Size
Getting the right sized exercise ball is the first step. The following sizes are generally considered appropriate

Height           Ball Size
Under 5'5"      55cm ball
5'6" to 5'10"   65cm ball
over 5'10"      75cm ball

If you are on the cusp you may want to choose a bigger size if you have long legs for your height, have back problems or want to use the ball as a chair.  In addition if you buy a bigger ball you do not have to inflate it to its full size.

Please note that all our Swiss Balls are inflated to the correct size to check for leaks and are left for 24 hours to set.  It is therefore impossible for one of our balls to be smaller than the stated size.  However as our balls are heavy weight they may be more difficult to inflate than other lower quality balls.

Burst-Resistant - What does this actually mean?
Many balls claim to be anti-burst but many do not have have independent tests to prove it. A Burst-resistant ball is one where if the ball is punctured under load it will not burst explosively sending the user crashing to the floor. A burst-resistant ball will deflate slowly when punctured with a weight below the stated burst-resistance level. It is important to note that almost all anti-burst tests are done with a static load though a person using a ball would be a dynamic load putting much greater stress on the ball. SGS conduct their burst-resistand tests using a 16mm wide knife blade that is 0.8mm thick, after puncturing under the stated load the hole should not have split open.

a) Fitness-Mad Studio Pro Swiss Ball 
These are tested by SGS Laboratories (Jul 2008) as burst-resistant whilst under a static load of 750Kg.  This ball is rated at 500Kg
b) Fitness-Mad Swiss ball (blue) with DVD 
Samples have been tested by SGS Laboratories (July 07) as burst-resistant whilst under a static load of 500Kg. This ball is rated at 300Kg

Maximum  Load or Load Rating 
The load rating of a ball is the maximum load that is considered safe to put on the ball, this includes the weight of the user plus any freeweights that may be being used.  There are two types of load, static and dynamic - a person using a ball would be a dynamic load type which puts considerably more stress on the ball than a static load. 
a) Fitness-Mad Studio Pro Swiss Ball 
All sizes tested by SGS labs with a load in excess of 1700Kg on a 700mm x 700mm plate moving at 700mm/min before bursting . 
b) Fitness-Mad 300Kg Swiss ball with DVD (blue)
All sizes tested by SGS labs with a load in excess of 1,500Kg on a 700mm x 700mm plate moving at 700mm/min before bursting .  Factory tested with a dynamic load of 200kg and with a static 1" point load of 35Kg without bursting.  
Note: Load rating is not always the same as the Burst-resistant rating

About Tests
Please note that we do not load test every ball as this is not possible. However all balls are pre-inflated to the correct size to set the ball and to check for leaks prior to packaging - balls are left inflated for 24 hours.  It is also important to realise that all our tests are conducted on new balls and not all balls will be identical. We therefore advocate the maximum weight used on a ball is less than 15% of the static load required to burst the ball and below the level at which it is burst-resisitant- in practice this should be considerably more than anyone will require.

Ball Maintenance
It is important to realise that tests are conducted on new balls and it is important to regularly check you ball for scuffs and nicks as these can cause failure.  A damaged ball should be replaced immediately.   
 
When choosing a ball check that the ball is tested for burst-resistance and that the load rating is suitable for you and your intended usage.  Also look at the weight of the ball itself as this is a good indicator of its likely strength.  Our GS 65cm balls weigh approximately 1.6Kg whereas many so called anti-burst balls of the same size weigh 900g - 1.1Kg - such balls simply are not of the same quality or durability.  

Using a Swiss Ball
Swiss balls are one of the most popular training aids these days as they have such diverse usage.  Swiss balls are used in Pilates, in Pregancy yoga, for strength training, for core stability work and more.  We have a number of books, videos and DVDs on using a Swiss Ball for many different disciplines, please follow the links to see the appropriate titles
Books & DVDs on using exercise balls or for books on strength training with a ball

Weights and Swiss Ball
Swiss balls can be used in conjunction with dumbbells but caution is required to ensure you do not roll off the ball causing injury - we recommend only using weights when accompanoied by a training partner.  DO NOT USE BARBELLS on a Swiss ball as this can be dangerous.

Preparing your Swiss Ball
When blowing your Swiss ball up for the first time it is recommended that you blow it up to 70% of its size and then leave over night before inflating to its full size. Inflating the ball rapidly with a pressure hose or inflating the ball in one go on first inflation may damage your ball and reduce its strength and durability. The size of the ball eg 65cm means that the ball should be 65cm in height when correctly inflated.  Do not over inflate your ball.  As all balls are inflated to their correct size to "set" them during manufacture it is not possible that your ball will not inflate to the correct size.  As our balls are heavyweight they are harder to blow up that cheap lightweight balls - once blown up you will find it was worth the extra effort!

You may also be interested to read our Swiss Ball Safety Guidelines