Kiva Long Beach Gives A Boost To Fitness Start-Up Gravity Ball Health Systems

By Samantha Mehlinger

What began as a solution to help a family member regain autonomy over his weight lifting routine following an injury eventually turned into one of Long Beach’s latest start-ups: Gravity Ball Health Systems. Developed by former emergency room physician Mark Chavez, the Gravity Ball is an innovative new tool that allows individuals with limited gripping capabilities an alternative to traditional weight lifting. With the assistance of the Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (IIE) at California State University, Long Beach and the Long Beach Economic Development Department, Chavez and his team were recently able to secure a $10,000, 0% interest loan to advance their start-up business.

“My father was a body builder, which required him to have good grip strength to hold weights. After he lost that ability, I was trying to figure out a way to exercise without him using weights without him having to grip it,” Chavez recalled. “So that is how the concept of the grip free resistance came about, and the Gravity Ball method.”

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