Friday, June 15, 2007

Update on Exercise Ball Chair

My foot re-education campaign was a dismal failure, but I'm pleased to report that the exercise ball experiment is kind of a success. While I do not have a six-pack anywhere but in the vegetable drawer of my refrigerator, I do find that sitting on the ball is by far more comfortable than using a traditional chair.

What's so great about it? It's just more active, and thus more energizing. I'm able to bounce a little bit all day as I work. When I'm on a conference call where I'm just listening in, I put the phone on mute and lean back on the ball to make my stomach muscles work some. Those muscles in turn reward me for these efforts by hurting in new and exciting places after these little bouts of exercise, so that is a good thing.

I do have to do some maintenance of the ball -- it seems to lose some air on a regular basis, so now the bicycle pump is part of my office equipment. I keep it under the printer table. But the difference in how my posture is and how stiff and uncomfortable I get during my day is profound and well worth the bi-weekly pump up.

So try it -- it's the cheapest office chair you'll ever buy!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I bought an exercise ball chair for my wife and she loves it. I got an Isokinetics brand on amzon and it's the same as the gaiam only for a lot less, plus a choice of ball colors (she got the red). I prefer my aeron, but she like the ball chair.