Hop balls?

18 years ago

Hi all,

I haven't been here in a really long time. I have fibromyalgia and gardening is becoming increasingly difficult. There's something about stretching my leg muscles that causes alot of constant aching.

I have recently started using one of those exercise balls to sit on and do various exercises. One day, I needed to clean out a cabinet that was pretty low, and it just hurt too much to use a chair to sit in while cleaning it out. I decided to get my exercise ball and sit on it. It worked out really well! It helped so much, just to sort of sit on the side of it, and roll back and forth, while reaching into the cabinet and pulling things out.

Then I got the idea......I wonder if I could use this outside? I could use it to weed the flower beds, and even to plant some things in the garden. But it would need to be made out of a tougher material...........Then I remembered those "hop balls" that children play with. They have a handle on them too. They are made to take alot of abuse.

I'm going to buy one and try it out outside. It would be a gentle way of sitting and reaching for things. Plus, it has a handle, so you could easily carry it from place to place in the yard.

Has anyone else tried this? I'm excited at the possibility of finding something that is easier on my muscles and joints!

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Comments (6)

ninjabut
18 years ago
What a fantastic idea!
My Chiro is always rolling his eyes at me for getting into trouble with my back while gardening!
I'm always trying to figure out ways to garden without hurting my back!
I've worked in Spec Ed for a million years, so ADAPTING is my job!
I just LOVE this idea! And I think the chiro will also!
They told me yesterday that Mondays in the springtime are the busiest due to gardening!
mikeandbarb
18 years ago
Great idea. I wonder if it would help me too. It's hard for me to get up and down from the ground.One of my problem is loss of balance do you think it would still work? Even if I did rollover and hit the ground it wouldn't hurt cause it's not far from the ground LOL.
Guess we die hard gardens will try everything under the sun. But it does help me to get out to exercise :)
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catherinet
Original Author
18 years ago
I'm glad you guys like this idea! When no one answered for awhile, I was afraid it was a bad idea! I'm thinking the hop ball is more durable outside than the exercise balls. My dilemma is I don't know what size to get. I have a "65" size exercise ball, but I'm thinking I need a smaller one for outside. You want it big enough so you don't stress your knees while sitting on it, but you want it small enough to roll easily to reach the ground. Wish there was a place that had samples of the different sizes.

Since you can sort of sit on the side of them, I'm thinking it would be best to err on the side of bigger.
When I first went to the physical therapist last year for my legs, I couldn't believe how useful these balls can be for all sorts of exercises and stretching.
Anyhow.....lets report back here, if we do get a hop ball and share if it helps us outside. If its anything like the exercise ball, it will make weeding/planting, so much easier! Good luck!
P.S. mikeandbarb.........to answer your question about loss of balance.......I'm thinking that if you plant your feet well enough apart, you can be pretty stable on the ball. And like you said.......its not far to fall to the ground!
LeslieAnne_westTX
18 years ago
Great idea!!!.. I've looked at those rolling garden seats numerous times & always talked myself out of buying one... this makes more sense to me...

I found adult-size jumping balls at the link below... they also have kid-size...

Thanks for the suggestion...

Here is a link that might be useful: Adult Jumping Balls
Cinder_Ella
18 years ago
This is such a good idea, and I'm going to try it. My knees are bad, and once I get down, it nearly takes a crane to get me back on my feet.

Maybe get the larger size and underinflate slightly so it's not as likely to burst with weight or encounter with a sharp object?
Belgianpup
18 years ago
Under-inflating the ball may help you NOT roll to one side.

As an offshoot from this idea, those light, styrofoam-filled beanbag footstools might be something to consider, too, esp in rocky or root-filled areas where a ball might be punctured.

The site below has different kinds.

Sue

Here is a link that might be useful: Beanbag foot stools