Pilates ball, Swiss ball, exercise ball, balance ball, yoga ball. No matter what you call them these tough, inflatable plastic balls help strengthen your entire body. Every single muscle will strain to help keep you balanced on the unstable surface they create. To make that surface, however, you must properly inflate your exercise balls to the appropriate diameter so that you get the most support and least risk of a sudden deflation from your equipment.
Step 1
Remove the ball from any packaging and lay it out flat. Carefully inspect it to make sure there are no nicks or scratches that might create a potential weakness when the ball is inflated. Some wrinkling or creasing is normal if the ball was shipped folded up, and will smooth out once you inflate the ball.
Step 2
Note the ball's intended diameter, which is listed on the packaging and usually on the ball itself, in centimeters. Use a measuring tape to measure that distance up from the floor, against a doorjamb or wall. Place a piece of tape on the doorjamb or wall to mark this height.
Step 3
Pull the plug, if present, out of the ball's air valve. Some balls will ship with the plug in the air valve, others will ship with the plug packaged in a plastic bag along with an adapter tip for air pumps and a small plastic tool to help with removing the plug. If there's no tool provided for you to remove the plug--and you can't get it out with your fingers--pry it out with the edge of a coin.
Step 4
Insert the hose of a small pump into the ball's air valve. If the hose doesn't mate with the valve properly, screw on the adapter--which should be packaged with the ball when it arrives--on to the end of the hose and try again. Use the pump to start inflating the ball.
Step 5
Compare the size of the ball against the tape mark you made in Step 2 as it inflates. Stop inflating the ball when it is 1 or 2 inches short of the mark. Insert the plug in the air valve and let the ball sit overnight. The next morning, remove the plug, finish inflating the ball to the appropriate maximum size--level with the tape mark--then replace the plug.
Tips and Warnings
- While you can use a bicycle pump to inflate an exercise ball, some balls come packaged with a small ball pump specifically intended to inflate high volume, low pressure objects. To get the most out of your Pilates exercise ball workouts, make sure you're using the right size ball for your body. Sit down on the ball in front of a mirror, and use the mirror to make sure that both your hips and knees are bent at a 90-degree angle. If your joints aren't bent at the appropriate angle, you need a different size ball.
- Never over-inflate an exercise ball; this increases the risk of a sudden deflation.
Things You'll Need
- Measuring tape
- Adhesive tape
- Air valve plug
- Small air pump
- Hose adapter
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