Gaiam Total Body Balance Ball Kit (55cm)

Various back and hip pains had me looking for a replacement for my Aeron chair. (Can’t believe what I paid for that thing. Talk about effective marketing…) I work at my computer 8 to 10 hrs. a day, five to seven days a week. Extensive research brought me to the exercise ball. Luck (and the good Gaiam name) had me choose this ball. But I got the wrong size at first. Many sites recommend 65 cm for those 5’9″ tall. This is WAY too short. I got 75 cm, and it seems to be the perfect height for me, and for anyone of any height, actually. Otherwise you’re way too low.

My posture improved instantly. It was relatively easy to use, and by the end of the first week I was totally and completely in love. I sit at my computer 12 hrs. a day, 7 days a week. This thing makes me use my abs, legs, and back muscles all day long, but in a way I just don’t notice. “Active exercise” is the term. I’m secretly hoping that my legs, butt, and abs will slowly but surely become tighter and more toned than ever. (Hey, a girl can dream.) And, as many others say here, I am much less tired at the end of the day. This ball is a great product. Buy Gaiam! Everything I’ve gotten from them has been the top of the line.

EDIT
Bonus benefit: Weight loss. It’s now 10 days, and I’ve lost a tiny bit of weight every day while on the ball. Makes sense–my back/thighs/abs are getting a real workout. At first, I was tired after a couple hrs. on it. Now I use it all day before I’m tired. Am confident that as I shape up, the tiredness will disappear. And the disappearing weight is FANTASTIC. I feel so light on my feet!

My husband mistakenly bought me a small exercise ball for Christmas and I, being a little shy of six feet tall, couldn’t use it. So, I returned it for this set and I couldn’t be happier. The ball itself comes with a really easy to use hand pump and has a nice, sticky finish to it that clings to my hardwood floor like a yoga mat. I was only really looking for a yoga ball, but the theraband and DVDs were great to get with this kit as well.

The DVD is also a wonderful tool to have. The main workout dvd focuses on legs, arms and abs. WHOA does it target your muscles! I was amazed at the amount of muscle isolation and how this seemingly “easy” set of moves really targeted my muscles. It was a great workout- wonderfully shot, nicely explained and just fun to do. I can’t wait to add it to my exercise regimen.

This kit is a great value if you’re looking for a relatively inexpensive way to start using a stability ball and want some exercises to go along with your ball purchase. Each individual item in the package has some definite pros and cons.

BALANCE BALL ITSELF:
PROS- sturdy, thick material, does not feel like it will pop. Retains air well. I’ve used it for several months now and feel comfortable exercising on it and have not had to refill its air level once.

CONS- As others have mentioned it’s a LITTLE bit small to size. I still think it’s the right size for me, but just barely. My knees are just level with my hips if I’m sitting on it barefoot and I’m 5’7″. If you’re questioning I would go a size up.

EXERCISE DVD:
PROS- Good introduction to how to workout using the balance ball. 3 20 minute sections for upper body, lower body and abs. The ab workout was moderately difficult while the lower and upper body were fairly easy but still worthwhile. DVD also has “express” options with 10 minute segments of each. Instructor is fairly “normal”… not annoying, overly demanding or overly peppy/cute.

CONS- Biggest issue is that the instructor fails to switch her left/right directions when instructing. She says what she’s doing instead of switching her cues to make it easier for us to follow. For example, she’ll say to turn to the left and then she will turn to her left. But if we want to mirror what she’s doing we have to actually turn to our right. You can still follow along fairly easily but it’s annoying and takes some getting used to as you have to mentally switch each of her directional cues. Also, the two people who she’s working out with don’t always have the best form and sometimes they’re off of her beat or miss a move.

Here’s a mix of a con and a pro for you… my dvd was unplayable when I first opened the package. The intro ran fine but I could not open the exercises on my dvd player. I contacted Gaiam (who I did not even order the product from originally) and they shipped me a replacement dvd overnight, no questions asked, no proof of purchase required, no additional charge. They were VERY easy to work with. The dvd included in the kit is just in a sleeve, i.e. no hard protective case, so I imagine many of their dvds in these kits could end up damaged. But I had no problem getting a replacement.

