How to Inflate Fitness Balls

Inflate a fitness ball properly for a useful exercise tool.

Whether you call it a fitness ball or an exercise ball, if you are looking for a new and exciting way to improve your fitness level, consider purchasing one. With a fitness ball, you can perform strengthening exercises, improve your posture, increase your flexibility and engage in some physical therapy exercises. An exercise ball is inexpensive and enables you to exercise at home where it is private and convenient. Inflate a fitness ball carefully to ensure it will provide the necessary support as you exercise.

Things You'll Need

• Yardstick
• Pencil
• Fitness ball
• Adapter
• Air pump

Instructions

1. Check the packaging of the fitness ball or the ball itself to find the maximum diameter of your ball. Measure this distance from the floor on a wall with the yardstick so you can check the ball diameter as you fill it. Place a small pencil mark at this point on the wall. You will erase your mark later.

2. Unpack your fitness ball from the package, unfold it and lay it flat on the floor with the filling hole on top. Remove the plug from the ball.

3. Insert the adapter into the hole of the ball if necessary. If you are using a pump made especially for inflating fitness balls, you will not need an adapter. If you are using a bicycle pump or something similar, you will need to use an adapter. These adapters come in separate packages and you can find them near the fitness balls in a store.

4. Pump air into the fitness ball until it begins to come close to matching the pencil mark on the wall. Check the size of the ball by inserting the plug and placing the ball beside the wall to compare it to the mark. Continue inflating the ball until it is the same height as the wall mark or when you can comfortably sit on the ball with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle.

5. Insert the plug into the ball securely to finish inflating the ball.

6. Check the ball approximately 24 hours after you finish inflating it. If the ball seems to have stretched out and it does not contain the same amount of air, add more air until it reaches the wall mark or you can sit on it comfortably. Erase the pencil mark on the wall.

Tips & Warnings

• Never over-inflate a fitness ball because you risk breaking it (and injury could result). An under-inflated ball will not be the same firmness, but will still work satisfactorily. Test the inflation level by pressing in on the inflated ball. The ball should press inward approximately 2 inches when you press on it if is properly inflated.

References

• BIndependent: Exercise Ball
• Balls 'N' Bands: Exercise Ball