Exercise/birth ball size?

[HeatherB]

I have realized that I have no idea where *either* of the birth balls I've used in previous pregnancies have gotten to. We've pretty well cleaned out/decluttered the whole house, so I'm at a loss. Maybe DH threw it in the garage, but I'm not sure I want to dig through there to look!

So, I'm looking for a new one, but am not sure what size to get. Any hints or tips for the right size? I am 5'6"-ish and think I've had fairly large ones in the past. I just cannot remember now what size they were! And my pelvis is demanding I find *something* other than this hard, wooden chair to sit on!

[colorclash]

I'm 5'7" and I have a 65cm ball. Its a good size as long as its inflated enough.

[LovnMyBoys]

I'm 5'5" and also have a 65cm ball. It is perfect for me but might be a little big filled to its max.

[lillymonster]

my chiro told me 65cm. I am 5' 7"

[karen1968]

In case you haven't heard it enough - 65cm. I'm 5'6.5" I think I need to inflate mine a bit more.

You want to be able to sit on top of the ball with your feet flat on the floor, IIRC.

[MaerynPearl]

Originally Posted by karen1968

You want to be able to sit on top of the ball with your feet flat on the floor, IIRC.

but you also want to not have the ball overly filled, it must be squishy underneath you to help keep you steady

My midwife said most people overinflate theirs, and it ends up doing more harm than good.

[Ola_]

What are the different sizes? I was wondering about this as I'm 6' tall so I guess I'll need a bigger one...

[MegBoz]

Originally Posted by MaerynPearl

but you also want to not have the ball overly filled, it must be squishy underneath you to help keep you steady

My midwife said most people overinflate theirs, and it ends up doing more harm than good.

True.
I'm a fitness instructor & trained with Resist-a-ball to teach stability ball classes. If the ball is 'harder' it's actually more challenging to sit on & work with - so you'll get a relatively more strenuous workout than with a 'squishy'/ under-inflated ball. I guess it makes a lot of sense when you think about it - it takes more work to balance yourself on a hard ball then to sit down on something that really gives & squishes.

So for your workouts, make sure your ball is on the firmer side. For birth, go squishy!

Here's the resist a ball shop link -75cm is the biggest they sell & I think the biggest I've seen. They're a bit more expensive than what you could buy at Target & I really don't think they're that much better. For stocking in the group fitness center at a gym where they'd get tons of use, it might be worth paying more, but for home/personal use, the cheaper ones are plenty good enough.

[Qbear'smama]

Thanks, HeatherB! I'm 5'6" 1/2 and I need to buy a birth ball too and now I know what size! (wait, what size was it again? )