By Vanessa, our fitness editor
Probably like you, I’ve read and heard a lot on the benefits of sitting on an exercise ball at your desk and probably like you, my position at work is pretty terrible. So after some shoulders trouble, I asked my trusted physiotherapist, Troy Dopson*, his opinion.
Here is what he explained: "My greatest challenge for my physiotherapy career is making good posture automatic, particularly in sitting and particularly in the work environment. Reasons for this include the facts that the person's attention is focused on something other than their posture and that good posture does not come naturally. So for this reason I am in favor of any physical prompt that can transcend consciousness and act as a reminder to maintain good posture. Sitting on a ball can do that and so I generally think it is a good idea. The ball also acts as a physical reminder to stretch and facilitates doing so".
Bearing this in mind and the opportunity to strengthen my core muscles just by sitting at my desk, I decided to take the plunge!
Considering my height and desk’s size, I chose my ball’s diameter and ordered it on www.joinfit.hk (approx. HK$300). Two days later, the ball and its air pump were delivered to my office… and my colleagues were giving me their “she’s trying something weird again” look. After a good laugh taking selfies trying funny/weird figures on the ball, they went back to work and my new sitting experience finally began.
I started by a half-day, which has been about finding my balance and taming a whole new way to sit: active sitting. Knowing that a good posture doesn’t come naturally and listening to my physiotherapist’s advice, I first settled an alarm on my phone every 15 min to take the habit to check my posture and see if the ball was objectively really helping.
My body and posture adjusted pretty fast, thanks to the ball instability. In fact, your posture has to adjust (if you don’t want to fall off the ball) and it’s the most interesting part. It encourages you to take a better position to keep your balance: feet flat on the floor, legs at 90 degrees (you may try to cross your legs by habit, but the discomfort makes you lose it), back straight, shoulders open, core abdominal muscles engaged.
Another benefit is that it invites you to stretch regularly (on the ball), get up and move more often, which is good for your blood circulation, your lymphatic system, your joints, your muscles… and your office social life!
After the first day, my back and core muscles were a bit sore but it didn’t last. After a few days, I said goodbye to the pain I used to experience in my lower back by the end of the day, especially on very stressful or intense ones. I could also notice my posture got better; back, shoulders and neck now much straighter, whether sitting on the ball or not.
To sum-up, I’m not going back to my old office chair!
And guess what… A few colleagues have borrowed my ball for a trial and new balls may be delivered to the office soon!
*Troy Dopson is an Australian trained physiotherapist at The Body Group, practicing for 8 years and specialized in hands on treatment, particularly deep tissue work. He has formed a close relationship with the local fitness industry because he believes in getting the best results when working together.
www.thebodygroup.com
Probably like you, I’ve read and heard a lot on the benefits of sitting on an exercise ball at your desk and probably like you, my position at work is pretty terrible. So after some shoulders trouble, I asked my trusted physiotherapist, Troy Dopson*, his opinion.
Here is what he explained: "My greatest challenge for my physiotherapy career is making good posture automatic, particularly in sitting and particularly in the work environment. Reasons for this include the facts that the person's attention is focused on something other than their posture and that good posture does not come naturally. So for this reason I am in favor of any physical prompt that can transcend consciousness and act as a reminder to maintain good posture. Sitting on a ball can do that and so I generally think it is a good idea. The ball also acts as a physical reminder to stretch and facilitates doing so".
Bearing this in mind and the opportunity to strengthen my core muscles just by sitting at my desk, I decided to take the plunge!
Considering my height and desk’s size, I chose my ball’s diameter and ordered it on www.joinfit.hk (approx. HK$300). Two days later, the ball and its air pump were delivered to my office… and my colleagues were giving me their “she’s trying something weird again” look. After a good laugh taking selfies trying funny/weird figures on the ball, they went back to work and my new sitting experience finally began.
I started by a half-day, which has been about finding my balance and taming a whole new way to sit: active sitting. Knowing that a good posture doesn’t come naturally and listening to my physiotherapist’s advice, I first settled an alarm on my phone every 15 min to take the habit to check my posture and see if the ball was objectively really helping.
My body and posture adjusted pretty fast, thanks to the ball instability. In fact, your posture has to adjust (if you don’t want to fall off the ball) and it’s the most interesting part. It encourages you to take a better position to keep your balance: feet flat on the floor, legs at 90 degrees (you may try to cross your legs by habit, but the discomfort makes you lose it), back straight, shoulders open, core abdominal muscles engaged.
Another benefit is that it invites you to stretch regularly (on the ball), get up and move more often, which is good for your blood circulation, your lymphatic system, your joints, your muscles… and your office social life!
After the first day, my back and core muscles were a bit sore but it didn’t last. After a few days, I said goodbye to the pain I used to experience in my lower back by the end of the day, especially on very stressful or intense ones. I could also notice my posture got better; back, shoulders and neck now much straighter, whether sitting on the ball or not.
To sum-up, I’m not going back to my old office chair!
And guess what… A few colleagues have borrowed my ball for a trial and new balls may be delivered to the office soon!
*Troy Dopson is an Australian trained physiotherapist at The Body Group, practicing for 8 years and specialized in hands on treatment, particularly deep tissue work. He has formed a close relationship with the local fitness industry because he believes in getting the best results when working together.
www.thebodygroup.com