How to Select the Right Exercise Ball for You

 

The first step in choosing an exercise ball is finding the right size to fit your body.  Exercise (or stability balls) come in 3 sizes: 55cm, 65cm and 75cm.  The size reflects the actual height of the ball when inflated to it’s maximum capacity. 

Ball Size      Your Height

55cm (22″)       4’11” – 5’4″

65cm (26″)       5’5″ –  5’11”

75cm (30″)      6’0″ –  6’7″

Remember these are basic guidelines – if you have short legs you may need a smaller ball, long legs you may need a larger ball.  If you’re heavy you may want to consider a larger ball to prevent the ball from flattening too much when you’re sitting on it.

When sitting on the ball your feet should be flat on the floor with your hips level or slightly higher than the knees. 

Look for balls with the anti-burst feature.  It’ll cost about $10 more but they’re designed to deflate slowly if punctured.  A great safety feature to keep you from landing roughly on your butt if the ball goes pop!

Cost of balls range between $8 and $50.  The cheaper balls usually don’t possess the anti-burst feature or come with a DVD to get you started.  For $20-30 you can get a good quality ball with a starter DVD and stretch bands.

Coming up ~ how to inflate your ball.