that they never have to be removed. However, while the bracelets are advertised to help improve athletic performance, most high school athletes are not permitted to wear them during a game. The bands are considered to be jewelry that could potentially be dangerous in a game. Because of this, they are treated the same as any other jewelry item and are banned from being worn during a game. Any athlete wearing a balance bracelet or necklace during a game are in danger of receiving a foul for their team or an automatic disqualification for individual events such as swimming or track.

In addition to the power bracelets, balance necklaces can be sold which are typically worn by baseball players. The products can be purchased at malls, fitness stores, or online for about $30.