Many exercise balls are labeled with their intended inflation diameter in centimeters (cm). If that information isn’t on the ball itself, it’ll be on the packaging that came with the ball. In general, you choose the ball size according to your height. Here are a few common exercise ball diameters and the height ranges they correspond with:
- 45 cm: under 5 feet (ft)
- 55 cm: 5 ft to 5 ft, 7 inches (in)
- 65 cm: 5 ft, 8 in to 6 ft, 3 in
- 75 cm: over 6 ft, 3 in
The recommendations for exercise–ball inflation size do vary somewhat among expert organizations. For example, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends exercise balls that are 45 cm in diameter for people who are between 4 ft, 8 in and 5 ft, 5 in.
Also, everyone’s body proportions are different. One good rule of thumb is to choose a ball that positions you with your knees at a right angle when you sit on it.
If you deflate the ball a bit, it’ll make exercises a little easier. Although you should never inflate an exercise ball beyond its intended diameter, you can safely let a bit of air out and use the ball at a slightly smaller diameter.
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