GoFit Professional Stabilit

I recently added strength training (dumbbells & resistance bands) to my workouts, but quickly injured myself when I increased the weight. Determined not to stop completely, I looked at a sports medicine textbook which said that the key to avoiding injury is to become comfortable with a particular weight level and then to perform the exercise (using the same weight) in a less stable environment. This helps to challenge and strengthen various stabilizer muscles before moving to a higher weight level.For this reason, I was looking for a good exercise ball to use with my strength training exercises. If you read through the reviews of other balls, you'll see the occasional story of someone who was injured when their ball burst. Most of the high-quality burst-resistant balls that I saw were too expensive, but the GoFit Professional balls seemed like a good compromise between price and quality. They have a 1,200 lb. burst rating and are slow to deflate if the ball is accidentally punctured.I originally ordered the 65 cm. ball but this was too big (I'm 5'7"), so I sent it back and ordered the 55 cm. Deflating the 65 cm. ball seemed to take forever. This gives me a certain comfort level that I won't be doing a face-plant if my new ball punctures while exercising on it.The 55 cm. ball is more of a reddish color than the picture shown on Amazon. The pump included with the ball is certainly adequate, but I bought an Isokinetics pump, which made short work of pumping up the ball. Fully-inflated, the ball measures a bit less than 57 cm. high.So far, I'm very happy with this ball. It seems to be very high quality and I feel comfortable exercising on it. My one minor complaint is that it's a bit difficult to remove the plug (I use a small screwdriver) when you need to add air to the ball. The ball comes with a second plug (which I've already lost) along with an instructional booklet and a DVD. I haven't looked at the DVD yet, but other reviewers speak highly of it. One of these days, I'll get a DVD player for the old tv in the basement and maybe add this to my workout routine as well.All in all, I recommend this ball highly. I think it's well worth the extra money to buy a ball of this quality.

I've only had this ball for a little over a week, but I really like it. I've been doing exercise videos, one of which recommended a fitness ball. I never really liked using a fitness ball at the gym, but I decided to go ahead and get one anyway. Well, this is much better than what I used at the gym! Sturdy, good quality, and the right size (I learned that the ones I'd been using at the gym were too large). I've noticed there are questions about what size on a lot of reviews of different balls. Some people say that the "cutoff" between a 55 cm ball and a 65 cm ball is 5'3" instead of 5'6". I'm 5'3" and the 55cm ball is perfect for me. The balls I'd used at the gym look more like the "burst resistant" balls instead of the professional ones. The professional stability ball is definitely nicer. It was easy to pump up with the supplied pump too. I guess I'll report back if I have any problems with it, but thus far it looks like a very good purchase. I'm enjoying the exercises with it as the balance challenge adds an interesting element. Nice fitness ball!---- Some time later ----Okay I've been working out with the ball for a while now, and it's great. The only real problem is that I'd like to add more air. I've tried and tried but can't get the plug out. I can't do it with my fingernails, pliers are impossible to grip it with (and might hurt the ball anyway), sticking various items under the head of the plug hasn't worked so far. Is there a special tool I need to buy to remove the plug? I did manage to remove it once before, but over time it's become really stuck in the air. In general, that's a good thing; but for adding more air, it's difficult.---- Later ----I wrote the manufacturer and they suggested working the plug out by using 2 dimes. Or my brother-in-law did it in 2 seconds flat using a butter-knife. :) So it hasn't been a real problem. I've had the ball quite a while now, and it works great. I've done some long stability-ball exercise classes, and this is perfect for them. Very good quality.

I have another, cheaper, GoFit ball which I like, but I wanted one of better quality. This ball is made of much thicker rubber and is way heavier. Putting it too use, however, was miserable. There are no instructions on how to fill it. The hand pump that comes with it is garbage. There is so much resistance to filling that it is exhausting. I tried to use the foot pump that came with (and works great with) my other GoFit ball and just about destroyed it. The ball doesn't hold air.....it leaks through the filler hole. There are no plugs to plug up the hole, as I received with my other GoFit ball. So I am going to exchange it and see if I have better luck. It does look like a much more solid and durable ball....if I can get it filled.Update - April 2013. This old review of mine was just called to my attention. I got the defective ball replaced with no hassle and the new one has been giving great service for the last few years. I use it several times a week for stability exercises as well as weight-lifting such as supine dumbell presses. I need to top it off with air very infrequently. I will upgrade it to a 5 star item.