The ball should be robust and have ‘anti-burst’ technology.Make sure the ball is the correct size for you - the health professional recommending it should be able to advise on this.Should a fitness ball be recommended by a health professional, we would offer the following advice: In light of all of this, we do not generally recommend fitness balls as computer chairs as general practice. If not, the desk height will need to be adjusted. Especially important is that your arms are in the correct position. Naturally, getting on and off the ball will increase the risk due to instability. If a gym ball is used for working, there must be a sound reason for this, such as a recommendation from a health professional. Most offices have fixed-height desks so there is little chance that the ball will be the correct height for you to achieve a good arm position whilst working at your desk. These call for a stable, adjustable chair with back support. In addition to these problems, gym balls don’t actually meet DSE (Display Screen Equipment) working regulations. Research into this area has shown that prolonged use of gym balls does not significantly affect the magnitudes of muscle activation, spine posture, spine loads, or overall spine stability and actually increases discomfort - probably due to decreased support for the buttocks and thighs. Commonly people who use gym balls as chairs compensate for muscle fatigue by tucking their feet under the ball to keep it stable, which defeats the point of having the ball in the first place. This is great for short periods of time but most people don’t have the core strength to keep this up for a full working day. Muscle fatigueĪ gym ball is an effective piece of exercise equipment because it provides an unstable surface that constantly requires your muscles to work to keep you upright. But there’s a big step between a dedicated core work-out, and all-day use of these balls. Granted, these balls are excellent fitness tools for working the core. That’s the use of fitness balls (also known as Swiss, yoga, or Pilates balls) as regular-use office chairs. While we’re huge advocates of bringing healthy living regimes into the workplace, there is one particular trend we’re reluctant to support. So why wouldn't you want to swap your office chair for a fitness ball? They're cheap, they're colourful, they look kind of fun to use - and they claim to tone up your core just by sitting on them. Posturite's Senior Consultant Katharine Metters explains why fitness balls shouldn't be used as office chairs
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