WHY USE AN EXERCISE BALL
Exercise Balls are a very useful in Pilates, Yoga, Crossfit, stretching and low impact exercises. They are also popular as an exercise ball chair. Easy to store and use in your home, they round out a home exercise routine. Almost any stationary exercise, such as lifting hands weights or resistance band exercises, can be enhanced by incorporating the exercise ball to make the exercise more challenging by including working your core and improving your stability. Exercise balls give you an excellent range of motion for many exercises. The key, however, is finding the right exercise ball that is sturdy enough to provide support and be durable enough to withstand use.
Weekend Workout: Live Infinitely Exercise Ball
ABOUT THE LIVE INFINITELY EXERCISE BALL
This exercise ball comes with a hand pump, an extra air plug, and a valve remover tool. There is also access to exercise guides and online training workout instructions, downloadable posters, and videos via their website.
– The air pump is easy to use, it takes about 5 minutes to fill the ball.
– The air plug takes a bit of effort to remove if needed, but I prefer knowing it is in there tight and safe.
TIP: Fill the ball most of the way, then allow it 24 hours to stretch before topping it off to being fully filled. See their website for videos on how to properly inflate an exercise ball.
Weekend Workout: Live Infinitely Exercise Ball
WHAT’S UNIQUE ABOUT THE LIVE INFINITELY EXERCISE BALL?
The first thing I noticed about the ball before even inflating it, is that it is an exceptionally sturdy and thick BPA-free material. I have had other exercises balls for at-home use and have been disappointed at how they deflate, and I am worried that they can’t truly support my weight enough to make full use of them. Much of that feeling I think, came from the fact that they lost air and became soft and just didn’t feel very stable using the ball.
NON-SLIP RIDGES: These give some stability to the ball to keep it from sliding out from underneath you when you are putting full weight on it. I like these for exercises that my chest or back is on the ball, and I am stabilizing with my feet or legs.
SIZING OPTIONS: One of the things I like about this exercise ball is it comes in four different sizes ranging from 55cm to 85 cm. Live Infinitely has a sizing chart to find the right ball by your height. Your body must be properly aligned to benefit from an exercise ball. You know you are on the right size exercise ball when your knees are at a 90-degree angle when sitting, and your thighs are parallel to the floor. This allows full extension of your core muscles to derive the most benefit from your workout.
DURABLE & STURDY: The Live Infinitely Exercise Ball can support 2200 pounds. That is the weight of an American Bison. It has been tested for leaking under pressure or bursting in use and is considered anti-burst. It is durable enough to be used every day as an exercise ball chair at the office to improve your posture.
AIR RETENTION: An exercise ball that doesn’t have enough air in it can be unstable and even harmful. A ball should feel hard and full. When you sit on it, you should sink about two inches into the ball, not more than that. I tried sitting on the Live Infinitely ball and bouncing on it; the ball had “give” in the bounce, enough for fluid movement, but not so much give that I felt unstable like I was on one of those Hippity-Hop style, spring ball hopper toys.
Even a small cut in the ball will not cause rapid deflating. That makes me feel safe balancing on the ball, knowing I won’t rupture the ball if I put all my weight on it.
Weekend Workout: Live Infinitely Exercise Ball
THE LIVE INFINITELY EXERCISE BALL FOR AN EXERCISE BALL CHAIR
Many of us (READ: me) slouch when working on the computer, resulting in a weak core and ruins good posture. It also makes the body tired and stiff. An exercise ball chair allows for natural movement while sitting and keeps your core engaged. I have an artist friend, and she swears by her exercise ball chair to allow her to sit comfortably while painting for hours per session in her studio. She said she was sore for the first few days, but then her core started to get toned, and she finds it much more comfortable to sit on the exercise ball chair than a regular office chair or a wood stool while reaching to paint. Her posture is impeccable, so I put the exercise ball as office chair concept to the test.
TESTING THE LIVE INFINITELY EXERCISE BALL AS A BALL CHAIR
I tested the Life Infinitely exercise ball as my computer desk chair, and while it took about a week to get used to it, I feel so much better sitting at my desk! When I first started, it was not easy; my core was not as toned as I thought so that I couldn’t sit on the ball for very long. But after a few days I built up stamina, and now I feel a definite improvement in my posture and my shoulders and arms don’t feel stiff and rounded, and I don’t crane my neck forward as much to look at the screen. Instead, I glide my body forward on the ball. I can feel my core getting better and stronger each day!
It is imperative to have a strong, sturdy ball if you are using it as ball chair. I had tried using a ball as a chair at my desk before but I failed. I think they were too squishy and not as sturdy as the Live Infinitely Ball, which feels much firmer and gives more support. After sitting on it for the last week or so, it hasn’t lost any air or become softer; it is the same as the day I got it. This Live Infinitely ball is also the correct height for me, which is important, my other balls were too short to use as a proper exercise ball chair. If your desk is not adjustable, opt for the larger sized exercise balls (75cm or 85 cm). If you are afraid you cannot stay stable on the ball, consider placing it on a Yoga Exercise Ball base.
If you have tried other exercise balls as an office desk chair and failed, it might not be you that failed, but the ball may have been too soft or not the correct height for you. It takes a few days to get used to it, but it is quickly more comfortable than an office chair. And it rapidly tones the thighs without making your legs too sore or tired, which is another great perk. The only downside I have a tendency to cross my legs when I sit, which is a (bad) habit I have to break now that I use the exercise ball as a chair.
Weekend Workout: Live Infinitely Exercise Ball
CONCLUSION: Hands down, the Live Infinitely Exercise Ball is the sturdiest exercise ball I have ever owned or used at the gym. It feels as hard and full as when I first filled it with no leaking. I feel much safer using the ball because of the non-skid surface. The height is tall enough for me, and the taller sizes (75cm and 85cm) make for excellent exercise ball chairs, which makes sitting at my desk so much more comfortable and give my core a good workout.
Weekend Workout: Live Infinitely Exercise Ball
Find it at LiveInfinitely.com
[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jv_bMX6T6NQ[/embedyt]
I received this product in exchange for my unbiased review and received compensation for my time and effort. However, my experience with the product and the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine.
