So...I'm sitting on an exercise ball

[rachelblewis]

Hi friends,

So I bought an exercise ball for my office, and have replace my desk chair with this round wonderment! I have one of these balls at home that I sometimes do sit-ups on, and I use one at the gym. But recently I heard a fitness expert tell someone that if they want to strengthen their core and have a desk job, replace the chair with this ball.

I have been sitting on it all morning. My back hurts now. Thoughts? Am I straining my back? Am I used to slouching and that is why my back hurts? Am I stengthening my core? What is going on iwth me? Shall I go back to my chair and give it all up? Anyone want to join me in this effort and go get a ball to sit on and share stories...Am I setting myself up for bits? Yikes!

-R

[DeWalt]

You are very much straining your lower back because you are probably hunched forward yes? It sounds like that would be great to do for a while at a time, but I dont know about 8 hours at a time. Maybe ease into it.


PS - How perfect is her avatar you guys?!

[goody]

A co-worker did the same thing while she was preggers. She loved it. I'm guessing you're strengthening your back but I'm no doctor. You could also be pregnant. I'm not a doctor.

[rachelblewis]

You are very much straining your lower back because you are probably hunched forward yes? It sounds like that would be great to do for a while at a time, but I dont know about 8 hours at a time. Maybe ease into it.


Good point to ease in. Surprisingly, the ball makes you sit up straighter, not slouch. Chairs make us slouch. I must really not have been sitting up straight before...

-R

[ritty]

I'm not a doctor.

But....wait. You said...when you put your fingers....you know.....(sobbing) :confused:

[DennisOT]

Rachel B. Lewis, let me play soothsayer:

In 1992, when I was but a manchild, I worked in an office where the women past the time using Thighmasters. Today when they talk nostalgia for the 90s, a friend will say, "Remember the Thighmaster?" and they reply with a blush, "Oh man, I had one of those!"

I predict that in 2022, when we all gather to speak nostalgically of The Roaring Zeros and a life before "nitrogen scraping" and the worldwide Caliphate, one of your friends will say, "Remember the exercise-balls-as-chairs craze?" And with a blush, (hidden by your burkah), you will say, "Oh man, I had one of those!"

[rachelblewis]

Rachel B. Lewis, let me play soothsayer:

In 1992, when I was but a manchild, I worked in an office where the women past the time using Thighmasters. Today when they talk nostalgia for the 90s, a friend will say, "Remember the Thighmaster?" and they reply with a blush, "Oh man, I had one of those!"

I predict that in 2022, when we all gather to speak nostalgically of The Roaring Zeros and a life before "nitrogen scraping" and the worldwide Caliphate, one of your friends will say, "Remember the exercise-balls-as-chairs craze?" And with a blush, (hidden by your burkah), you will say, "Oh man, I had one of those!"

Dennis, you kill me...

[stetsko]

Not to argue with young Mr. O'Toole, but "excercise balls as chairs" have been around since the days of the mighty Thighmaster. In fact, in my youthful days as a "linguistic annotator" I used one to prevent the unfortunate repetitive stress injuries associated with highlighting nouns all day.

My advice, Rachel, is to make sure that your ball is the right height for your desk. Make sure you're not straining or hunching to get to your keyboard. If everything is at the right height you won't hurt yourself. Although, you may not be able to sit on one for a full eight hours, at least not right away. You may not be hurting your back, but the muscles won't be used to the workout and they'll yell at you.

[rachelblewis]

My advice, Rachel, is to make sure that your ball is the right height for your desk. Make sure you're not straining or hunching to get to your keyboard. If everything is at the right height you won't hurt yourself. Although, you may not be able to sit on one for a full eight hours, at least not right away. You may not be hurting your back, but the muscles won't be used to the workout and they'll yell at you.

Thanks, great advice. I am taking a break. I really feel it working my back muscles, way more than my abs...

-R

[Jessica]

I totally want to do this. I love using those exercise balls at the gym and I hate sitting in my office chair all day.

I'm trying to convince a couple of my coworkers to do it with me.

I'm concerned that the higher ups might not like it.

Keep us posted on how you feel tomorrow.

[stonelake]

DennisOT

The Fridge is Dead. Long Live the Fridge.

Lewis, if your posture gets any better you're going to make us all look like neanderthals.

[kenziecondon]

this sounds fun

is it high enough though? can you get bigger ones?

[DeWalt]

Rachel Lewis has abs.

[aneg]

whoa, i had never even heard of this. sounds like fun? i dunno.

anyway, i just read this article and it says that if you have increased back pain, you may want to stop. also, you shouldnt do it for 8 hours straight away.

http://walking.about.com/cs/fitnesswalking/a/ballchair.htm

[rachelblewis]

this sounds fun

is it high enough though? can you get bigger ones?

