I have worked in Manhattan for a while, and recently, I noticed more and more folks have replaced their regular office chairs with a gym ball of all things. You have to admit it's a bit beyond hilarious but after checking it out on the web, it turns out it's a good thing for you.
This applies to whether you are at the office or working at home in the basement, these balance ball chairs are god-send for your aching backs. Here are some of the benefits of using an exercise ball as your chair.
1. Your spine is forced to align properly. This is because you are sitting on a ball that is not stable, hence you need to balance yourself. The perfect spinal posture is coincidentally the easiest to balance with. Thus, your body will automatically try to align itself into the proper posture. This helps improve your spinal health, and decrease back pains.
2. Causes you to frequently change positions. This is because you are always trying to balance yourself. Doing simple things such as turning to face the phone, will result in your body assuming anew position. This helps reduce damage caused by prolonged sitting in the same position.
3. Fitness is at your fingertips. One of the best advantage of already sitting on a gym ball is that you can always do quick stretches or workouts without even getting up. Anytime you get bored, just do a quickie exercise. Because it’s much more convenient, you will probably do it more, thus resulting in better health.
4. Your sense of balance will be improved. This is expected. This is because you continuously try not to fall, in effect, improving your balance and strengthening your muscles. You can feel results right away in terms of having a much better overall sense of balance as you move around.
5. Get that 6-pack abs you have always wanted. As you balance yourself while you are sitting on the ball, your abdominal muscles are the ones working the hardest to maintain your balance. In effect, you are getting a continuous abdominal workout as you sit. This may not sound like a lot, but consider the amount of time you spend on your computer at the office, or at home. These hours pile up and before you know it, you start developing that 6-pack abs.
6. Improves your circulation. Using an exercise ball will keep the blood flowing to all parts of your body, throughout the day. A regular chair works exactly the opposite, constricting circulation, especially after you have been sitting for hours.
7. You start feeling that energy boost. It's a fact that if you stay in just one position for prolonged periods, it's guaranteed you will feel more exhausted by the end of the day, as compared to constantly moving around and feeling more energetic as a result. Using an exercise ball as a chair is a good way to ensure that you will be energized by the end of your working day.
8. Burn up hundreds of calories per day. More movement during the day means more calories burnt. If you burn at least 350 calories per day, you can lose at least a pound of fat every couple of weeks. You may not burn quite 350, but nonetheless, it will help you stay fit.
9. Extremely affordable. These exercise balls, or balance ball chairs will cost you from $10 for the ball to $80 for the ball and the chair that holds it. Much cheaper than buying an ergonomic chair, which can range anywhere from $100 to $400 and up.
10. Hey, its fun! Everyone is a kid at heart when you think about it, so look at it as feeding your inner child as you bounce around all day. Work is generally boring, so anything that will relieve it while keeping you in shape, is definitely welcome.
Author Resource:
Dolores is a student who is also promoting a varied collection of web sites on the side. If you are looking for an ipad case or a place where you can get discounted weber gas grills and other brands, try visiting her sites.