DEEP BREATH Despite being a gym-bunny at university, I've found it harder and harder to get motivated to go out and exercise over the last few years. Exercising at home is a lot less painful, both psychologically and financially, so I've accumulated a few bits and pieces of fitness equipment over the past few years. Several doctors have told me that I should cut down on high-impact workouts because of my increasingly dodgy joints, and so I've started trying more low-impact options such as Pilates and yoga. A gym ball is an important piece of equipment for Pilates so after trying out a friend's I decided to pick up one the next time I saw ...  Read the complete review

I bought this gym ball around two years ago and it's been a great buy, I'm not into exercise too much but have a few pieces of equipment at home for the days when I can be bothered to work up a bit of a sweat - the ball being used occasionally as part of my (infrequent) routine. It comes flat (thank god or it would never have fitted in the trolley!) and I paid around the £4 mark for it, although the price has since shot up to £13. Inside the box was the PVC ball, a small and quite flimsy pump and a pathetically basic instruction manual - the manual went straight into the bin with the ripped up box, and to be honest the pump followed them pretty quickly as I ...  Read the complete review

I've never been a big fan of 'structured' exercise- what's the point of paying to go to the gym when you could burn just as many calories dancing on a night out, or going on a huge shopping marathon?! That said, I do own a few pieces of very inexpensive sports equipment to help me with different kinds of exercise at home, and this gym ball is one of them. I came across it in Sainsburys last year, for the bargain price of £3.99, and I just couldn't pass up on such a good offer! Besides, I was sure it would come in useful- gym balls are great for improving balance and core strength (with the added advantage of being fun to roll around on!). So, into the trolley ...  Read the complete review

I had been reading in a magazine about the range of exercises and benefits you can get by using a gym ball. I was a bit sceptical as I associated gym balls with light exercise and my routine is pretty intensive. But I bought this ball from the local supermarket and it has added a new dimension to my routines and really helped me along and for anyone with any level of interest in the home exercise industry. This ball appealed to me as it cost only £3.99. This is cheap compared to other brands and what you get here is not a cheap version of better balls but a ball which rivals any others I have since used in the gym. As with all gym balls this comes ...  Read the complete review