RESISTANCE BAND:
PROS- Good & appropriate length for the workout dvd included.

CONS- When I first got it I thought the resistance was so light that I would just end up throwing it out and using another band I already have. However, the dvd exercises require a LONG resistance band and it turns out when you use the one included stretched out as long as the dvd requires that it is fairly decent. So I guess the con is that I wouldn’t really see much of a use for it outside of a small set of exercises that require a long band. Also, it’s a slippery material with no grip. It snapped out of my hand several times during the exercises.

AIR PUMP FOR BALL:
PROS- Gets the job done

CONS- Cheap, thin plastic. Not very durable. Requires a decent amount of effort to use (but it is doable).

Overall it’s a worthwhile purchase if you’re new to stability balls and want a quality ball and a decent introduction to some exercises.

This ball is the perfect size for me even though I’m shorter than the recommended height (I’m 5’4.5″). I also have the smaller purple ball, which the manufacturer claims is the proper size for someone my height, and it is much too small for me. If you are unsure about which size to get, I would recommend getting the next size up.

Recently, my cheap-o balance ball encountered a tear, and deflated quickly. It was technically a 75 cm ball, so I figured that’s the size I would need for a replacement. I mainly use this ball for a desk chair, for reference. However, when I searched my particular ball online (I originally bought it in store, with no reviews), I read complaints that the 75 cm was really a 65 cm. Then, I found this Gaiam ball kit, and was very frustrated when reading the reviews, because every other review said that the ball was “way too small.” I read nearly every review on the actual Gaiam website, as well, and started to believe that people were just not inflating the ball correctly. You definitely need to let it rest between sessions of inflation – then it will get to the proper size. I measured mine against both a comfortably high chair, as well as on it’s own, and in comparison to my old ball when fully inflated (which was perfect). After blowing the Gaiam ball up, letting it rest, and inflating it again, it was the perfect size. I couldn’t believe that I had to spend so many hours researching the correct sizing for a big, inflatable, ball, but I’m glad I did because I did not have to send my ball back for a better size – even as used as a desk chair.

For reference (which I think is very important when taking all reviews into account, as far as this ball goes), I am:

5’7″
125lbs
33″ inseam (crazy that this impacts the “fit,” but it does)
I use this ball as a desk chair

I am lowering the system one star, only because it would be nice to be able to choose the color one wants, rather than color by size. In my instance, it actually worked out, because I wanted the green ball (which is why I ultimately decided to go with my gut and get the ‘correct’ size for my height), but if it were too small, I would have been stuck with the large blue one.

I sincerely hope this helps, because I know how frustrating and confusing the backstory on these balls is.

I have been fumbling on my own with the balance balls in the gym and finally decided to buy a guided work out, and I am glad that I did.
Not only have I learned the right kind of exercises for the ball, but I have seen big results, in a small amount of time and with low impact on my joints, which is a huge plus at my height of 6’2″.
The workouts are fun and done at a comfortable pace. Also, the woman in the first dvd, which focuses on your legs, arms, and abs video, is not annoying and it was nice to see that she and the other people in the video struggled with the ball as well
Long story short, I love doing this and I look forward to challenging myself with some new videos.

I’ve used other balance balls in the past, but this so far has been my favorite. very comfortable and durable. The hand pump isn’t difficult to use at all. I love that this kit comes with a resistance strap and a DVD. The instructor, Tanja Djelevic, is delightful. Her voice is so soothing, I could listen to her for hours. She wonderfully optimistic and upbeat, without being annoying and fake perky like some other work out instructors voices that come to mind.
The activies on the DVDs are challenging but not impossible for even a beginner like myself to do. Over all, this is a great product and I’ve recommended it to many of my friends and family. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Sarah Beesley
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I read various review on this ball and the smaller one. I am 5’4″ and according to Gaiam, I should use the small ball. However, based on other reviews I went for the medium and it was the right choice. I also read that that the ball should be inflated for 24 hours and then inflated again. I followed that reviewer’s instructions and did notice that the ball filled with more air the second time. If you are on the edge of the height requirement, it seems to me that it would be better to go with the bigger ball. If it is too big, you can always deflate it a bit to meet your needs. However, I could not imagine my 5’4″ height working on the small ball. Good luck!