Sunday, 22 July 2012

Choosing your Stability Ball


Your Stability Ball comes in a variety of colours, sizes and textures, believe it or not, but you can now get yourself a ‘furriball’!  A few things you should keep in mind are;

·         It should be made from ‘anti-burst’ material, this will help it retain its shape and last longer.  It should also have a non slip surface.  Please note Anti burst doesn’t mean that it will not burst, but means, should it burst, it will go down slowly rather than pop.



·         The following sensible precautions should also be taken; check the floor area to make sure it is free of sharp objects or furniture before you begin.  Do not let animals or children play with your ball.  Don’t use your ball outdoors. And don’t place in direct heat or by a hot radiator.



·         You will need to inflate your ball with a hand or foot pump.  Ideally leave your ball to reach room temperature before inflating.  Make sure you have the stop valve to hand; there is nothing worse than exerting all that effort in pumping it up, to then find you’ve lost the valve!



·         When seated on the ball, your knees should be level with or slightly below your hips, with your knees bent at 90 degrees.  Your feet should be flat on the floor.  The following guidelines will help determine the correct ball size for you.



Height: Under 1.57m (5ft 1”)                                                         

Ball size: 45cm (18”)



Height: 1.60 – 1.73m (5ft 2” – 5ft 8”)

Ball size:  55cm (22”)

  

Height: 1.75 – 1.90m (5ft 9” – 6ft 3”)

Ball size: 65cm (26”)



Height: 1.93 – 2.06m (6ft 4” – 6ft 9”)

Ball size: 75cm (30”)





·         If you have never used the ball before, or you are trying new or more
        difficult exercises then it may be sensible to have the ball slightly under
        deflated. 



·         And also note that a smaller firmly inflated ball is more challenging to balance on than a larger, softer ball.

So now you’ve bought your ball, you need a programme.  Stay tuned for a stability ball workout next blog.

Till then, all the best

Amanda








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