Do You Work At A Tall Desk Try A Yoga Ball Stool
Ball chairs are adjustable to a certain extent, but you might find the fit challenging if you work at a tall desk. While we dont recommend employing a typical stool for your workstation, a yoga ball stool can be a great way to give your back a break.
A yoga ball stool looks just like a regular stool, but instead of a cushion, the seat is a mini version of an inflated exercise ball, like a dome. Ball stools are inflated at the top, mimicking a full yoga balls intentional instability but taller and thinner to fit non-standard size desks. Most yoga ball stools utilize simple hydraulics so you can work at various heights. Of course, the ball cushion at the end of these stools wont be removable, so you wont be able to use them for exercise. If you are dedicated to getting something multi-purpose, we recommend investing in balance ball disks you can lay on top of your traditional desk chair seat. These cushions can also be used for various stability exercises in your workout routine.
Best yoga ball stool: Gaiam Balance Ball Stool
Replacing Your Desk Chair With An Exercise Balla Big No
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. So when its suggested a large air filled ball will solve or prevent any or all MSDs, a claim like that should be treated with skepticism. A few years ago, the Swiss Ball came to the office workspace from the gym in a rush. Many office workers tossed them into their cubicles, convinced that sitting for several hours straight on a ball was ergonomic or even exercise by supposedly providing a subtle abdominal workout that spending hours in a chair did not. Inexpensive, they come in many colors, and they seem fun to use. Also, they claim to tone up your core just by sitting on them. So why wouldnt you want to swap your office chair for a fitness ball?
In 2006, researchers from the University of Waterloo, asked volunteers to sit for 30 minutes each on an exercise ball and a wooden stool. Many body and spinal positions were examinedas well as more than 14 different muscle movements and pressure distribution across their buttocks. No difference in muscle activation between the ball and the stool was recorded, and researchers concluded the ball had no effect on the volunteers muscle activation, spine posture, spine loads, or overall spine stability. Volunteers actually complained of lower back discomfort after sitting on the ball. Researchers suggested this was because of the creation of more buttocks-to-surface contact, resulting in uncomfortable soft tissue compression.
What Size Of Yoga Ball Do I Need For A Chair
Yoga Equipment
A yoga ball, also called a fitness ball, an exercise ball, a stability ball, or a Swiss ball is made of plastic vinyl and elastic, filled with air, and are mostly burst-resistant. Exercising with a yoga ball instead of doing it on a flat surface forces the body to react to the instability of the ball. It demands extra balance, which utilizes more muscles in the body. Furthermore, some people tend to use yoga balls as an alternative for a chair. In this case, answering the question, What size yoga ball do I need for a chair? helps you to get the most benefit out of your workout or fitness routine.
Exercise balls can be very beneficial. They are excellent for strengthening your core muscles, either in the gym or at home. The reason behind this is that they are round and, therefore unstable, thus, the exercise ball requires your core muscles to try to constantly stabilize your own body for as long as you are on the ball.
The sizes of exercise balls depend on their diameter in centimeters. Basically, the size of the yoga ball that you need is directly related to your height. To get the right ball size for you, refer to the steps below:
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You Might Want To Rethink Using A Stability Ball As Your Desk Chair
If you bought a stability ball to use at your pandemic home work station, or dusted off the unused one in the basement, you might want to sit down for this reality check on a traditional chair. Claims that stability balls will strengthen your core have little backing in research. In fact, sitting on a stability ball, also known as a balance ball, exercise ball or Swiss ball, could have detrimental effects.
The hype seems to have worked. Sales of balance balls grew 67 percent from January through July 2020, compared with the previous year, according to figures gathered by the NPD Group, a market research company. An NPD spokeswoman said sales grew the fastest in March, April and May, corresponding to the time when many gyms were closed and Americans were starting to work from home.
Balancing on an unstable surface does require engagement of your core your abdominal, lower back and pelvic muscles. And engaging your core helps it grow stronger, which should improve posture and lessen back pain. Thats why people do exercises on top of stability balls. Thus, the idea that office workers could gain similar benefits by using balance balls as desk chairs doesnt seem that far-fetched.
