You can use exercise balls, also called stability or balance balls, for stretching, core training and general strength-training. When used as a strength training or core training aid, the ball's tendency to roll readily in any direction becomes a challenging advantage, forcing your core muscles to activate to stabilize your entire body. To get the most out of your exercise ball workout, it should be sized correctly to allow proper body alignment. But the sizing chart manufacturers offer on the package isn't always the best way to find a ball that fits your body.
Sizing Chart
Most exercise-ball manufacturers offer a sizing chart on the ball's packaging that equates the ball's diameter in centimeters to the ideal user height range. Some even stamp the ideal user height range on the ball itself. Although these measurements vary among manufacturers and don't offer a precise fit, they give you a good starting point for narrowing down your size choices. The American Council on Exercise offers the following general recommendations for sizing exercise balls: 45cm for individuals measuring 4 feet 6 inches tall to 5 feet tall; 55cm for 5 feet 1 inch to 5 feet, 7 inches; 65cm for 5 feet 8 inches to 6 feet 2 inches; and 75cm for individuals taller than 6 feet 2 inches.
Alignment
Sizing charts aren't the best gauge of ball size because if you have very long or very short legs, you might need a different size than the chart indicates for proper body alignment. To ensure proper body alignment, either test a properly inflated exercise ball in a store or public facility or purchase your best estimate of the right ball size and inflate it for testing. If an exercise ball fits you properly, both your hips and knees will bend at a 90-degree angle when you sit on it.
Inflation
A properly inflated exercise ball should compress about 6 inches when you sit on it. An under-inflated exercise ball makes balancing easier, so if you're just starting out or need an easier modification for your exercise-ball workouts, purchase a ball one size too large and leave it slightly under-inflated. An over-inflated exercise ball is firmer and harder to balance on but also under increased pressure, which can pose a safety risk. Instead of over-inflating your exercise ball to make a workout more difficult, purchase a ball one size too small -- which poses a greater challenge -- and inflate it properly.
Other Uses
Using the alignment test described above should provide the proper-size exercise ball for both strength training and stretching. But your sizing options for a stretching aid are more flexible -- pun intended -- and you should choose the ball that feels most comfortable when you drape yourself over it. You can also use an exercise ball as a substitute for an office chair, in which case you should concentrate more on workplace ergonomics than sizing for exercise. You'll probably need a slightly larger-than-normal ball to elevate yourself to the proper height in relation to your workstation and might need to place a block beneath your feet to achieve the proper knee/hip angle.
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