Hi All!

I have a Gaiam exercise ball (green). I can't seem to get it inflated enough so that my body rests on it like the people in my exercise videos. Do I need a larger ball? Am I too heavy for my ball? I don't want to inflate it so much that it pops, but I also want to inflate it enough so that I can sit upon it rather than INTO it! It came with a hand pump.

Help! I'm new at this!

Thanks!

Cheryl

Do you know what size (how many cm) it is? Balls come in a lot of sizes and most of us need a 55 or 65cm, but it all depends on your height.

It's going to be hard to pop it using a hand pump! Give it a go, and see what happens. There are a lot of exercises you can do with your ball without sitting on it, so if you can't get it firm enough to sit on all is not lost. Finally, if you are a tall girl, like me, the 65cm ball may be more appropriate. Good luck!

How squishy? I think all exercise balls squishes a little when sat upon - and I agree it's hard to overinflate to the point of popping with a hand pump.

A good intuitive measure of a ball's fit is to sit directly on top of it and see if your knees bend @ 90 degree angles.

Hi Meg, Annie, and Aqua!

Thanks for getting back to me on this!

My ball is a green Gaiam one (65cm.) I'm 5'6", so I bought the one for my height.

I pumped it up some more, and it IS better. I'm glad to know that the hand pump probably won't cause it to burst.

My legs are at a 90 degree angle now since I added more air, but the ball STILL squishes a lot more than the Instructor's exercise balls do. I'm 207 pounds, though, and the Instructors probably are a hundred pounds LESS than that!

I wonder how many calories INFLATING AN EXERCISE BALL with a hand pump would burn! I have gotten quite a good workout!

Thanks to all!

Cheryl

I would take a piece of string and cut it to be exactly 65 cm long - then put that around the ball and inflate until the string is tightly around the center of it. I know that I *thought* I was inflating my ball well until I did this...it was EASILY 5 inches underinflated. The ball is fully inflated when the 65 cm string is snugly around it.

Hi mandalinn!

My string measured 193 cm. around the circumference of my ball. I was confused, so I asked my husband (math guy), and he said I should divide that by Pi (3.1416) to get the diameter of the ball. The diameter of my ball is 61cm. Apparently I need to inflate it so that it is four more centimeters.

I told him that I thought this would make a really great problem to give to his students!

Thanks for the help!

Cheryl

BINGO . . . you've definitely identified part of the problem . . .

"My legs are at a 90 degree angle now since I added more air, but the ball STILL squishes a lot more than the Instructor's exercise balls do. I'm 207 pounds, though, and the Instructors probably are a hundred pounds LESS than that!"

I'm shorter and I use a 55 cm ball and I know I squish it a lot more than my girlfriend who is the same height as I am but about 100 pounds lighter. I have been wondering the same thing as you, just the same and I'm now going to try the string measuring routine just to be sure. I also know exactly what you mean about the inflating exercise . . . amazing isn't it.

Have a bouncing good evening, girl . . .

Hi Linda!

Thanks for the info! It always seems like I have questions about things that aren't answered in the instructions! I'm lucky to have all of you here to help!

I'm enjoying my improvements "on the ball" and look forward to stronger abs, too!

Cheryl