Incorporating the best exercise balls in your workout routine may be one of the best ways to; strengthen your core, improving balance and posture, relieving back pain and improving coordination.

The best exercise balls come in different sizes and shapes, designed with durable and tough material to enable you to stay on your fitness path.

They can be used interchangeably for yoga, Swiss ball and can even replace that chair in your office.

Among the best exercise balls that have been handpicked for you include; Black mountain products exercise balls, URBNFit, Dynapro, Trideer, and the Live infinitely exercise balls.

6 of the best exercise balls hand picked for you

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Whether you decide to call it a yoga ball or exercise ball, let’s have a look at the best options you can get on the market

1.TOPLUS Exercise Ball

This ball could be used for home exercise, yoga, Pilates, pregnancy gymnastics, abdominal training, core strength improving or the hundreds of low impact exercises.

Special features:

• Extra thinck
• Anti-burst (doesn’t pop like a baloon when pricked by sharp objects)
• Comes with a foot pump
• Starter’s guide included
• It comes in 5 different sizes for the best choice of what you might want for example; 55cm, 65cm, 75cm, 85c.
• Supports 2220lbs
• It comes with a one year manufactures warranty.
• Slip resistant and durable (made from professional quality pvc)

NOTE: Please do not put this yoga ball against the wall when you are not using it for a long time. This is because surface of the ball will stick to the wall after a long time.

 

2.URBNFit Exercise Ball 

This ball can be used for Fitness, Stability, Balance & Yoga.

When thinking of something that would stand and hold up for years to come, The URBNFit exercise ball should be your pick.

This is has been made from the highest quality PVC material with a non-slip surface.

Special features:

• Quality PVC material with non-slip surface
• Supports up to 2000ls
• Quick inflation pump included
• Workout guide included.
• Anti-burst design
• Different sizes
• Different colors to choose from

Often times it’s said that PVC made balls give off an offensive odour, it’s not the case with this particular ball.

3. DYNAPRO Exercise Ball

This ball can be used for Yoga, training/workouts or could be used as an office chair. This ball can even be repaired after a puncture, which makes it really worth considering.

(Supports Over 2200lbs – Stability Ball for Home, Gym, Chair, Birthing Ball)

 Special features:

• Extra Thick Eco-Friendly & Anti-Burst Material
• This comes with a hand pump for inflation.
• It can stand high degrees of resistance from sharp objects. ( Has a thickness of 2275 micrometers)
• Has the capacity to carry the stress of a heavy load of up to 2200lbs
• Anti-burst
• Different sizes ( about 4 different sizes)
• A wide range of colour options
• Manufacturer’s warranty
  

4. Trideer Exercise Ball

This Exercise ball can be used for home, gym, and office

Special features:

• Extra thick and anti-burst
• High-quality anti-slip material
• Comes with a quick inflation foot pump.
• Available in 5 sizes (45cm – 85cm).
• 30-day returns!
• Weight limit of up to 2200lbs
  

5. Live infinitely exercise ball

This Exercise ball can be used for home, gym, and office. It can be used for yoga, Crossfit, or other low impact exercises. Its perfect for back relief.

Special features:

• Anti-burst tested
• Comes with an inflation hand pump.
• Workout guide included
• Weight limit of up to 2200lbs
• With a live strong purchase, you get access to digital exercise guides and online training workouts.
  

 

 

Best exercise balls for a heavy person

Okay, what if you think you are too heavy? Let us have a look at your options.

RGGD&RGGL Yoga Ball Chair

This ball could be for home, gym, Office or Pregnancy.

Special features:

• It has Leak-Proof Design
• Stability ring
• 2 Adjustable resistance Bands for Any Fitness Level
• 1.5 Times thicker Swiss Ball
• Made with heavyweight vinyl
• It can take up to 2100lbs.
• Anti-burst – deflates slowly in case of a puncture.
• It comes with an exercise guide
• Comes with an inflation pump.
  

DYNAPRO Exercise Ball

As seen above, this ball has Extra Thick Eco-Friendly & Anti-Burst Material Supports Over 2200lbs – Stability Ball for Home, Gym, Chair, Birthing Ball

This is a comfortable design and heavy-duty exercise ball which is made of thick, non-toxic PVC making it the option for the heavy size for easy use. Several times we worry about inserting too much weight onto the ball then damaging it. This exercise can take up to over 2000lbs of pressure.

This ball has a horizontal surface with ribbing giving it that needed grip hence not having any problems when handling the ball. This also comes with an inflating pump as well.

 

Let us now look at the factors you can consider when choosing the best exercise ball for the workouts.

How do you choose the best exercise ball?

As a matter of fact, exercise balls are fairly uniform. But, there are some differences that you should take note of. This will give you an upper hand in your search for the best exercise ball.

The key factors you should take note of when choosing the best exercise balls include;

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1. The goal of the exercise ball

The exercise ball you pick on will depend on the usage. You may need the ball for workouts or as an office chair. Workout balls are more expensive compared to office balls.

