Gaiam Balance Ball Kit, Anti-Burst Stability Ball with Pump

I'm in love! I can't believe I didn't get one of these 10 years ago!!! First, I watched some of the ball exercise videos on YouTube, just to get a feel for what you could do with the ball as I got into better shape. In one video, the woman showed warmups sitting on the ball, and her thighs were at a 90 degree angle to the ground. I took out my tape measure and measured how long 65cm, 55cm, 75cm were compared to my pants inseam to get an idea of how big the ball is inflated. Keeping in mind that the ball will not be fully inflated (60cm), and will squish down when sat on or used, I figured that the 65cm ball would be the ideal for my 5'6" frame with a 75cm inseam. PERFECT size! When sitting on it fully inflated, my legs are at a perfect right angle to the ground. I am using it instead of my desk chair. The first day was awful. Like most people, I slouch in my chair, and despite periodically reminding myself about posture, if I'm busy doing something, I end up slouched like a bag til I jerk myself up and remind myself of my posture again. Sitting on the ball makes this reminder easy. I am NOT in great physical shape, so balancing on a ball all day long at my desk was painful and hard to do. My muscles ached, and I couldn't find my bed fast enough. But the 2nd day, it was easier, and now, the 3rd day, I'm almost used to it. Just like that, I can see and feel my core tightening and there were several surprising side effects. I got up from my desk a lot to move around. Sitting isn't 'easy', so standing and walking was just as viable an alternative. This forced me to move nonstop all day, yet never stressed me out. It is proving to be a gentle building of my very out of shape endurance. Other side affect was the effect on my vision. I was used to looking at my monitors all day from exactly the same height. So when I stood up, I sometimes would get dizzy from the change and adjustment. Well sitting on the ball, I sometimes bounce and 'march', which makes my vision jar up and down. This was a weird effect the first day, and made me a little dizzy, but now, 3 days later, my actual balance has improved overall too. Did I mention I LOVE this ball? I let my son, who's way more physically fit than I am, try it, and he gave up after 10 minutes, so maybe it's not for everyone. He said watching videos while bouncing around a bit messed with his eyes. That's exactly the effect I had, which is why I kept doing it. My brain adjusted and that's exactly why my balance improved. My first day was TORTURE, but I was determined to get more exercise while sitting at my desk turning into a vegetable. I figure if I use this as a desk chair for a couple of weeks, I will build up enough core and strengthen my muscles enough to try the video exercises. Not there yet, but I can see it happening. The ball itself seems very durable, but if I had to buy a new one every week, I'd consider it well worth doing, because it's a whole lot cheaper than a gym. But it looks like it's going to be fine for a long time. It was hard to pump up the first time (pump included in box), and really hard to get the pin back out when you want to top it off the 2nd time (but they included 3 cap pins in the box). I bought this ball, having never seen one in person before. I think everyone should get one, these things might single handedly cure overweight America if everyone were forced to use them as chairs!! Helpful my comment so I know people actually read it please!

Great product still inflated durable

My grandson loves this exercise ball, he's only 9 so it's a fun ball to bounce around on.

So far, I am very happy with my purchase. It came quickly, and had not been damaged in shipping. A lot of reviews have mentioned the surface of the ball being greasy at first and needing washing, but mine was perfectly clean, and only has a very slight smell that I fully expect to go away within the first couple of days. It doesn't bother me at all. The pump that came with the ball is not top of the line, but it does the job just fine; takes less than 10 minutes to inflate the ball. One of the other major complaints is that the DVD has been damaged or starts skipping at a certain point, etc, but I am relieved to report that mine seems to be working fine with no flaws, and some of the workouts look great. Before I bought this ball, I was very concerned with which size I should order because almost all of the reviews for all of the balls out there complain about the balls running smaller than advertised. However, I came across a couple of reviews stating that the ball would likely inflate to full size if given time to stretch out. I went with the 65 cm (I am 5'8" ish), and it was definitely the right choice. If you inflate the ball 3/4 of the way, or as full as you think it can take, and then let it stretch for 24 hours or so, it will easily inflate the rest of the way. For a 65 cm ball, the circumference should be approx. 81 inches or 205 cm. :) I haven't used the exercise band yet, so I can't comment on that. PRO'S -Full kit including ball, pump, workout DVD, and resistance band -Ball has clean surface material and little smell -Ball material is thick and doesn't feel like it will pop, it also grips a hardwood floor fairly well -Inflates to a full 65 cm (81 in. or 205 cm. in circumference) -DVD works, and is not one of the really annoying type of exercise videos -Ships quickly CON'S -The ball only come in one color per size, kind of turquoise green for 65 cm (which I happen to like) -The pump is a hand held pump, and requires a bit of exertion to inflate the ball Overall, I am pretty satisfied. ******UPDATE 07/08/13****** I take it back, it really does smell. It's not terrible, but it is noticeable when you're using it, and my hands smell like rubber for a little while afterward. However, I still think it was a good deal, and the ball has held up fabulously.

