The Ball Office Chair: Old Idea…New Spin
Believe it or not the exercise ball has been in existence since the 1960s.
It was just called a different name but the physics and the theory behind it is the same one we use today. The exercise ball was invented with specific exercises to use with it. These sets of activities targeted what is called our core muscles or abdominal muscles: the lower, side and upper. The main benefit people want to see with these exercises is the toning of our tummy. A side benefit however is the support the core muscles are able to provide ones’ back. This results in less back pain for the individual. Fast forward to an office environment where back pain caused by improper posture and long hours working in front of a computer is the norm. Who is the culprit? A Faulty office chair design. So why not merge the idea of core strength with the need for a better designed office chair. The ball office chair is born.
A designer should really have seen the wisdom of this design long ago. An exercise ball office chair has many benefits. This product inadvertently reminds a person to change his/her seated position every now and then. Doctors agree that staying in the same position for hours is bad for the body: the back and spine specifically. The exercise ball chair because of its shape requires one to change seating positions unconsciously to maintain stability. This maintaining of one’s’ stability also encourages correct spine alignment and develops proper posture. As we know improper posture often results in aches and pains that are prevalent in office environments.
Core muscle strengthening also occurs when one uses the ball office chair. The abdominal muscles are actively utilized when maintaining balance on an exercise ball chair. This strengthening in turn helps support the back and is known to lessen back pain that others experience regularly. These benefits are not usually expected from any other type of office chair.
Are their disadvantages to using this ball office chair furniture? The answer like all products is of course. No product is perfectly safe. There will always be situations when a person is not careful or misuses the product. The right question however is: Do the benefits out weight the disadvantages. To be safe we should always consult our doctor although I am quite confident he will ask you to give it a try.