How to Use an Exercise Ball as an Office Chair

Video Transcript

CAROLANN: This is how to use the exercise ball as an office chair. Now, typically, if you are a professional sitter, there maybe a couple of ways that you are sitting in your chair, and that may create some back issues or maybe even some neck issues for you. So, you maybe one that typically slouches in your chair, or when you are at your computer, we have a tendency to round the shoulders as we are working at the keyboard. So, let us get up, get rid of that office chair, and let us grab the stability ball. So, what you want to do is you want to create a foundation to where you have to use your core muscles to balance and keep you stabilized. So, come down onto your exercise ball, place your feet about hip width apart, pull your navel in towards your spine to contract those abdominal muscles, and then that also helps to protect your lower back. Then you want to think about pulling your shoulder blades back and down so that you are working the upper back muscles and not rounding like you would typically do in an office chair. Next, you want to think about lengthening out through the crown of your head. So, imagine that you have a piece of Velcro on top of your head and you are attaching it to the piece that is on the ceiling. And this will create great length in through you torso, really making you to rely on those core muscles to keep you seated. Now, if you start to get tired and you feel your shoulders rounding, then what you can do is take a break. Just bring your arms back behind, clasp your hands and just give your body a nice stretch, right through your chest area. And then just remember to breathe throughout the day. So, three things to remember to use an exercise ball as an office chair. You want to pull your navel in towards your spine, shoulder blades backing down and lengthen out through the crown of your head. And that is how you use your exercise ball as an office chair.