The amount of movement that these unstable surfaces allow for really is not so much more so that the benefits outweigh the potential consequences, Gregory said in a telephone interview.
Is An Exercise Ball Good For Lower Back Pain
Strengthening your core with active sitting will help your lower back pain to an extent, as the muscles around your spine will become stronger. This will allow your spine to remain more stabilized and aligned while youre moving, so youre less likely to suffer through lower back pain.
Youll also be able to use your exercise ball for stretching and yoga exercises, which may help increase the flexibility to your spine so that its not so tense and painful. There are plenty of exercises online that you can try with your exercise ball to help reduce tension in your back.
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What Size Yoga Ball For A Desk Chair
The most common question when buying a stability ball office chair is obviously about the size, and the answer actually isnt as complicated as you might think. Both your height and weight determine what size you should get but focus on your height.
Here are some general guidelines based on height for figuring out what size yoga ball for a chair you should get:
- 5’3″ and under: choose a 55 cm yoga ball chair
- Between 5’3″ and 6′ : choose a 65 cm yoga ball office chair
- Over 6 feet : choose a 75 cm yoga ball work chair
Other easy ways to figure it out are to measure your current desk chair and add 10cm to the height: so if your chair is 45cm then you would purchase a 55cm ball.
Or, if youve got an industry standard desk that measures at 76 cm then a 65cm yoga ball desk chair would work as well.
Sitting On An Exercise Ball
Before attempting to sit on a ball at work, it’s important to choose a ball that is the proper size. You will likely have to make additional changes to your computer as well.
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Can Ball Chairs Be Used To Replace An Office Desk Chair
Yes. There are many people that have replaced their traditional office desk chair with a ball chair. This has helped them gain all of the benefits of the ball chair as they use it all day long while at work. However, because each persons body is different, with different stamina and fitness levels, dont feel discouraged if you feel the need to alternate between a ball and regular chair every few hours. A kneeling chair is also worth looking into as a stepping stone towards using a ball chair full time.
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Best Yoga Ball Chairs
- 27th October 2020
- Verified By: Luke Hughes
Are you looking for a yoga ball chair to finally end your long office hours of neck and back pain? Its time to ditch your normal ache-inducing office chair for a great exercise ball office chair, and get through work pain-free.
Before you read on, have you ever considered becoming a personal trainer? If this sounds like the career for you then have a look at our level 3 personal trainer course or today to find out how to get started.
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Classic Gaiam Balance Ball Chair
One of the reasons this desk chair / exercise ball hybrid is so popular is because it provides lumbar support. This can be a plus and a minus.
Hardcore balance ball desk workers claim that not having lumbar support is the actual purpose. Others may experience difficulties with sitting on a balance ball. Especially when starting when you need to get used to it, or after hour-long sessions.
At 52cm its smaller than typical balance balls. This allows it to fit in between desks with drawers where larger balls may not fit. The Gaiam Balance Ball Chair is best suited if youre in between 5 and 5 11 tall.
Pros
- works wonders for back pain and better posture
Cons
- may get sweaty in hot weather
- the lumbar support is too far back for many, forcing users to lose their good posture in order to use it.
Tips For Sitting Safely
If you want to experiment with a yoga ball chair, make sure to follow these guidelines:
If you want to try using your yoga ball as a desk chair for an hour or two at a time, be sure to set up your workstation so you can maintain proper sitting posture. This might mean investing in a desk of a different height, an external keyboard and mouse, or other new equipment.
For good desk posture, Reid says all of the following should be true:
- Your chin should be parallel to the floor when youre looking straight at your screen. Your neck shouldnt be bent up or down.
- Your elbows should be just below your keyboard, and your shoulders should be soft.
- Your knees should bend at a 90-degree angle.
- Your feet should be flat on the floor.
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Alternatives To Office Ball Chairs
You may want to alternate between an ergonomic desk chair, a ball chair, and other forms of active workstations. In addition to ball chairs with frames, wheels, and lumbar support, there are other alternatives, such as:
Research shows that many of these options can increase energy expenditure without impairing your ability to perform your tasks. And they can be just as comfortable than sitting in a chair.
