Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Sizing up your Equipment

Certain pieces of exercise equipment need to be customized for certain frames. We all come in different shapes and sizes and need to select the appropriate equipment accordingly. For example, Swiss Balls are a great tool for certain exercises, yet often don't fit the individual using them.

A good rule of thumb is when sitting on an inflated Swiss ball, your knees have an approximate 90-degree bend at your knee joint. If an individual who is too short or too tall for a specific Swiss Ball circumference, they won't get the most out of the selected exercise. The chart below breaks down he correlation between the size of the Swiss Ball and the associated recommended height:


Ball diameter Individual’s Height
45 cm 4’6”-5’0”
55 cm 5’1”-5’7”
65 cm 5’8”-6’1”
75 cm 6’2”- 6’7”
85 cm 6’7” and up


So next time you're using a Swiss Ball, make sure you're using the correct size to get the most out of your workout.

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