I compete in amateur mixed martial arts, and I wanted to improve my core strength. I was originally skeptical about body balls, prefering to use weights instead. However my research located a lot of credible sources that claim this works, so I ordered this Valero body ball to see if the stories were true.

I have had three sessions on this ball so far. I must say, I am quite impressed. The ball comes with a poster of some basic exercises, but a little research online will turn up a lot of other great exercises as well. There is no muscle group that I can't condition with this thing. Combine it with some free weights or a medicine ball, and feel the results quickly!

Some of my favorite exercises are the walk-out push-ups for upper body, a modified "superman" on the ball for upper and lower back, and a wall slide with the medicine ball for lower body. I love the "unstableness" of the ball. It works muscle groups that normal exercises don't get, because you have to constantly adjust to maintain your balance (especially once muscle fatigue starts setting in).

I use the ball for moderate to high intensity exercises, but there are even more low intensity exercises and stretches for this. I see no reason why this wouldn't be appropriate for most people (be prepared to fall off your first few times doing balance exercises on this, however). 5 stars

When I inflated the ball, it had a very strong odor and I had to let it air out. Also, the ball was smaller than I thought (I purchased the 65cm ball). Other than that, the chart that was included is great if you're a beginner and it's great to use for my workouts and the pump that is included comes in handy. I'd recommend getting the 75cm ball if you want to use the ball as an office chair in addition to your work outs. 4 stars

We were impressed. You get a greatball for a low price.
We are a gym facility, and we haven't had any problems with them. 5 stars

Nice & sturdy. I wanted a ball that I could use for exercise, as a desk chair, and also bounce on. Works great in all 3 situations. 5 stars

I've tried several stability balls, but this one is the best for the money that I've tried. It's durable and it's the perfect size for me (I'm 5'5"). I would definitely recommend this product! 5 stars