SecondSport.com, or Me & My Medicine Ball

This is a relief from 2000BC Greece. To commit this activity to stone should emphasize its importance in society. Whether this depicts a parent introducing a child to a game or exercise, think medicine ball, the ball is stuffed and weighted to some extent. The taller figure seems to be juggling the ball similar to the way a soccer ball is juggled on the thighs with his hands behind the back.
This is one of the origins of medicine ball exercise. Our group is doing this exercise with a medicine ball 4000 years later.

What is wrong with these pictures? First, there is no point to tossing the ball back and forth like this. And, you do not need the Dynamax medicine ball to stand 5 yards apart and toss the ball back and forth; buy a cheep-O medicine ball or use a rock. This is just a bucket-brigade attempt at conditioning. The time interval between repetitions leave no hope for a motor learning outcome that will transfer to their primary sport.
Their feet are anchored; they are not going anywhere. But, to look at these guys you can see they are motivated and fit. They seem to think that working out is a sport, when it is only a preparation activity. We seem to have missed that the objective to fitness is a pathway to safe competition and/or cooperatively fun social activities. What are you going to do with your fitness?
Which brings me to our little group.
We have branched out and now have 2 groups; a Mon/Wed and a Tue/Thur. Personally, after 2 years of regular workouts twice a week I have changed to Mon/Tue/Wed medicine ball workouts and Thursdays playing in the "Over the Hill" golf tourney. I have identified a conditioning deficit in my golf game; having enough stamina to finish like I started. In one's primary sport it is not the objective to be fatigued at the completion of the game but to be fatigued less than your competitors. In golf being able to continue to swing consistently late in the round enables one to "play within themselves" and predictably strike the ball. Or, like Robert and his swimming to maintain his stroke length late in the race or swimming workout; or, Stephen's stride length being maintained. In sprinting & distance racing it is usually he/she who slows down least that wins.
So don't get hung up on working out for its own sake; put yourself out there and try something new. Don't just go further; figure out how to go further more efficiently.