Stability balls aren’t only for the gym. They can be used for your office job as well. They come in many different colors and are fun to sit on. Just imagine bringing a big colorful ball to work! That would be awesome, right? People will think you are ready to break a sweat in the office. Aesthetics aside, there are some health benefits of sitting on a stability ball at work. The stability ball is here to save the day… well, your back.
The posture you use when you sit can have an affect of how you walk and stand, in a bad way. Being hunched over the computer to type something is a poor way to sit throughout the day. If you have a nine to five job, your back may be taking a beating with the bad posture. On the bright side, the stability ball would give you great posture. Just sitting on one reminds you that you don’t have the back of a chair or arm rests to rely on, so you’re going to make sure that you don’t fall on your back. It tells your brain that, “Hey, I need to sit up straight.” The ultimate goal is to have great posture, but it doesn’t happen overnight. Sitting on this ball all week can form a great habit. The next thing you know you will see yourself sitting with your shoulders back and your back straight, which is what good posture is. (via Cleveland Clinic and Wall Street Journal)
Sitting on a stability ball works your stomach, in a good way. If you think about it, when you’re sitting on the ball, you are in a position where you’re slightly slanted, which makes it seem like you’re doing mini crunches. So you will be doing these mini crunches every day without really trying. That’s a plus! The third benefit of the stability ball is that it promotes great circulation. Your muscles tend to relax when you sit down for a long time. It’s like your body goes into sleep mode when you sit down. For example, that tingling in your foot is due to the fact that you aren’t getting enough blood flowing to your foot. Sitting down for hours on end makes your circulation decrease. Just using the stability ball can help with your blood circulate to your body parts, which is important definitely for your legs. (via GearFire)
Not only does it promote great posture and an improved circulation, but sitting on a stability ball also helps with muscle balance. This type of balance is important because as a whole, your body is one large muscle trying to work together. Just sitting on a stability ball helps your muscles have some sort of balance. If your muscles are imbalanced, the strong muscles put unnecessary strain on your weak ones, which will cause your muscles to ache. The ball balances your muscles, which creates extra support on your lower back, where your spine support comes from. (via GearFire)
>> Read more: Get Summer-Ready Abs with this Exercise Ball Routine
You know how stress can damage your body: Diabetes, high blood pressure, acne, depression and heart issues. Keeping stress out of your life can make you happy and worry-free. Who would’ve thought that a big, colorful ball could be the solution to de-stressing? It decreases stress by you just simply sitting on it. Having your bottom on a big ball can make you feel carefree. If you work in an office, just ask your supervisor if it’s okay if you bring your own stability ball to the office. Who knows? You may be setting a stress-free trend for the rest of your coworkers. (via Symptom Find)
>> Read more: 40 Healthy Ways to Relax and De-stress
All of these benefits should make you want to go out and buy a stability ball. The fact that they can be used for the gym and the office makes it great. It’s like a two-in-one deal that gives you some good health benefits. You’ll have a ball, literally!