I remember seeing these back in 1998.  Back then, I thought these things were a joke.  But after seeing the results on other people, I decided to give it a try.  And let me tell you, I was in for an experience!

The first time I sat on one, I ended up rolling off and falling on the floor.  I'm normally coordinated and fairly graceful.  However, I had no understanding of the proper use of the equipment.  The awesome college girl who was working out beside me was polite enough to not stare at your very embarrassed, and very red-in-the-face, narrator.  Eventually, I got enough courage to ask one of the trainers for help.  She showed me the proper way to use the ball.  And no, you should not try to do sit-ups while sitting on the ball.  Basically, you use a lot of the muscles in your midsection to balance, and then you lift your chin upwards, towards the ceiling.

I was never consistent at using the ball.  But now, nine years later, I decided that I had better do something about my exponentially expanding midsection.  I no longer drink beer or alcohol.  However, my lack of physical activity and my love of video games have caught up with me during the last six months.  I have gained seven pounds, during the last half-year.  And they went to the worst possible place of all, all seven of those pounds, to my waist.

Please keep in mind, dear reader, that this ball alone will not shrink your belly.  It will not get rid of excess body fat.  Depending on what you want to accomplish, how far off you are currently, and your body type, a whole lifestyle change might be needed.  Your diet and your exercise routine have to work together.  You can lose body fat simply by cutting back your calories.  You won't want to cut much protein though.  You need that to help you keep your lean body mass.

By the way, if you're not very coordinated, I suggests that you purchase on of these and start off using it at home.  That way, when you do use the one at the gym, you can look graceful doing it.

Inflating this ball can be a big hassle.  The pump that came with it is obviously made out of inexpensive (cheap!) material.  But, hey, look at the low price of the unit!  Besides, once you get the ball inflated, there is very little need to ever have to reinflate it again.  When you are inflating the ball for the first time, please keep in mind that there is no valve on the ball.  As soon as you remove the pump's needle, the air will start to come out of the ball.  Basically, you will have to put the stopper on very quickly.  You can put a little bit of nail polish on the stopper to keep it from coming out.  I used hair spray though.  So far, no leaks.
I remember seeing these back in 1998. Back then, I thought these things were a joke. But after seeing the results on other people, I decided to give it a try. And let me tell you, I was in for an experience! The first time I sat on one, I ended up rolling off and falling on the floor. I'm normally coordinated and fairly graceful. However, I had no understanding of the proper use of the equipment. The awesome college girl who was working out beside me was polite enough to not stare at your very embarrassed, and very red-in-the-face, narrator. Eventually, I got enough courage to ask one of the trainers for help. She showed me the proper way to use the ball. And no, you should not try to do sit-ups while sitting on the ball. Basically, you use a lot of the muscles in your midsection to balance, and then you lift your chin upwards, towards the ceiling. I was never consistent at using the ball. But now, nine years later, I decided that I had better do something about my exponentially expanding midsection. I no longer drink beer or alcohol. However, my lack of physical activity and my love of video games have caught up with me during the last six months. I have gained seven pounds, during the last half-year. And they went to the worst possible place of all, all seven of those pounds, to my waist. Please keep in mind, dear reader, that this ball alone will not shrink your belly. It will not get rid of excess body fat. Depending on what you want to accomplish, how far off you are currently, and your body type, a whole lifestyle change might be needed. Your diet and your exercise routine have to work together. You can lose body fat simply by cutting back your calories. You won't want to cut much protein though. You need that to help you keep your lean body mass. By the way, if you're not very coordinated, I suggests that you purchase on of these and start off using it at home. That way, when you do use the one at the gym, you can look graceful doing it. Inflating this ball can be a big hassle. The pump that came with it is obviously made out of inexpensive (cheap! ) material. But, hey, look at the low price of the unit! Besides, once you get the ball inflated, there is very little need to ever have to reinflate it again. When you are inflating the ball for the first time, please keep in mind that there is no valve on the ball. As soon as you remove the pump's needle, the air will start to come out of the ball. Basically, you will have to put the stopper on very quickly. You can put a little bit of nail polish on the stopper to keep it from coming out. I used hair spray though. So far, no leaks.