Giaim Exercise Ball: Terrific for Strength and Core Training and Joint Problems

Being older, 65 , has started to be a problem. I've been taking Yoga but now my knees, ankles , wrists all protest when I do many of the positions. Down facing dog, Cobra all hurt too much for me to do anymore. What I discovered I could use to avoid these issue is the Gaiam Yoga Ball. It's a large ball that you can balance on to simulate many of the poses without any pressure on your ankles, knees, wrists etc.

You can purchase this at TJ Maxx or Target for a reasonable price. Anywhere from $14.99 to $25.99 depending on the size of the ball and whether or not there are sales going on. TJ had the best price so far.On line they run $30.00 (plus shipping). My husband's exercise ball cost $19.99 on sale at Target.

Some of the balls come with stretch bands and a video. Some kits come with a pump. We use our Scuba tanks to inflate them, you could probably go to a gas station and fill them up. Do not over fill them.They are anti burst but you don't want to be testing that statement. The strength band is a somewhat wide gray elastic band you can incorporate into your exercise routine. The video shows you the different uses and is quite easy to follow. I would watch it once first and then rewind and work along with it. I was trying to watch and do the first time around. Not smart.

If you hav access to FitTV in your television programming they offer ball exercise classes throughout the day. This is another excellet way to use your ball to work out at home.

You can also purchase 8 pound core strengthening abs ball kits. There is also a balance ball chair which would be great for pregnancy exercises. You can also find a balance ball chair designed to give you great ergonomic support. It's $100.00 and not particularly attractive but if you have back problems the chairs looks aren't important. This chair comes in black only.

A little history, the "Swiss" ball was the original exercise ball and it was created by an Italian, Aquilino Cosani in 1963.

The balance balls come in Aqua, Purple and Blue as well as a tie dye and prints. The different colors are size specific. Some company's offer red, blue and yellow. The Gaiam ball comes uninflated, flat in a box and needs to be inflated when you get it home. It comes in 65 cm, 75 cm and 85 cm. You can get balls in 55 cm for people 5'6" and under from other manufacturers, I'm 5' and am doing well with the 65 cm ball. They can support up to 600 lbs. When sitting on the ball, your knees and hips should approximate a 90 degree angle or slightly higher. Different companies have slightly different ranges of height measurements per cm of ball size. Just check the box for requirements..

These balls are wonderful for just changing out your routine whether you have joint issues or not. They are wonderful for flex workouts. My husband was prescribed this ball exercise to strengthen his stomach muscles after he injured his back. It worked wonders for him.That's part of what got me interested in using the ball as well. My back also gives me problems and now my joints are an issue. .

The Giaim style comes in small , medium and large. My husband is 6 feet and needs the larger ball and bought a different manufacturer's ball. I'm 5 feet and use the smaller Giaim ball. One issue with these balls is once they are inflated you need to find a place to store them. Ours are sitting in the office looking pretty odd. They are big and take up quite a bit of space. Another problem, which was pretty funny, is sometimes you get a bit out of control on them and find yourself rolling here or there with no control. The ball takes some getting used to. It will also help with your co ordination if you can stop laughing once you get off kilter.

The balls come in different colors and are latex free. You really should use them on a carpeted surface or a work out mat to avoid any punctures. They have small ridges for extra stability. You should not let the kids play with them.They look like toys but they aren't.

Using the Gaiam balance ball will increase your flexibility, your core strength, it's good for a cardio training and helps you develop better posture. It will help tone your abs and buttocks.The balance balls are excellent for Pilates and fusion exercise.The Gaiam ball is excellent for stretching exercises, the stretching is never painful when you use the ball, just go slowly.The exercise balls increase the intensity of a work out but only as much as you want to.

So if you want to put a new twist on your exercising, or you have joint issues like I do, try the Gaiam ball