exercise ball vs office chair

[boristheblade]

i sometimes struggle with lower back pains. it comes and goes.

did some reading and some articles suggest i need to strengthen my core mussels muscles. 

then i came across an article about using a gym ball instead of an office chair.

the argument is that you are forced to sit up straight and cant slouch - i sit behind a desk 99% of my working day - so i thought this might be relevant to me.

so i bought the ball this morning for R200.

 

if it doesn't work ill take it home for my wife to use with her yoga / pilates .

 

will give feedback.

[Hairy]

Worked with someone who used this and it seemed to work for him .... I am also keen, so please keep us updated!

[Uni]

there's some adaptations to it - which IMO defeats the purpose if you put a back support in, but i've been to a client where their entire computer lab has these.

 

 

I used one in my last job, when you're not focussing and phaffing around, it's very possible to sit on it with a dodge posture, or to spectacularly wipe off it 

[V12man]

Mussels are for eating..... muscles are for workouts....

[boristheblade]

Mussels are for eating..... muscles are for workouts....

agreed

[V12man]

boristheblade, on 23 Sept 2014 - 11:42 AM, said:

agreed

You will find it gets really dirty, make sure you clean it often - I have a colleague who uses one, always looks like s...t...

 

Better to actively do structured core work - imho

[Idiot]

I have one of those. I can already see the increased strength of the shelf that supports it, so they work great. Soon enough my shelf will be able to hold all my shoes no problem!

Ok seriously, I do have one but dont think I would like to use it at work.. 

[Super Sywurm]

Oooooooooh!!!

 

My office chair is bad for my back!  I sat on one of these balls during a braai we had, great fun and it works.

[Super Sywurm]

http://www.livestrong.com/article/287638-pros-cons-of-sitting-on-a-stability-ball/

[Plentipotential]

Is that ball anywhere near the height of an office chair once you are sitting on it?

[HowellingWulf]

I've been sitting on one for the last 4 years. Provided you can sit in the correct manner for extended periods of time and your monitor, keyboard and desk height is all to ergonomic guidelines it works wonders. Problem is I find myself "cheating" quite often whereby I tuck my legs under the ball to keep it stabilized or slouch onto the desk. At least I don't fall asleep after lunch anymore since it is a long way to the ground. 

[Jigghead]

I know a man who only uses an exercise ball, and he says it works wonders. The trick here however, is to remember that you still need to ensure that your back is straight when you're sitting on the thing. Apparently, too many people continue to slouch and this can at times cause more problems than one started off with.

 

Done properly, it works a charm to strengthen one's core.

[boristheblade]

it would say its about 5 to 10cm lower than the chair i am using.

will also keep track of that - checking if it deflates over time.

i bought the largest one available (75cm).

[RocknRolla]

I would rather invest in a proper office chair. Like V12 sez, structured core work is far more important than eventually sitting incorectly on the ball.

 

Problem with most companies are that they hate spending money on proper office chairs. There is proper ergonomic science and research behind a proper office chair, where as the makro/waltons variety comes out of a container from the east.

 

For people that are desk and office based, like call centre operators etc, the correct sitting position/ equipment is far more important than having flashy boardroom chairs.

[RocknRolla]

You need to also look at the height of the computer screen, if you are bending over looking down onto a laptop screen, this will add strain onto your neck, and eventually lead to increased back problems

 

Best to get a docking station with auxiliry monitor, that you can place at the correct height on your desk

[boristheblade]

cool - my current desk has a desktop pc.

 

so far the nicest thing about the ball is bouncing on it -