Best Yoga Balls in 2024 Reviewed and Rated

We've all played with balls when we were kids, so how hard can using these balls be? Well, if you're a beginner, it can be challenging, especially when you use it for yoga or Pilates. We will describe some basic ways you can use these balls for yoga and Pilates!

If you're tired of your plain old yoga or Pilates routine, adding a ball can spice things up, but it's essential you know what you're doing before you attempt to use one. By using these balls, you will challenge your body once more to find a different way to utilize the muscles that work to balance and stabilize you - your core. If your balance is not so good, believe us when we say that this ball will be very challenging! One thing you can try doing is rolling squats with a ball. Stand with your feet the same distance as your hips are. Place the ball in front of you. Do a regular squat, but place your hands on the ball. Now as you keep your back straight and your knees behind your toes, roll the ball out as far away as you can, and stretch those muscles out! When you start to roll the ball back, inhale and remember to keep your knees straight.

You can also try doing upward and downward facing dog with the help of a Swiss ball. Place the ball on your exercise mat, and fall down to your knees and palms. Place your torso on the ball, and roll forward until your hips are on it. Keep your legs straight behind you. Push the ball in with your hands, and extend your chest up as you inhale, stretching out. Exhale and now roll the ball back until your body stands in an inverted V pose. Keep your arms and legs straight! You can try positioning the ball so that it supports your chest and thighs. If it can't, you might benefit from a larger ball. Inhale and roll back into an upward facing dog, and do this about 10 times. These are just some basic exercises you can try, but we are sure that you will find many more ways to use the pilates & yoga ball!

Yoga and pilates are quite effective ways to exercise on their own, so can adding a ball into your routine actually be effective? Just one silly ball can greatly challenge your core and supporting muscles. The ball will allow you to stretch out your spine in ways you never knew were possible, and it will make it even stronger than it was before. This is the very reason why these balls are used commonly for physiotherapy and rehabilitation. A lot of people complain of back pain, and the ball gives them an easy way to stretch out and relieve that pain.

The yoga ball will make your core even stronger and more supportive as we mentioned before. It's very important that your core remains strong - after all, you use your core every day when you walk, run, lift objects, or simply move in more challenging ways. A weak core is a recipe for an aching back and injuries, so make sure to keep your core strong, and a pilates and yoga ball is just the way to do that. Also, a stronger core means better posture, and we all like having good posture! Good posture then invites a great sense of balance, while your pelvic floor muscles also get stronger. Yoga and Pilates tone your whole body, but the balls will mostly focus on your core and back muscles, and it will keep you well balanced. Add the ball to your routine to experience maximum core and back strength!

Size really does matter here, and if you go for a ball that is not the right size for your height, you might end up in more pain than you started with. The taller you are, the bigger the ball needs to be, and if you're on the shorter side you will need a smaller ball. The mini pilates balls are also great, but you won't be able to sit on them, and they work better when you need to lift the ball around and use your hands to control it. A ball that is off will not allow you to practice proper posture, which is very important for both yoga and Pilates.

If your height doesn't go over five feet, you are going to be needing an extra small ball, one that does not exceed 45 cm when fully inflated. If you have children who want to try what you're doing, a ball this size is also what will suit them well. If your height does not go over 5'8", a small ball will work wonders for you. A ball bigger than that won't allow you to keep your knees at a 90-degree angle, nor will you be able to comfortably use it. If you are not taller than 6'2", go for a medium ball. A ball slightly bigger than this might be a good choice for you if your legs are really long, or if you have some back issues. If you are taller than 6'3". go for a super big ball, one that has a diameter of 75cm or more! And if you feel like you need the biggest ball you can get, aim for the ones that have an 85 cm diameter.

Yoga and Pilates balls are going to be squeezed, thrown, sat on and much more, so they need to be able to withstand a lot of abuse. How long your ball will last can be affected by many things, namely the materials they are made out of, your weight, and its anti-burst rating.

The anti-burst rating of the ball is what matters the most when it comes to the durability of it. Anti-burst material keeps your ball safe from popping like a balloon if the weight limit is reached. If it instead just exploded, you might fall off from it and hurt yourself, and it may even scare you! The best option you can aim for is a ball that has an anti-burst rating of 1000 pounds or more. This rating ensures that you can safely use some weights while working with it. Some balls have both static and dynamic anti-burst ratings. These ratings tell you how much weight a ball can support when you're just sitting on it, as opposed to when you're loaded up with weights and moving around and bouncing. But even the balls with the highest anti-burst rating can deflate if you do not care for them well, so make sure to do so properly!

And last but not least, the features of your Yoga & Pilates ball. Believe it or not, a simple ball can have many features that come along with it, and you will actually benefit more if it has plenty of them!

The very first difference from ball to the ball is the texture of them Some balls are smooth and shiny. These balls are great to look at and are easy to clean, but they can be very slippery if your hands and other body parts get sweaty, so make sure that you are dry before you go to use them. Other balls can have a matte surface, with dimples or ridges. This makes them anti-slip and very grippy, so you can safely grab them and sit on them without them rolling and running away from you. The first feature to look out for is the texture of the ball. The texture of the ball combined with the texture of your floor is also something to be wary of. Some balls come with exercise charts and handy DVDs that tell you how to begin using them, which is actually quite handy if you're just starting out with using them. Sometimes, resistance balls and inflatable rings come as a whole package with the ball. These rings keep the ball from rolling away when you sit on them or place your feet and torso on them. The resistance bands can be attached to the balls, usually with carabiners, and then you can add a whole new dimension of working our with these balls! Some balls also come with freehand or foot pumps. Do not worry if your ball didn't come with one - you can simply inflate it with a regular air pump, but it's very convenient when you already have the pump there!