Though, regular standing, walking, and taking stretch breaks are probably better alternatives since prolonged, continuous sitting is more problematic than total sitting time.
Advantages Of Using An Exercise Ball
In a 2012 research by Tamara M. Schult and other authors called sitting on stability balls: Biomechanics evaluation in a workplace setting they had found that there was increased energy, improvement in posture, and better balance among office workers who used exercise balls. Moreover in a 2017 research conducted by D. Clark Dickin called Energy expenditure and muscular activation patterns through active sitting on the compliant surface. The researchers monitored a bodys reaction on an exercise ball for ten minutes and found that lower body muscles were activated even though there wasnt any core muscle engagement involved.
Using an exercise ball also encourages you to exercise more. It is a good warm-up before doing exercise like abs crunches since you will only have to roll back from your desk to do it. Having an exercise mat in the office would require the worker to properly leave the work to do the exercise.
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Q: How Long Should You Sit On A Yoga Ball Chair
You should sit on your yoga ball chair for about one to two hours a day. This is just enough time to break the monotony of sitting in a classic desk chair without overdoing it. If you stick with the yoga ball for your entire workday, your back might just end up suffering instead of feeling better. This is because yoga balls lack the structure to stop you from slumping once your body starts to get tired. So, unless youre super disciplined regarding posture, its best to pick just a couple of hours to bounce.
How Big Is A 55cm Exercise Ball
Most of the time, an exercise ball measurement is in centimeters. The sizes have been rounded up to the nearest inch. So, in other words, a 55cm yoga ball is around 22 inches.
This table shows you the different-sized balls you can get in both centimeters and inches, as well as what height of a person the balls will suit.
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Is Sitting On Fitness Ball Good For You
According to the scientific research, the answer is pretty much a resounding no. In a landmark 2006 study researchers from Waterloo University in Canada found that while sitting on an exercise ball did increase the amount of muscles used, it was simply too uncomfortable to keep up for any period of time.
Does Sitting On An Exercise Ball Help With Sciatica
No, sitting on an exercise ball will not help sciatica. Because of the unstable nature of the balls, finding proper balance can be a challenge. Not to mention, you wont find back support when sitting on an exercise ball. Many early adopters have reported increased pain, specifically in the lower back region.
If youre dealing with sciatica, learning how to sit correctly is important to find comfort, especially when you are required to sit at work. Weve created a comprehensive guide to help sciatica sufferers during work to help you achieve maximum productivity. You can check out our article right here.
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Get More Out Of Your Workouts With An Exercise Ball
Physio ball, exercise ball, stability ball, fitness ball whatever you call it, we think a ball is must have for just about everyone. A stability ball can be used in the office and the gym with a ball, basic exercises like sit-ups or push-ups become much more challenging and effective. If you’re new to this piece of fitness equipment, here are some details you should know.
How To Sit On An Exercise Ball Properly
We know that you might be thinking how hard can it be to sit on a ball instead of a chair? Well, sitting isnt difficult, but sitting properly so that you wont injure yourself takes a little more work.
First and foremost, sit up straight on your exercise ball and ensure that your knees are bent at a 90-degree angle and that your thighs are not pointing up or down. This correct leg positioning will give you a stable base so that you dont find yourself rolling away from the desk.
Sitting with a sufficient amount of space between your calves will further help strengthen your core and therefore will help your posture.
Are you using a computer, or a pen and paper while you work? If a laptop, your laptop needs to be open at a 90-degree angle. This will keep your neck positioned correctly and in alignment with your spine.
If youre not using a computer, your elbows should be bent to allow your whole forearm to rest on top of the desk. This also promotes the best posture.
Active sitting isnt supposed to be easy, otherwise you wouldnt be burning four calories a minute. Your body should be bracing itself to prevent you from falling off of the ball. This keeps your muscles engaged and getting stronger.
Now, as you can probably tell with this whole exercise, its a lot of pressure on your muscles. You dont hold your dumbbells above your head all-day to strengthen your arms, do you? This is because the act of lifting them up and down helps the muscles to rest in between sets.
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