Why Do Students Sit On Exercise Balls To Do School Work?

Usually students are reminded to sit still during classroom learning. But this rule goes against children's natural tendency for movement, so some teachers are exchanging chairs for exercise balls. There is no research to document the benefits or disadvantages of the practice, but the promoters of classroom exercise balls claim that students show improved learning, increased focus and health benefits.

Classrooms

According to "The Portland Press Herald" in February 2010, the Witt Fitt stability ball program, which sells an exercise ball curriculum to school, has placed stability balls in use as classrooms chairs in 32 states and 300 to 400 Canadian schools. Total number of schools using balls may be higher as some teachers are designing their own ball classrooms around the concept of seating children on balls instead of traditional classroom chairs.

Posture

WittFitt's website claims that sitting on a stability ball aligns the spine better than sitting in a chair. Students also have to use their abdominal and back muscles to keep themselves centered, upright and balanced on the ball, which leads to improved posture off the ball. When a spine is aligned, the company claims, blood flow is improved. When blood is flowing and supplying the body with oxygen, energy levels remain elevated which aids the ability to learn.

Relaxation

WittFitt claims that rocking or bouncing movements can reduce anxiety. Students can do both on an exercise ball. The ball can mimic a rocking chair and students can roll the ball back and forth as they sit and rock. The ball can also be used to gently bounce on to help calm the body. When students are relaxed, their learning will improve.

Movement

Laurie Watts, a special needs educator in Howell, Michigan says that when her students sit on the balls "it reduces the jiggles." Watts uses the balls first thing in the morning when students arrive in her classroom. She says "the excitement of the morning causes the students to move around, but when they use the balls, they settle down". The balls' unbalanced tendency to wiggle appears to be enough movement that students do not need to squirm in their seats.

Comfort

Traditional hard seats and hard backed chairs can become uncomfortable throughout the course of a day, even for adults. A student's comfort level may improve when they sit on an inflatable ball. Advocates of using the balls theorize that if a student spends less time adjusting their body position on a hard chair, they have more time to focus on their schoolwork.