If you work in an office...........

[112toGuru]

would your boss let you use replace you desk chair with a stability ball?

Unprofessional? too weird? Would he/she want the whole gang to get them?

I saw a story a while ago about a teacher who did this in her classroom, they were kids but it had a positive effect, the kids liked them, and they had all kinds of benefits Would it work the same for adults?

 

[pjlippert]

I run my own company from my home office so YES! My son's school is awesome for allowing this especially for the ADD kids... something about the trifecta of slight movement, the softness of the ball helps some of the kids to focus better- including my son. They have other options for the kids as well like cushions for the chairs. DS is on the right meds finally so he doesn't need it anymore.

Some of the collages around here offer it up to the students as well. I don't think it's a weird idea at all. I say go for it!! Ergonomically I've heard it's great plus it's great for the core!

Good luck!

Pam

 

[cataddict]

We have several people in my office who use them. I haven't been able to figure out how to make it work with my desk setup, so I'm not one of them, but I'll figure it out eventually. I don't believe the employees asked anyone's permission, I'm not sure why an employer would object unless the person is in the public eye but even so I don't think it presents a bad image. I'm sure it depends on the office.

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Hi 112toGuru!

If you're going to do this I recommend switching up between a ball and a desk chair gradually until you get acclimated. Too much of anything too soon is not beneficial.

Also, here are some tid bits of info in case you're interested!

Type of Ball

Purchase an anti-burst ball. These balls are designed to slowly deflate rather than bursting suddenly.This minimizes the risk of injury if your ball punctures.

Size

For Fitness: When purchasing a stability for fitness purposes, find the proper ball size by sitting on the ball. When you sit on a stability ball, your knees and hips should align at 90-degree angles. If your knees sit higher than your hips, the ball is too small, and if your knees sit lower than your hips, the ball is too big.

For chair use: To find the proper stability ball size for use as a chair, measure the seat height of your current chair. Purchase a ball with a maximum diameter that is at least 4 inches greater than your current chair height. You will need the extra size as the stability ball sinks some when you sit on it.

Considerations

Just as with regular desk chairs, people have different preferences when using a stability ball as a chair. You may like to sit higher and closer to the desk while your co-worker prefers to sit lower. You may like a firm stability ball for a chair, as opposed to a softer ball. The height of your desk will also affect what size stability ball works best.

An FYI:

Not all fitness experts agree that using a stability ball as a chair is a good idea. The most common issue is the potential for back injury. Some experts suggest that since your core is contracting while you sit on the ball, and contraction equals shortening of the muscle, this shortening results in increased compression on the intervertebral discs. This sustained compression is not good for the spine and could result in back discomfort or injury. There is also the chance that the unstable stability ball could roll out from under you resulting in possible injury.

I personally don't recommend doing this for more than 3 hours a day

Hope this helps!

would your boss let you use replace you desk chair with a stability ball?

Unprofessional? too weird? Would he/she want the whole gang to get them?

I saw a story a while ago about a teacher who did this in her classroom, they were kids but it had a positive effect, the kids liked them, and they had all kinds of benefits Would it work the same for adults?

 

[NY25]

I know there are a few people where I work who have done this. What I did instead is purchase a Xerdisc (like a flattened out stability ball or an inflated pancake). I put that on my chair and then sit on the disc. Gives some of the benefits of the ball without replacing the whole chair. I can do it for a few hours a day, or I'll sometimes do one day on, one off - that kind of thing.

 

[kathryn]

I know there are a few people where I work who have done this. What I did instead is purchase a Xerdisc (like a flattened out stability ball or an inflated pancake). I put that on my chair and then sit on the disc. Gives some of the benefits of the ball without replacing the whole chair.

I use a similar disc on my office chair (all the time, but I'm not sitting here 8 hours a day, more like 1-2 hours at a time, before, between, and after classes).

 

[cataddict]

I would like to add that one of the people who use the ball as a substitute desk chair has a rolling frame for it that keeps the ball from "escaping." The frame has a lumbar support in the back of it. She has said that this set up has actually helped her chronic backache from sitting all day, and now that we are working 11 hour days (tax accountants) that's a plus. I think Cathe is absolutely correct that it would be something to get used to, and I can't say I've done it at home for more than an hour or so.

 

[112toGuru]

Thanks so much all, for the feedback.

