Although known by many names --- balance balls, stability balls, workout balls, and Swiss balls --- exercise balls are unique among the vast array of exercise gear available today. They are relatively inexpensive, take up very little room, and have been adapted to many types of workouts. Instructors as diverse as yoga practitioners and bodybuilders are often drawn to these simple, colorful, inflatable spheres. And it takes very little knowledge to get the most use from them.
Sizes
You can find exercise balls in three sizes -- 55 cm (22 inches), 65 cm (26 inches), and 75 cm (30 inches). The one you choose is based on your height: If you are shorter than 5 feet, 5 inches tall, you want the 55 cm ball. You can also adjust an exercise ball by how much you inflate it. In fact, exercise balls are generally most useful when they are slightly underinflated.
Materials and Equipment
Exercise balls are made from different types of plastic. PVC is perhaps the most common, although latex is also used. Many companies provide different types of balls with variations in material and weight-carrying capacity depending on their intended use. You will also need an air pump to inflate the ball, although some balls are sold with a pump.
Exercises
The variety of exercises you can perform with an exercise ball is limited only by your imagination. The most common categories of exercises for which people use balls are ab work, flexibility and balance training. The "give" inherent in the balls cushions your body while still providing enough support to stress your muscles. In some of the balance exercises, resisting the "give" is actually what makes the exercise useful.
Diverse Workouts
Because the ball is inherently unstable --- it wants to roll, unlike a stationary workout bench, for example --- it is possible to get a much more complete workout using a ball. The constant adjustments to its wobbling stress engage many of the smaller difficult-to-work support muscles. This unique feature has resulted in the ball's incorporation into all the major types of exercise like bodybuilding, cardio and stretching while also adding new dimensions to established exercise programs like yoga and Pilates.
Chair Substitute
Perhaps the most unusual aspect of an exercise ball is that you can use one as a substitute for a chair. If you have an exercise ball of the correct size, you will sit in an ergonomically correct position when using it. In addition, some users believe the constant adjustments made necessary by the ball's inherent instability help prevent some of the health problems created by sitting in a chair for long periods of time.
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