If you've been considering buying a balance ball chair, but haven't quite made the jump yet, here are some great reasons why you should:
Improve Posture
Sitting on a balance ball chair forces you to sit properly, engaging your core muscles and improving your posture each day. It's possible sitting on a balance ball for extended periods can also cause slouching like in a traditional office chair. Alternating between your traditional chair and balance ball chair will give more support to your lumbar spine and keep you sitting straight all day.
Causes You to Move and Change Positions Frequently
The bouncy quality of sitting on a ball chair keeps your body in constant motion. The unstable nature of an exercise ball causes users to stand up more and adjust their sitting position often. Not only does this keep your body from stiffening up, but it keeps you actively thinking about proper posture.
Reduce Lower Back Pain
Sitting with proper posture, changing positions and moving around (or even bouncing up and down) will reduce lower back pain over time.
If you experience an increase in back pain after switching to a balance ball chair, you could be putting too much stress on your lumbar spine.
Rotate back to your old office chair when you're feeling tired or adjust the new chair so that your elbows are in line with your keyboard. Finding somewhere to rest your arms will help as well.
Align Your Spine
Sitting properly over an extended period of time keeps your spine in alignment. Since you already have easy access to a balance ball, why not do some lower back strengthening exercises to keep that spine as straight as an arrow.
Core Strengthening
Using a balance ball chair engages your core muscles. Save yourself some crunches by replacing your boring office chair with a new balance ball chair. Using a balance ball at work not only grows core strength but also improves core stability, assisted by the deep muscles close to your spine. There are countless advantages to building core stability including injury prevention, reducing back pain, and even protecting your inner organs.
Improve Balance
Strengthening your core and improving your core stability improves balance. Just by sitting on a 'balance' ball, you are improving your balance. Try bouncing around a little bit, shifting your weight side to side to further work on your balance and wake up your legs.
Keep Your Brain Active
There is overwhelming evidence that physical activity increases brain function and academic performance. That's why if you can't find a solution to a problem, it helps to walk around the office or go for a quick run.
Often the solution comes to you after physical activity. Using a balance ball chair brings physical activity to your workstation. Just bouncing up and down while you work can wake up your brain.
It may seem strange today but, who knows, in twenty years, entire offices could be outfitted with balance ball chairs.