Top Reasons to Switch to an Exercise Ball Office Chair

If you took a walk around some of the offices in Silicon Valley or in the hipper areas of New York you’d likely see what seems like an odd sight: exercise balls. Lots of them. But no, people aren’t doing core workouts or yoga postures, they’re using them as office chairs. Exercise balls as office chairs are becoming a popular new fad in many offices around the country, and for good reason. I’ll be highlighting some of the top reasons that you should ditch your office chair and roll in an exercise ball.
- No matter how good your posture, sitting in the same position for hours is bad for your back. In fact, it’s worse on your back than standing. With an exercise ball as a chair you are constantly moving, recalibrating your muscles and keeping the blood flowing.
- If you’re like me, you’re a constant fidgeter which often causes one to lose concentration on a task. With an exercise ball your mind will be too busy adjusting your body’s weight to the ball to think about fidgeting, which tests have proven also helps your brain retain information and stay on task.
- Not every office may be conducive to your exercise ball so make sure you check with a manager or HR professional before running and buying one. If you get the go ahead from management measure the height of your desk and bring that with you when shopping for the right size exercise ball.
- An exercise ball is not a panacea to bad posture; you still have to work at it and be aware of your body slouching. There is a technique in weight lifting that suggests you focus just as much of your mental power on picturing the muscles you are working out in a specific lift just as much as you would PHYSICALLY. This is the same idea behind good posture and muscle stability.
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In order to use an exercise ball, or get exercise period, you have to motivated. If you aren't motivated by something, be it health reasons, personal reasons or the pretty girl in the cube next to you, sticking to a rigorous diet plan and workout routine is a lost cause. Exercise balls aren't for everyone, though theoretically they can be used by all body types of all ages. That said, you do have to be moderately coordinated not only to use a gym ball, but in order to benefit from the range of motion the exercise ball requires you have to be flexible, limber and patient until you get comfortable with the rolling motion.
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NOTE : You’re abs will not magically turn into a rock hard six pack after using the exercise ball a few times. Rock hard, 6-pack abs take a long time to acquire and it’s even more difficult to maintain. However, Exercise balls are a great tool athletes and celebrities use to keep their abs in top form. |
There are various exercise ball exercises that can be done both indoors and outdoors. That's the beauty of the exercise ball; you can take it anywhere you go, if you have a big enough car or decide to inflate/deflate the ball every time you leave the house. Okay, so maybe it isn't that practical to take with you due to the large size, but it's completely out of the question to toss it in the back of an SUV to double duty your beach visits. People can use the workout ball for yoga, basic ab crunches or can even be used in conjunction with dumb bells. Stability balls can always double as a nice chair too if your seating is limited.
Let's be honest here; not everyone that starts using an exercise ball is incredibly fit. If anything, people are beginning their gym ball workouts in an effort to lose weight, get in better overall shape or to improve their flexibility after an accident. The idea behind using an exercise ball in your workout is to make your routine somewhat fun. Hours on the treadmill, rep after rep on the weight bench and endless biking treks get tiresome. Adding a regular exercise ball routine to your work out regimen can spark new interest and motivation in your weight loss goals or whatever your desired benefit may be.

Another thing to note when talking exercise ball work outs that is worth mentioning is that you don't have to be extremely high energy or spend an abnormal amount of time working with your gym ball to see results. Focusing your work outs to specific areas of the body really does speed up the turnaround time for noticable results. Some people prefer to work out in public while others like to use their yoga ball in the comforts of their own home. Being comfortable and confident is important with any fitness program and specifically with the use of an exercise ball. Avoiding injury is easy if you follow the guidelines that are usually included when you purchase most exercise balls.

It doesn't matter what you call it: ab ball, gym ball or exercise ball; it's all the same thing. Some exercise balls are slightly bigger than others, but they all serve the same purpose. The purpose of an exercise ball is to put the person working out in control of their routine. There is something to be said for not being a slave to the machine or having a limited range of motion with a particular technique. An exercise guides you naturally through your extension, rotations and movements as you decide what you're comfortable with. Free weights put a lot of pressure on your muscles to perform, while exercise balls not only let you be in control, but they help you finish the work out without taking anything away from your muscle's exertion, allowing you to experience the same benefits you normally would without the body ball, but making it a little easier along the way. On top of that, using fitness balls is fun!