Exercise Ball as Office Chair?
Anne Asher 
When it comes to workstation wellness, the question I'm asked most frequently is: Can I use an exercise ball as an office chair? Here's the answer.
First Published: April 28, 2019 Last Edited: September 26, 2024
Let’s face it, an exercise ball is not an ergonomic chair. Most lack backrests (or have backrests that are woefully minimal.) Plus, the seat can’t be adjusted, and generally, there are no arm rests to speak of.
It’s only logical then, that even in the office, the purpose of an exercise ball is just that – a tool for core workouts, sitting yoga, back exercises and the like.
But it’s not an office chair.
SHOULD YOU USE AN EXERCISE BALL IN THE OFFICE AT ALL?
In this post, I’m going to talk about how to get the most out of using your fit ball balance ball, exercise ball or yoga ball in the office, but first, let’s get a couple of things straight.
1. If you’re not struggling with any kind of joint or muscle injury, an exercise or yoga ball may prove itself a time-efficient way to develop core and trunk muscles during your designated work break times. (Specifics at the end of this post.)
2. If you do have a condition, disease or joint pain, or you're nursing an injury, it’s important to coordinate with the medical (i.e., M.D., physical therapist, chiropractor and/or other specialist as necessary) to get the right exercises for you. Taking this approach will likely enable you to safely progress toward a functional state of fitness. Save the ball planks and ab crunches for when the pain has abated and you're doing well with a starter exercise program. Your medical professional will let you know when it's time to progress to seated exercise, which is usually more challenging. If she or he does not, ask them about it. You have a right to know!
WHAT MAKES A YOGA OR EXERCISE BALL SPECIAL?
Because the surface of an exercise ball is curved, sitting on it challenges one's ability to keep the trunk upright, called dynamic stability.
Dynamic stability is about the capacity to stay put – in this case on the ball – in a well-aligned position while the temptation to move is injected into the configuration. The curved shape of the ball, variations in your position and added movement challenges offer this injection, and are what make a fit ball exercise easy, medium or intense. Typically in a well-designed fit ball exercise program, current core muscle strength determines and guides the difficulty of the exercises.
Skills and movement useful for alleviating pain tend to be the first thing physical therapists teach their back patients - well before dynamic stability is introduced. This may include breathing techniques and information on how to align joints to make them less prone to strain or reinjury.
In other words, for people with injuries and other conditions, and those who are just learning about posture and alignment for the first time, mastering the basics comes first.
The basics are not easily cultivated while sitting on a rounded surface. Instead, therapists and corrective exercise trainers usually start their clients lying on the back and over time progress them to other positions, including sitting.
This is one big reason why using an exercise ball as an office chair is not necessarily safe if you deal with pain, injury or other medical conditions.
GOOD DESK POSTURE THROUGH DYNAMIC STABILITY
Let's say you're pain-, injury-, condition- and disease-free and you're in reasonable physical shape, too.
In this case, you may find your biggest challenge when sitting on a exercise ball is controlling the thing.
This is good!
It’s a prime example of using an exercise ball to challenge dynamic stability (discussed above) and to strengthen core posture muscles.
The circular nature of the ball may tempt you into movement, but your job is to use your muscles to keep the trunk upright and in good alignment, thereby fast-tracking core strength and improved posture development.
Many ball exercises add movement - for example pelvic tilts on the ball. The challenge with these more advanced exercises is to keep good alignment all throughout the prescribed movement.
Again, if you don’t have pain or an injury or other conditions that require special instructions from the medical world, an exercise ball has potential as an office companion. The key to success is knowing how to employ the ball safely so that you can progress towards improved posture and freedom from office-related aches and pains.
5 EVIDENCE BASED TIPS FOR USING A BALANCE BALL IN THE OFFICE
1. Use the exercise ball in predetermined time slots, rather than all day long.
Truthfully, just a few minutes of skillful ball use once or twice per day may be all you need for core strength benefits.
2. Treat your time on the ball as a full-on exercise session, and not as an appendage to what you’re already tasked with doing.
In other words, don’t engage in movement on the ball while also focusing on your work.
As with any type of corrective or healing exercise, it's critical to give it your full focus in order to stay safe from injury and to get the benefits of the effort you're making. This is especially true when you're challenging your balance.
3. Stop if you have pain.
A painful exercise session is usually a counterproductive one. If you notice pain, pins & needles, burning or electrical sensations and/or numbness down an arm or leg, see your doctor. These are signs of nerve root damage, which is often caused by herniated disc and/or other serious spinal conditions.
For other types of pain symptoms, ease up on the intensity, move on to an exercise that doesn't hurt or stop and rest.
4. Initiate spinal motion from the pelvis.
The spine gets foundational support from the pelvic bone. With the pelvis and trunk as home to the all-powerful core muscles, starting with seated tilts is an effective way to develop core strength on an exercise ball.
5. Get better quality ab work by keeping your feet flat and relaxed on the floor, toes pointed forward.
Keeping your feet flat on the floor with toes pointed forward as you do the tilts will help "get" the abs to work. It also helps place the joints of the lower body in their positions of least stress, which helps avoid strain.
Sources:
Jackson, et. al., Should we be more on the ball? The efficacy of accommodation training on lumbar spine posture, muscle activity, and perceived discomfort. Human Factors. December 2013. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/p...
McGill, et.al. Sitting on a chair or an exercise ball: various perspectives to guide decision making, Clinical Biomechanics. May 2006. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/p...
Categories: : Office Chairs