This is the best $20.00 I've spent in a long, long time. I sit at a desk for about 3/4 of my working day. I am used to coming home with an aching lower back - not to mention tight, achy shoulders and neck muscles. Well, I've had this for about a week. From DAY ONE, I noticed that the end-of-day pain was GONE! I don't know if that's because sitting on this ball helps with posture, or (this is my theory) sitting on this ball keeps me kind of rolling and bouncing and wiggling (on purpose - not because it's unstable) all day long. I play a radio softly in my office, and when I am pausing to think about how I want to word a certain chart note, e-mail, etc, I often 'bounce and roll and wiggle' along to the music. In addition, I find myself able to lean forward, stretch my lower back, and still keep working away -- either on the computer, or while talking on the phone or dictating a note. I'm not kidding you -- this is a primo product! I plan to buy a 2nd one for my home office. Be aware, you will have to keep adding air once or twice a day for about the first 5-7 days. (This will take about two minutes out of your day.) As the rubber stretches to its full capacity, it requires further inflation. After that, it seems to keep the air, requiring extra pump up only every 60-90 days - that info I got from a co-worker who has had one for years. Initial inflation takes about 15 minutes. The pump that comes with it is EXCELLENT. No need to buy anything else. Even has extra plugs! I am only 5' 2.5" tall, but I bought the 75 cm size. It is the ONLY way to go size-wise if you are going to use this for sitting at your desk.

I am a Great Grandma. My biggest fear is loosing my balance & falling down. US,"OLDER FOLKS", falling is a big concern. I do NOT want to fall & break my hip or worse. My PT therapist showed me what I can do to help protect myself from a terrible accident. I have learned many exercises I can do while sitting on the ball. My back, hips, & legs are definitely getting stronger. WOW! MY BALANCE IS SO MUCH BETTER!. I STARTED BY PUTTING MY BALL IN BETWEEN 2 CHAIRS so I could hold on and Not roll off. I keep improving my balance and I now can exercise my back, hips, & legs without holding onto a chair!!! At one time I was in a wheelchair but exercising has made a world of difference for me. I do my daily exercises & with this ball, I am walking by myself again. I highly recommend this BALANCE BALL as the 1st piece of exercise equipment to invest in. I know it is a step in the right direction to make yourself healthy & strong. SMILES 😃 I am 5'4" and the diameter of this ball (55 cm) fits me perfect

I purchased this kit to get toned up at home and help me lose 5-10 lbs. I am 5'4" and 126 lbs and this ball is the perfect size for me (I'm glad that I followed one reviewer's advice and got the 65 cm instead of the 55 cm). I like that this ball is made from thicker rubber than another ball I've used in the past. It seems very sturdy and durable. I love that it comes with a resistance band, as I was looking to buy one of those anyway. I wasn't planning on using the DVD at all, thinking that it would be too short and easy like many DVD workouts that come free with other exercise kits. But this one is actually really good- I couldn't even get through the whole thing the first time I watched it. (You will definitely sweat and need to catch your breath!) The arms and upper body part was easy enough but once the instructor got into the legs and lower body I could only do half of that section before I had to stop. I think I'll do one section (there are 3: upper body, lower body, abs) per day until I can do them all together in one shot. Definitely worth trying out the DVD! I like that this workout is sort of a yoga-style ball workout. There is a lot of stretching to warm up and cool down your muscles but it does get tough when she starts going faster and combining several moves in one. Love it! I'm very happy with this purchase and recommend this to anyone looking to tone up at home but have fun (the first thing you're instructed to do is to bounce up and down on the ball) while doing it. I will probably purchase the cardio ball DVD to add to my workout :)

The box includes the deflated ball, a piece of crap useless hand pump, 2 plastic plugs, a strip of plastic that is the length of the intended circumference, and 2 sheets of paper with mostly useless instructions. I spent a long time with AI trying to figure out what I was doing wrong because with every pull back after pushing air in, some air would escape. I wasn't doing anything wrong. It was the POS hand pump. I finally had to use a compressor, and even after following all the instructions from the Gaiam web page, I have not been able to push the plug in so that it's flush with the ball. So in order to use the ball without scratching my floors or walls, I constantly will have to be careful of the plastic plug. If I had not gone to so much trouble inflating this piece of junk, I would deflate it and return it. And I may just do that if it scratches my floors or walls. Do yourself a favor and purchase a balance ball with included foot pump.

Really good

Great for my exercise routine!

Great for lower back and pelvis. Keeps back straight.

You need to take your time in pumping it up to full size. It tells you in the instruction booklet.

Great product! Within about 20 minutes, I was able to inflate to about 80% with a battery-powered air pump, then finished the inflation with the hand pump included in the package. The sizing guide tape included in the package is very helpful and prevents over-inflation. The material is grippy and feels sturdy.