Saturday 22 May 2010

Back Pain Relief - exercise, birth ball


There's nothing magical about this piece of equipment- its a big, sturdy rubber ball, and what you see in the picture is exactly what you get. So why would you even want to bother messing with it?



Well, despite its simplicity, its a really FUN piece of exercise equipment and an absolutely GREAT way to change things up. For instance, if you're tired of doing sit-ups on the floor, well, try them on the ball (you'll see what I mean when you do). If you're tired of doing push-ups on the floor, just try them with your feet on the ball- then see how many push-ups you can do!



But be careful and use your judgement. While there's a lot of stuff you can do with this big ball, you COULD also get hurt if you're clowning around or trying something you're simply not in shape to do yet. Know that this ball comes with an exercise sheet that give you suggestions for doing different exercises.



All-in-all, though, its especially nice for a change of pace or for an added challenge. Additionally, many therapists use this ball for rehabilitation purposes, particularly back rehab, so there's really a lot you can do with it. If nothing else, pull it out after a long day at the office and stretch your back out over it- wow- does that ever feel good! Those who suffer with back pain might also be interested in Treat Your Own Spinal Stenosis. Have fun! Valeo Body Ball (65 cm)

Product:

After much research, I figured out that this ball is suitable for my height. The ball is blue and shiny as it shows in the picture. The ball comes with a small pump which is not a cycle pump, but a simple small accordian style pump that you can put between your hands like a sandwich and press. The initial inflation takes long time though and it can get tiring. I tried the pump with my foot, and it worked too, so overall not much to complain about the pump.



The ball came with a measuring tape and instructions. THe instructions are not the best I have seen but do a decent job. I took one star off because the ball came with a wrong size measuring tape. The instructions state that the measuring tape must be the same color as the ball, and it was not. I even measured it after inflating the ball, and it was apparent that the tape was for a 75 cm ball. In case you are wondering, the tape is to be put around the ball and serves as a device to avoid over inflation and bursting the ball. I have been using guesswork to inflate the ball.



I do feel that this ball is slightly smaller than 65cm, but because I do not have the correct measuring tape, I might not be inflating it as much.



In general, I like the ball and it appears to be of good quality. I wish they had other colors for this size, but apparently I could not find a different color for 65cm that was made by Valeo.



Amazon specific:

I got this ball from Amazon with prime shipping. The item arrived promptly and was packaged nicely. Good job Amazon.

This ball is exactly what to be suspected. It is easy to use and the exercise poster that comes with it is convenient. It easily held my weight. It smelled a tiny bit coming out of the bag but the smell went away quickly.

I would buy one again.

I purchased three (3) of the 65 cm stability balls for circuit training boot camps I run. When they arrived and I blew them up, each of the three balls were a different size. I blew all of them up the most I could and undoubtedly they are all different sizes. I did not want to hassle with returning them, so I make due, but in the future I will not buy this brand for my fitness studio due to the inconsistencies.

This is the 2nd ball I've purchased through Amazon that came mislabeled as 65cm. The first was the TKO (which, by the way, is much better quality than the Valeo). I ordered 65cm and both balls, despite what the boxes said, were only 55cm. I already have a 55cm ball (which is correctly labeled BTW and which I did measure to make sure that it really is 55cm). I'm starting to think it is impossible to get a 65cm from Amazon!

Seems to be a trend that they are shipping the wrong size ball. The box correctly said 65cm but after trying to blow this up for 20 minutes I realized I could not get it any larger and the measuring tape was off by many inches. The ball diameter is for 55cm. The tape seemed to be the right size for a 65cm ball though.



I'm sending back for another try. If things work out I'll update my review based on the ball itself and not the shipping (Or packaging) mistakes.

I could barely stand to blow up the ball without opening the window. All parts (ball, pump, and measuring tape) smelled of cheap plastic. I washed it in the shower with soap and water to try to get the smell off, but it didn't help. I'm leaving the window open for another 24 hours to continue to let it air out before I spend much time around it. (I don't think that vinyl smell is healthy.) The plastic also feels thinner than the previous exercise balls I've had in the past. It was the cheapest ball of that size on Amazon, and I guess I got what I paid for. I'd rather have spent twice as much had I known that it would be made of such cheap materials. - Body Ball - Birth Ball - Stability Ball - Exercise'


Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information


Back Pain Relief - exercise, birth ball birth ball Back Pain Relief - exercise, birth ball