Fitness ball fanatics beware… those large, inflatable balls that you use for crunches and other exercises are popping at an alarming rate.
EB Brands is recalling about 3 million of its fitness balls after getting dozens of reports of balls bursting because of overinflation. What’s more, the popping balls have resulted in numerous injuries, including fractures and bruises. According to reports, nearly 50 balls have burst while individuals were using them to complete exercises.
The recall includes 55, 65, and 75-centimeter diameter size fitness balls in various colors with the Bally Total Fitness, Everlast, or Valeo logos printed on them. The fitness balls were sold nationwide from May 2000 to February 2009 for between $15 and $30.
If you own a fitness ball matching the aforementioned description, don’t head to the store to try to return it. Instead, you need to contact EB Brands to get a copy of the updated instructions on how to safely inflate the ball.
Fitness ball owners are not the only ones getting bad news; unfit airline passengers will soon have to pay more to fly the friendly skies.
United Airlines recently announced that it is requiring obese passengers who can’t fit in a single seat to pay for a second seat when there is no other way to accommodate their size.
Airline execs say they plan to charge obese, coach-class passengers for a second coach seat or for upgrading to a larger seat in business or first class, if necessary. The policy applies to United and United Express flights.
United’s new policy will only effect very heavy passenger, who cannot lower the armrests or close the seatbelt even with a seatbelt extender. In these cases, company execs say flight attendants will first see whether there are two empty seats together in the same cabin on that flight. If not, the gate agent is required to offer a second seat on a less-crowded, later flight at the same price paid for the original seat and waive the fee for changing flights.
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