2. Anti-burst tested

This assures you that the ball will not burst during a workout. The best exercise ball will deflate slowly in case of a puncture.

3. Comes with a pump

A good exercise ball should come with a pump, repair kit and extra plugs. All these will help in case of a puncture.

4. Non-slip texture

The ball should not have a slippery surface. Otherwise you may hurt yourself when using the exercise ball.

5. Comfortability

Whether you are using the ball for yoga or an office chair, it must be comfortable to avoid distractions during the workouts or any other form of use.

6. The size of the exercise ball

Many manufacturers provide the size of exercise balls based on height. The American College of Sports Medicine has the following recommendations.

Height	Ball diameter
4’8″ to 5’5″	45cm
5’6″ to 6’0″	55cm
6’0″ to 6’5″	65cm
>6’5″	75cm

 

What exercises can we do with the best exercise balls?

The secret of all exercise ball workouts is stability. These tame your body to move as a unit. With the exercise ball, core muscles, the hips, and shoulder all work together to ensure stability and strength all through the workouts. These protect the joints, build your muscles and strengthen your core.

Below are some of the exercises you can do with an exercise ball.

1. Stability ball jackknife

This targets the hip flexors and the abs

How to perform the exercise;

• Lie in the plank position, with the shin placed on the stability ball and hands on the floor directly under the shoulders.
• Bend your knees to roll the stability ball toward your hands until toe tips are resting on the ball
• Keep your hips down and hold the position for few second
• Straighten your legs to slowly return to the starting position
• Repeat this as many times as you can

2. The Single-Leg Bridge

How to perform the exercise;

• Lie down with your face turned towards the roof (face up) with your back on the floor.
• Adjust your positioning to have your knees bent.
• Put one of the feet on the ball, the other foot straight up facing the ceiling, the arms still on the floor –side by side.
• Go on and lift your hips to have your body form a straight line from shoulders to the knees.
• Keep the other leg pointing to the ceiling and hold this position.
• Lower yourself to the ground with the rest of the pasrts in the same position.
• Repeat this cycle as many times as you can.
• Change the leg on the ball and repeat the exercise.

3. Pike

How to perform the exercise;

If you have done the plank before then this is actually much more fun.

• Let’s start off by going into the traditional plank position. But this time have the arms on the floor and legs on the ball.
• Move and draw your hips forward plus upwards as well. The ball will then roll under the toes.
• Continue this until the butt is in a straight line with the shoulders. You could bend the knees if need be or otherwise.
• Pause for a few seconds then resume. You could do this for 40 seconds.

4. Crab toe touch

How to perform the exercise;

• While sitting on the ball, go on to walk your feet in the forward direction up to the point the ball rolls below the shoulder.
• Then you can put your fingertips behind the head with your elbows bent outwards to the sides so as to start.
• Move on and lift while extending the left leg to reach your right hand to touch the toes.
• Repeat this on different sides for at least one minute and a half.

How long do yoga balls last?

Yoga balls or exercise balls, depending on how you may want to refer to them, have got a life span ranging between one to two years. The balls used at home could go for up to 5 years.  However, the length of the period these balls can last hugely depends on the maintenance you give them and what types of exercises you use them for.

There are a few things that you could try out to expand and increase your exercise ball life of good performance. These can include;

• Don’t inflate them too much
• Avoid exerting excessive weight than what’s allocated for the ball
• Don’t use sharp objects around them
• Avoid direct sunlight
• Don’t use them for outdoor activities like kicking
• Avoid using harsh cleaning solutions on them
• Always inspect them & take records.

Does exercise ball help you lose weight?

To some people’s surprise –someone can actually lose weight by just working out with an exercise ball from time to time during the day or probably the night. Research has shown that sitting on stability balls can boost the rate at which you burn calories and as well as strengthening your core muscles. However, prolonged sitting on these balls could cause back strains and a negative effect on blood circulation. Please, have this done for limited time intervals.

Is an exercise ball a good workout?

(You may also ask yourself; how do I strengthen my core with exercise balls? Is an exercise ball good for lower back pain?)

You may have been fond of playing with or on these exercise balls in the gym. But have you wondered if they are really fit for effective workouts?

A quick answer to this is yes! These big bouncing balls when effectively used can enhance your strength, and improve your cardio fitness.

Studies have shown that performing crunches on a ball can not only train your ABS but as well do muscle increment activity. This is the most recommended way for recovery after an injury for sportspersons.

You can add one or two core strength exercises to strengthen the core muscles, for instance, you could try out this;

• Engage your stomach muscles by Siting on the ball, place your back up straight and the feet flat on the ground. For a better position, let your arms be on the ball.
• Then lift the right foot from the floor or ground. Lower it or place it back and then lift the left foot off the ground or floor. You may continue with this kind of marching for at least a minute.

The unforgettable mention is the fact that the exercise ball can actually alleviate the condition for persons with back pain. This has been in so many cases used in rehabilitation programs for the back. This is because of the strengthening it puts on the core body muscles hence stabilizing the spine eventually.

Next read: Yoga poses for weight loss