Exercise ball as chair, day one

A short time ago I came across this article, 10 Reasons to Use an Exercise Ball As Your Chair. I sit at my computer for hours each day, and I do see the effects of being so sedentary. I know one answer is to sit here for less hours, but I really don’t want to- I enjoy my computer time! The exercise-ball-as-chair seemed like something worth trying. I need a new chair, anyway, the one I use is at least 25 year old and it feels like it. So, before spending major buckage on a good ergonomic chair, I figured why not give the exercise ball a try.

I read a bit more on the topic, first. Not everyone thinks it’s a good idea, especially if you already suffer from lower back pain. For me, the pros outweigh the cons. The biggest risk, I think, is that the ball will pop, which doesn’t look fun at all. I’ll be careful.

I was at Target today so I picked one up. I figured the 65 cm size would work for me, but I forgot to include the squish factor. I did give it a try for about 30 minutes of web surfing, and it was surprisingly comfortable. It’s too low for typing, so I went ahead and ordered a 75 cm ball, figuring I can still use the 65 cm ball for actual exercise and for sitting around watching TV and such.

Between the ball and the Nintendo Wii that finally arrived today, I’m hoping to get fit for summer in a fun way. I’ll let you know how things go!

(photo by ScottHernandez via flickr)