You might have heard by now that sitting is the new smoking.
I agree that this sounds a bit exaggerated. But is it really? Now we all know that smoking is really bad, but sitting? We don’t inhale anything while we are just sitting but sitting on hours on end actually blocks blood flow and circulation. That could be fatal. You might have gotten the most posture friendly chair for your desk and although you might sit more upright it still doesn’t get the circulation going. You may remember to take a break now and again but with deadline crunches, those breaks either become non existent or less frequent. You might even think that you will make up for it in the gym later but unfortunately it doesn’t help you while you are sitting and the truth is that you can’t out train sitting for 8 hours a day.
Many people get a standing desk to try and solve the problem of lack of blood circulation. They even have walking treadmills. Now we are talking right? Unfortunately this doesn’t help it either. Unless your core is really strong, research suggests that this will compound ones back problem even more. Their back will get too sore to stand or walk all day and they will revert back to sitting. So what do we do regarding getting your work done safely and healthily?
Bring in the stability ball or swiss ball. Now in my opinion this is the answer. Not only will you get circulation and improved blood flow from sitting on the new ‘chair’ you will also improve your core and posture. Now you are getting your bang for your buck. As long as the swiss ball is the right size for you and it is the right quality that doesn’t sink in, you are well on your way to not only improve your health but your productivity too.
Now how does this work you may ask.
Seeing that your new ‘chair’ is round you are bound to move naturally. From side to side, back and forth and bouncing on the ball. This gets you moving in a safe way. You might feel it on your lower back in the first few days but this is actually a good sign that you are strengthening your back and actually helping yourself to get rid of back pain for good.
People who have had a bad experience probably just bought a standard ball in the shop. The ball will sink and your hips will go lower than your legs which will actually produce bad posture and stress the spinal joints. If the ball is slippery and not burst resistant, it could end badly for anyone if the ball had to go over a staple or sharp object.
Excessive sitting is not only bad it can prove fatal.
Get in touch with me if you want to improve your health and core while working. Even if you don’t exercise you will burn calories by just sitting on your new ‘chair’. Sitting on the ball is affordable and fun too. Contact me to create an awesome, fun and healthy sitting environment. You will thank yourself for this many times over.
Author: Yossi Montrose
Swiss ball master trainer Holistic health and nutrition Core trainer. Online training Regain your core, regain your life
