What size exercise ball for pregnancy?
We’ll let you in on a little secret – once you start growing a small human, some of the simplest things start to feel rather challenging. Noticed that you’re out of breath walking up the stairs? Or perhaps turning from one side to the other in bed is now a mammoth task? And don’t even get us started on running for a train. Your body is changing, but it’s not forever – we promise. You just need to make a few tweaks to make these golden months a little easier on you.
One of the many simple things that seemingly becomes harder is sitting and getting up from a chair. Yes, you read that correctly. It becomes a task in itself just to sit down but the good news is that it’s not for life. For the duration of your seemingly ever-expanding bump, however, sitting down and standing up again is going to feel harder than before. That’s why investing in an exercise ball early on in your pregnancy is a great idea. They’re not only great for helping you during labour – there are so many benefits even if you’re in your first trimester.
Then comes the question of what the best size exercise ball for pregnancy is? With a whole load of different sizes to choose from it’s no wonder it can become a bit confusing which is why we’re here to shed some light on the matter.
So how can an exercise ball help me during pregnancy?
We’ve all seen a pregnant friend, or perhaps someone on TV, bouncing on an exercise ball to try to kick-start labour. The idea here is that it helps the pelvis to relax and open to enable the baby to drop down into the birth canal and get ready to come into the world. But the benefits of an exercise ball can be found well before this point. Here are just a few:
Relieving back pain – sitting on an exercise ball helps to distribute your weight more evenly relieving the pressure on your spine.
Encouraging blood flow – not only beneficial to you but it helps the blood flow more readily to the placenta to benefit your baby.
Relieving perineum pressure – whether your baby sits low or not, there’s a lot of movement going on which means your perineum is under pressure and even sitting down on a normal chair doesn’t ease it. An exercise ball will!
Support for your knees and ankles – your joints take on a lot during pregnancy and so offering them some relief will work wonders. Sitting on an exercise ball completely takes the weight away from them which can help with leg swelling too.
Exercise – movement is key to relieving pain but also to having a healthy pregnancy. As you move around on your exercise ball, your stomach muscles will need to work to keep your spine and bump upright, so this helps to maintain some strength in a safe way. There are also a number of ways to use the ball to stretch the back, shoulders and sides of your body that will inevitably be holding tension.
So what size exercise ball should I go for?
What size exercise ball you’ll need for your pregnancy will depend on how tall you are. Ideally, you’re aiming for your knees to be about 10cm lower than your hips when you sit on it. So a good rule to stick to is:
Under 5ft – 45cm ball
5ft 1in to 5ft 8in – 55cm ball
5ft 9in to 6ft 2in – 65cm ball
Over 6ft 2in – 75cm ball
Of course, there might be some testing required and it never hurts to get some expert advice – a physio will be able to help you not only determine the right size ball but also help you to find your optimal positioning.
When can I start using an exercise ball?
You can start using an exercise ball at any point during your pregnancy but, obviously, the bigger your bump gets, the more useful it will be. From around 32 weeks it’s particularly helpful at making space in your pelvis to get the baby into a good position and ready for birth. It’s also a great support during labour. Lots of women who get used to using an exercise ball during pregnancy say that it really helped them during labour. Not only through using movement to help relieve contraction pain but also to keep the body in an upright position so that gravity could do its job. There’s even evidence to prove that using an exercise ball can reduce the likelihood of needing an episiotomy.
How do I use an exercise ball safely?
There are a few things you can do to make sure you use your exercise ball safely and effectively. They may seem obvious but the following are a good place to start:
When using your exercise ball, make sure you’re either barefoot or wearing non-slip shoes or socks to ensure you can grip the floor. The last thing you need is to be slipping off!
As we said before, make sure your knees are lower than your hips and that you place them far apart to maintain balance – around 60cm between your feet should feel about right but play around with it and find your perfect sitting spot.
As your pregnancy goes on, feel free to use your exercise ball more and more – you’re probably going to need it. So if you’ve only been sitting on it for an hour or so in the evening while watching TV, maybe try to use it to replace the chair at your desk or even at the dining table. It all helps with your posture and any aches and pains.
Beyond pregnancy
The final point to make is that an exercise ball can help beyond pregnancy too. Whether it’s to relieve any pain or difficulty sitting and standing after labour or, later down the line, to start strengthening the core again – it’s an investment that stretches beyond those 9 golden months and one that’s well worth making.
Happy bouncing!