Truly didn't really think about all that! OMG! I'm looking into that anti burst thingy pronto! I didn't know they could just...bust! as usual, I was wondering about the health benefits, posture, core and with all the rebounding I do lately, I wondered if it wound have a more positive effect on lymph than sitting in a chair all day?

Thank you Cathe, I was also not aware of other potential problems, how to pick one out, the differences, or what the various opinions of experts were, I'll have to investigate

Linda

 

[morningstar]

Nice to hear from Cathe. Personally, I wouldn't bother with the stability ball chair- there are much more effective ways to achieve your goals that don't require going to such extremes.

 

[Afreet]

I work in a pretty conservative office and have a "pod" or cubicle, so no privacy to speak of...but I just couldn't take the idea of sitting on my butt all day long, so I got a stability ball, but I also converted my desk to a standing desk so I stand up for part of the work day and use the ball for the rest of it. I put my monitor and keyboard on raised shelves so they're at a good place for me to work while standing - then I just move the shelves and lower the monitor when I'm on the ball.

It really helps to keep me moving around during the day and I feel more alert because I'm not just sitting and staring at a screen all day long.

My co-workers definitely think I'm weird, but I really don't care and nobody seems to think it's unprofessional - just odd.

 

[steppin out]

I used a ball instead of a chair at my desk a few years ago. I was only working about 5 hours a day and did use it all day when I was at my desk. In the beginning, I thought it was helping with posture and making me not sit with my legs crossed. After a while, I was able to sit on it with the legs crossed and had the same poor posture issues (or at least some of them) I did with a chair.

 

[FiddleFit]

Afreet, I love the standing work station! I would like to set that up in my own office, but we have low-walled cubicles. Does it work well for you? Is your back thanking your for it?

 

[Afreet]

Afreet, I love the standing work station! I would like to set that up in my own office, but we have low-walled cubicles. Does it work well for you? Is your back thanking your for it?

Hi Fiddlefit!

Yes, it does work well for me - I used to feel so run-down by the end of the day, but now that I'm alternating sitting and standing, I move around a lot more during the day, and it definitely makes a difference in my alertness. I definitely felt some leg protests the first couple of days, but now it feels really natural and normal and I really like it!

Our office chairs are so terrible, my whole body is thanking me for standing up. I'm in a cubicle, too, but with relatively high walls - I think they might be a little over 5 feet high. It might be a little awkward if you were looming over the wall and could see someone else's desk!

 

[MommaPew]

I used one for awhile and didn't have any issues with my boss thinking it a bad idea. So many companies have Health and Wellness programs and probably wouldn't have any issue with this.

That being said, I found it a real pain everytime I stood up I had to reach for my ball. Also, you maybe wearing good clothes. Not sure how clean your flooring is at work but you would essentially be sitting on whatever is on the floor.

 

[Tommy1984]

I have seen other people in my office starting this same trend. I did stumble across a online coupon the other day showing a sale on one of these balls. I guess they really must be trending now, haha.

Seriously though, I do have bad posture in my chair, and I think I would find ways to get into the same bad habits in no time using a ball. As far as the dirty floor goes, maybe your janitors should do a better job, lol. I can sit on my floor in some of my nicest suits and not have worries about getting filthy from them.

 

[handels]

I also use a standing desk but I'm dying to get a treadmill desk (maybe one day...). I alternate between the standing desk and a desk chair with a pedal exerciser on the floor. I don't know why I didn't think of sitting on an exercise ball.

I work from home, but I would really think that most people are supportive of healthy lifestyle changes. I go into my office once every 3 months for meetings and more than half the staff goes to the gym on lunch or after work, and exercise is a very common topic of discussion. I think "it's for exercise" would smooth all kinds of weirdness over.

 

[celestialtimes]

I work in a pretty conservative office and have a "pod" or cubicle, so no privacy to speak of...but I just couldn't take the idea of sitting on my butt all day long, so I got a stability ball, but I also converted my desk to a standing desk so I stand up for part of the work day and use the ball for the rest of it. I put my monitor and keyboard on raised shelves so they're at a good place for me to work while standing - then I just move the shelves and lower the monitor when I'm on the ball.

It really helps to keep me moving around during the day and I feel more alert because I'm not just sitting and staring at a screen all day long.

My co-workers definitely think I'm weird, but I really don't care and nobody seems to think it's unprofessional - just odd.

I like to stand a lot...at my desk, but I'm not set up like that. My co-workers sometimes try to make me sit...cuz it's odd to them that i like to stand but my back gets tired of my chair.