A stability ball can do a lot for your health and wellness. The simple act of swapping your desk chair for a stability ball for a period of time each day at work or while you’re surfing the web at home could dramatically improve your posture, your core strength and help tone your tummy, glutes and thighs. You could effortlessly burn calories at your desk at quite a high rate.
When you first try sitting on a stability ball you’ll realise it’s tricky. It requires core strength to keep from wobbling and before long, you’ll find that you have that strength and you can even feel a difference in your stomach. Sitting on an exercise ball won’t burn fat but it can build muscle and strength and help you define your abs underneath any extra fluff you’ve accumulated. You’ll be actively sitting which, after a while, won’t feel like work but will be helping you to tone and strengthen.
Sitting on a ball while you’re at your computer could also improve your cognitive functions. In fact, many classrooms are putting children on these while they do school work because some kids often have trouble staying still. Sitting on the ball actually helps them focus on school work and sitting on the exercise ball becomes what can be described as productive fidgeting.
Deskercise
Beyond just sitting on the ball and gaining balance, you can do several deskercise type exercises such as:
* Sit on your desk chair and use the ball like a thigh master. Squeeze thighs together repeatedly with the ball between your thighs
* Go to a nearby wall (or your cubicle wall will do) and lean against the ball at the small of your back. Roll up and down, doing squats. Once you’re doing well with that, try suspending one foot in the air while you do it
* Put the ball between your feet as you sit in your desk chair and use your feet to lift the ball. Squeeze together as you lift
* Whenever you can, align your knees against a stable surface and lean back and do some crunches. Once you’ve found your balance, you won’t even need that surface and can just do them on the fly
* Twist while on the ball and define your obliques
* Conference calls at your desk that allow you to hit mute on a headset are a great time to do some ball work!
Use your imagination and you’ll probably come up with plenty of ways to exercise at your desk. You could burn an extra few hundred calories a day during working hours (or computer surfing hours).
Choosing an Exercise Ball
Exercise balls are not expensive. You can often find them for less than $20. It’s important to choose a ball that’s large enough to make sitting at your desk and working comfortable. You still need to think ergonomically with using an exercise ball as a chair. Buy an exercise ball that allows you to sit so that your belly button is about level with the G and H on your computer keyboard and so that your knees are at a ninety degree angle. You can also buy special balance ball chairs.
In terms of adding fitness activities to your day, every little bit helps!
If you’re looking for helpful information to assist you with getting fit, eating right, or weight loss, feel free to visit The Cereal Dieter. Check out this article about working out at home and possible portable workout equipment options.
Tags: balance ball chair, deskercise, fitness, stability ball chair, work out at your desk
February 12th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
When choosing the right ball chair for your needs, first you must consider the size of the chair should keep your feet on the floor while you sit, with your arms resting comfortably on the desk. When you sit on the ball chair, you should keep your legs forming a 90 degree angle at the knees. Second you must consider your weight is a very important factor when choosing a ball chair. If your weight compresses the chair and flattens it, you need to get a bigger ball chair. If you happen to be very light in weight, you can under-inflate the ball chair.
February 12th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
Thanks, Gatineu, for the helpful advice!