I used to think this was uber-dorky, but that was before I worked in an office. Lately I've been thinking that after my commute on bike in the morning, mashing up hills to get to the office and whatnot, it can't be good for my back to transition suddenly from working hard to being a lump in a cushy office chair. Not to mention I have a feeling it's bad for posture, general happiness, etc. Anyone ever do this?
I use one in my "office" at home, granted I do not sit there for 8 hours a day, but I like it and its pretty comfortable. the only thing that I occasionally miss is being able to lean back and lounge for a bit, but i sometimes position it near the wall if I want to "lean back". I would guess that if you sat on it long enough your core muscles would become stronger and it would not be an issue.
I've used one at work, but I honestly don't think that it makes me that much less slouchy or anything. I do tend to bounce around when I'm trying to think though.
Side note- some companies don't allow them for liability reasons, fyi
I do it every once in a while, and I know someone who spends 60 hours + per week on one. There a bit of proactive training you have to do for it to work right - if you treat it like any other chair it will be counterproductive and actually make you slouch more. For me it works more as a reminder to sit up straight, because once you get used to it (it will hurt for the first week or so, best to start using it only maybe a half hour at a time and work your way up) , anything but perfect posture will feel really uncomfortable.
Theres also a bunch of stuff floating around saying it does you no good, but I think that is really more for the folks who use nothing but the yoga ball.
I had serious back issues and tried it. Didn't help my back (eventually something totally different did), but it entertained me and was a suitable chair substitute. And now hubby uses it for Various Workout Maneuvers.
If it's adjustable, tilting your chair seat forward will force you to use muscles to sit up. Remove the back and arms, and you've got about as benign a seat as you can sit in for 8 hours a day.
While the chair is quite an old invention, there are people still left on the planet that live healthy, happy lives without one.
As far as I can tell, tehre were two good things about the Bush administration. 1) W roade abike sometimes (SGood for giving the secret service guys some exerciuse) and 2) Chaney stood up at his desk.
I'm wide open to suggestions of other good things about those guys, just haven't run into any yet.
I'm thinking that I should get one of those balls. I doubt that I would use it much. OTOH, 7 hours in the chair punctuated by few 15 minute spells on the ball would likely be a lot better for me than 8+ hours in the Captain Kirk chair.
"All you haters sit on my ball."
rather than getting a large exercise ball, I'd get one of those hoppy balls with the handles. If you're going to punctuate 7 hours with 15 minute spurts of sitting on a ball, at least make it fun, hopping around the office. Get two and maybe you can goad a coworker in to a race down the hallway.
ej; you're referring to the hippity-hop from the 60's? I like the idea of using one in the lab but somehow I imagine the "safety nazis" would take issue with that. Then of course there would be the inevitable helmet vs. no helmet debate (of course there is some entertainment value in that too).
icemanb - yup, the hippity-hop is exactly it. It's a lot louder than walking, so people have warning you're coming, you're lower to the ground in the event of a fall and thus less likely to hurt yourself, and by encouraging blood flow and alternative posture you're decreasing the likelyhood of repetative stress injuries.
Since I was three I've been pretty well convinced that hippity hops may just save the world. Haven't had much evidence to the contrary so far. Graham Norton (Brit late night tv host) had two people race through London to his studio on them (took like 45 minutes), the winner got something like a mega sound system and a new convertible, the loser got a lifetime supply of starbucks or something none too shabby.
ejwme, have you seen the south park episode where all the dads microwave their nuts to get cancer on purpose and then they are bouncing around on their giant sacks like hippity-hops all over town while yackity sax (benny hill song) plays in the background? amazing.
cburch - I have not. Soon as I get somewhere with youtub I will try to rectify that.
southparkstudios.com
