Be Kind to Your Behind

I may have mentioned that I just got back from an on-site visit. Whilst there, I run from meeting to meeting, and when I'm not basking in the glow of my colleagues' physical presences, I hover in a conference room.

Well, actually, I don't hover. I sit. In a rather unforgiving chair.

Look, I'm not complaining: I am happy to keep my chair in my home office, and I am glad my fine employer doesn't have to pay to keep a space and a chair and all that. But I do start to notice the ill effects of poor posture by the end of the week.

Tim Ferriss had an interesting chair taste-test in his blog this week. For working only four hours a week, he seems to have a lot of requirements for his chair. But I guess he's factoring in recreational computer use and the blogging and what not. But I agree with his assessment: dollar for dollar, the exercise ball chair is probably the best choice out there. If you're like Stella, you outfit your own home work space with the furnishings and fixtures and things. And frankly, the gazillion dollar Aeron isn't in the cards for me.

I actually had one when I worked in a Real Office, briefly, and I found it wasn't that comfortable. When I sit all day on the exercise ball I find that I don't feel all stiff and hunched over at the end of the day. If I get restless during the day, I can bounce, swivel, roll around, and otherwise tempt fate by pushing the equilibrial limits whilst keeping my hands on the keyboard.

I do not, however, have a six pack. Well, there is one in the fridge, but I'm drinking wine a bit these days.

But it is energizing. And heck. An exercise ball is only $15 at your favorite discount retailer, so you can certainly give it a go without feeling like you're going to go to the poor house if it doesn't work out for you.