Want to Get in Shape While Sitting Down? Read On !

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by: tabitha1342cruise
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Word Count: 656
Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2011 Time: 12:51 AM
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I have worked in Manhattan for a while, and recently, I noticed more and more folks have replaced their regular office chairs with a gym ball of all things. So after almost dying of hysterical laughter for a few minutes, I googled it, and saw the light. It turns out it's good for you.

This applies to whether you are at the office or working at home in the basement, these balance ball chairs are god-send for your aching backs. Here are some of the benefits of using an exercise ball as your chair.

1. Your spine is forced to align properly. Because an exercise ball is not stable, your body needs to try to balance itself on it. When you have proper spinal posture, it allows you to balance yourself. It's almost automatic that your body will align itself to get into proper posture. This helps improve your spinal health, and decrease back pains.

2. Causes you to frequently change positions. An exercise ball causes to you to change your position often to balance. Doing simple things such as turning to face the phone, will result in your body assuming anew position. The more you shift, the less damage your body incurs due to prolonged sitting in same pose.

3. Quick workouts are always there. One of the best advantage of already sitting on a gym ball is that you can always do quick stretches or workouts without even getting up. Anytime you get bored, just do a quickie exercise. Because it's much more convenient, you will probably do it more, thus resulting in better health.

4. Your sense of balance will be improved. This is expected. This is because you continuously try not to fall, in effect, improving your balance and strengthening your muscles. The result? An overall better balance, that can be observed out of the office.

5. Get that 6-pack abs you have always wanted. As you balance yourself while you are sitting on the ball, your abdominal muscles are the ones working the hardest to maintain your balance. In effect, you are getting a continuous abdominal workout as you sit. This might not sound like a big deal but when you count the hours you spend sitting at your desk or in front of the computer, the numbers start to count. Those hours can build up, and result in a strengthening of ab muscles.

6. It's great for the circulation. Sitting on an exercise ball promotes good blood flow throughout your body for the whole day. A desk chair on the other hand, reduces circulation to some parts of the body after prolonged use.

7. You will feel more energetic. It's a fact that if you stay in just one position for prolonged periods, it's guaranteed you will feel more exhausted by the end of the day, as compared to constantly moving around and feeling more energetic as a result. Using an exercise ball as a chair is a good way to ensure that you will be energized by the end of your working day.

8. Burn calories as you sit! The more you move, the more calories you burn. Burning 350 calories per day allows you to lose one pound of fat every two weeks. Even if you do not burn 350 a day, the least it will do is to help you keep in shape.

9. Really cheap. These exercise balls, or balance ball chairs will cost you from $10 for the ball to $80 for the ball and the chair that holds it. This is a bargain if you compare it to those Herman Miller ergonomic chairs that can cost you thousands of dollars!

10. Hey, its fun! Who doesn't like the idea of bouncing around on an exercise ball all day. Work is generally boring, so anything that will relieve it while keeping you in shape, is definitely welcome.

About the Author

Tabi is a freshman student who is also into web marketing, promoting a really varied collection of web sites. If you are looking for a place with the best selection and pricing in jogging strollers or if you are looking for the latest toy transformers for the kids, come and visit her sites.