Not very long ago we talked about the phenomenon of office chairs made from exercise balls. Some of you love them, some of you hate them and others were just as curious as we were. Our brother blog, Social Workout is clearing the air today with a few surveys that say these ball chairs are really a bunch of bull!
According two separate studies done in 2008 and 2009, the exercise ball chair doesn't really do much for your body, your health, or your posture. Results indicated that users of the chair did lose an additional 30 calories a day but that there weren't any improvements in posture — though using the chair was linked to spine shrinkage. It does however help strengthen your core, but not by a measurable amount.
When all is said and done, it looks like studies say you'll be slumping just as much as you do in a traditional office chair and end up with a smaller spine... splendid!
• Read More From Social Workout and The New York Times
via: Social Workout and The New York Times
Image: Flickr member willspot licensed for use by Creative Commons
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Comments (5)
Not for me then, I'm short as it is! I don't care much for this design, but I like the idea of changing the way people sit and the likes, to improve posture. The future will bring great stuff i'm sure :)
Sitting on a stability ball is good for your mind though - helps with focus (especially those with attention-deficit issues), and the extra oxygen intake from moving improves thought process. Elementary classrooms that use stability balls have seen measurable improvements in learning.
Interesting. Not enough to dissuade me, but I'll keep my eyes open for the next study.
I'm still not sure whether the studies tested sitting on exercise ball or an exercise ball chair, which isn't the same thing and in which the various different designs would be a factor.
Like danielhertlein, I'm curious to know if the study was done on the exercise ball chair or an actual exercise ball. I never really got the exercise ball chair, taking the ball off the floor and putting it in a more stable chair seems like it defeats the purpose of using the exercise ball in the first place.
My understanding is that these "chairs" are good for a while, but their benefits disappear and even become harmful if you sit on them for longer periods. In the same way that it's easy to maintain good posture in a normal chair for a while, after a while, when you get tired, you'll start to slump and lean, and your muscles otherwise won't be supporting your bones in the ways they need to. So maybe sit on the ball for a little while, but sit in something ergonomic for most of the day -- or even better, use a standing desk.