Exercise balls are used for a variety of reasons. They are incorporated into flexibility programs, used during rehabilitation, during Pilates or to help you strengthen your core muscles. Made of a thick rubber material, exercise balls are unfortunately not immune from damage. A sharp object, dog, child, overuse or placing too much weight on an exercise ball can all be reasons that damage occur. Fortunately, leaks in an exercise ball can be repaired easily and save you the money of having to purchase a new exercise ball.
Step 1
Place your inflated exercise ball in a tub filled with water or in a swimming pool.
Step 2
Move the exercise ball around in the water. When you notice bubbles, this is where your leak is.
Step 3
Take a permanent marker and draw a circle around the leak -- make the circle as close to the leak as possible.
Step 4
Remove the exercise ball from the water. Wash the affected area with soap and water then dry the entire exercise ball with a towel.
Step 5
Cut a piece of the vinyl from your patch kit. Make sure the vinyl you cut is larger than the hole you are going to be patching. Cut the vinyl so that is is 1/2 inch in diameter larger than your leak.
Step 6
Place a light coating of glue on the vinyl patch and apply to your leak.
Step 7
Smooth out the patch so that there are no bubbles in your patch.
Step 8
Allow the glue to dry overnight.
Step 9
Re-inflate the ball to its appropriate size. This may be 55, 65 or 75 centimeters depending on the size of the ball you have purchased.
Tips and Warnings
- Since most manufacturers --- including Gaiam -- do not recommend the repair of an exercise ball, repair kits specifically for exercise balls are not available. You can use a bicycle tire repair kit.
- Avoid patching large holes -- larger than 1/2 an inch an diameter. Repairing a hole this big can often lead to a blow out as you are exercising. In this case, it is safer to purchase a new exercise ball.
Things You'll Need
- Bicycle tire repair kit
- Permanent marker
- Towel
- Soap
- Air pump
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