Yes they come in many sizes. I got a 65 cm one. for those 5'8" to 6'3". I am 5'8".

It is high enough. It took a long time to blow up, however it did come with a pump, just a slow moving one.

I can really tell it was strengthening my back and making me sit up straight. Now that I am back on my chair for a little while, I am still sitting up straight and activating my core. Wow, I sound like an infommercial!

-R

[rachelblewis]

whoa, i had never even heard of this. sounds like fun? i dunno.

anyway, i just read this article and it says that if you have increased back pain, you may want to stop. also, you shouldnt do it for 8 hours straight away.

http://walking.about.com/cs/fitnesswalking/a/ballchair.htm

Great article. Yes, I sat on the ball for 5 hours today...too long to start out! I will build gradually. It is pretty cool to be actively sitting or sort of working out at the office! I love doing ab work at the gym with the ball, so once I get used to sitting on it, then maybe twice a day, I can take ab breaks! I don't know, folks, I will keep you posted...who knows if I will stick with it.

But I do know I have been getting some bizarre looks and the most annoying co-worker just came over and asked me tons of quesitons about it...so this may have to end if she keeps bugging. This co-worker is also the one that went into a rant about how bad the Holocaust was, once she found out I was Jewish...UNCOMFORABLE.

[aneg]

i was just told that a lot of people already have these int eh office, so i think i'm going to get my department to go on opver to exercise balls.

my boss is pregnant with twins so im trying to convince her of the benefits.... we will see.

[EdO]

I sit on my balls all day long.
Doesn't do a damn thing for my posture.














Yes.
I did.


Deal with it.








.

[Hendo]

I have one of these at home and one at work:

http://www.gaiam.com/retail/product/95-1004

Definitely helps with ridding yourself of lower back pain.

[rdolan]

This is from the Office.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyeDF1CAK-c

God, the Internet is awesome.

[Edison]

I've been either sitting at a drafting table or desk on a daily basis for over 25 years and it does take it's toll. But everybody is different.

The most recurring piece of advice I've recieved from body-workers over the years is to keep your knees lower than your waist when you sit. It tends to keep you from slouching. They even sell chairs that are supposed to facilitate that and put less strain on your lower back. You sit on a backless seat with your knees angled down, resting on a padded bar. You're essentially kneeling while sitting.
One of my illustration professors used one at his table (partly because he's overweight) and he swore by it.
I tried one, and I simply found it too uncomfortable.

I think exercise balls are incredibly useful and versatile, but I don't know about sitting on one all day long.

[Aaroneous]

A caliphate, (from the Arabic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic) خلافة or khilaafah), is the Islamic form of government representing the political unity and leadership of the Muslim world. The head of state's position (Caliph (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caliph)) is based on the notion of a successor to Prophet Muhammad (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad)'s political authority; according to Sunnis elected by the people or their representatives,<sup id="_ref-0" class="reference">[1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caliphate#_note-0)</sup> and according to Shia chosen from the Ahl ul-Bayt (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahl_ul-Bayt). From the time of Muhammad until 1924, successive caliphates were held by the Umayyad (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umayyad), Abbasid (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbasid), and finally Ottoman (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottoman) dynasties.

The caliphate is the only form of governance that has full approval in Islamic theology (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theology), and "is the core political concept of Sunni (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunni) Islam, by the consensus of the Muslim majority in the early centuries."<sup id="_ref-1" class="reference">[2] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caliphate#_note-1)</sup> Andrew Hammond reports that medieval caliphates "enjoyed scientific and military superiority globally - both absent today".<sup id="_ref-2" class="reference">[3] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caliphate#_note-2)</sup>

thank you, wikipedia.

now, serious question:

if i sit on an apple core for 8 hours, will it strengthen my balls?

[rachelblewis]

For those of you who asked me to keep them posted about the ball...here is my update.

For the first two days that I got this ball, I sat on it most of the day. It was hard work. I felt sore in my back and core. Then I got tired and lazy and switched back to my chair for a week or so. Yesterday, I got back on the ball and I am still on it today. When I sit on it correctly, I can feel my muscles working, but I can still cheat and slouch and then it doesn't do much. I think overall the more I get used to it, the better I do. Today I have been doing very well. I am sitting up straight, engaging my core! My back feels great. I have not noticed a dif. in my abs, but I have not been consistent, and have been eating yummy easter candy and Passover macaroons!

Anyone else get a ball?

[benjohnson]

Wait, you're Jewish?

Uhhhh.

The holocaust was REALLY bad. I mean like REALLY bad.

Man. Whew. Seriously. Tough one.

Err I, uh, I gotta go.

[rachelblewis]

Ben Johnson! !!!! When are you coming back? Where are you? What is up?

-R

[DeWalt]

Ben Johnson made me a comedian. I will celebrate his return.