Stability Ball at Work - Calories Burned?

backwardschaos

At my office yesterday, my supervisor attended an employee wellness conference. During the conference, the presenter encouraged her to have her employees utilize stability balls as replacements for our office chairs. I've looked around, but I can't seem to determine what the calorie burn for sitting on a stability ball is. Can anyone help me out, here?

kristy_estes21

Not sure about calorie burn, but I just pictured the episode of The Office where Dwight used one for a chair and Jim stabbed it with a pair of scissors. Haha!!!!

AmyLRussell

I am curious to know as well. I heard about an office that did that and they all had less back pain and had much better weight loss success. I have thought about trying it- but I would like to know if anyone has tried it and liked it. I am not very coordinated and I might just fall off! ha ha

jaimejean478

I think the greater benefit than burning calories would be building your core. I wish some folks in my office would jump on board with the stability ball as a chair... I'd be all over it. Who doesn't love a little bounce in their seat throughout the day?!

dayzeerock

We have the option of using them where I work and most of my co-workers and myself use them! I don't know about calorie burn, but I do wear a hrm throughout the day and I'm fairly certain that, although I don't know how much more, that I am burning more than just sitting in a regular chair.

Robinludell

I used to sit on one every day TILL IT POPPED!!!! in front of the co workers of course. Oh well, it was pretty funny.

Kirsty_UK

I've been considering this a lot recently.

Anyone know how to get the right size? I'd have to buy one myself.

peteyTwang

i have THREE of them now (in varying size)... and i also have one of these fancy pants dot-com-boom high-upper muckkity-muck Herman Miller 'AERO' award winners, too [http://www.hermanmiller.com/Products/Aeron-Chairs] ... still prefer sitting on the ball 99% of the time!!!

my opinion is the only way you will be able to calculate calorie burn on a ball is by wearing an HRM, or body bug or whatever even then I'm reasonably sure it would fluctuate wildly depending on how you use it

runninginplace

Not sure about calorie burn, but I just pictured the episode of The Office where Dwight used one for a chair and Jim stabbed it with a pair of scissors. Haha!!!!

Haha, exactly what I was thinking!

LJSpady

Hmmm. I'm not sure the burn is really all that great for sitting a stability ball, but I know that spending hours sitting on one with strengthen your core.

AshDHart

Several sites quote 350 calories for a typical work day. Not sure if that is on top of what you would have burned sitting in a chair for the same time. If that is the case you could burn off 3lbs a month from it. I'm agree about it being good for strengthening your core which is the main reason for using it as a chair in my mind. Not to mention you can bounce on it! :bigsmile:

10 reasons to use stability ball as chair: http://herfitnessblog.com/2010/04/09/ever-thought-of-replacing-your-chair-with-a-balancing-ball/

backwardschaos

Thanks everyone! I'm definitely in it for the benefits to my core as well, but I was also curious if there was any significant burn attributed as well.

I went out on my lunch hour and purchased a 55in ball [I'm 5'5'' and that seemed to be the correct recommendation from various websites] from Target. I'm trying to decide what to do now about inflating it. It came with a hand-pump so I may wait until my deskmate leaves for the day and then inflate. I feel like it would be strange to do it at home and walk in tomorrow carrying it filled up! hahahaha

P.S. the Office!

kgool

I know that standing desks do a good bit for you as well.

http://blogs.hbr.org/your-health-at-work/2010/08/the-many-benefits-of-standing.html

arc918

Several sites quote 350 calories for a typical work day. Not sure if that is on top of what you would have burned sitting in a chair for the same time. If that is the case you could burn off 3lbs a month from it. I'm agree about it being good for strengthening your core which is the main reason for using it as a chair in my mind. Not to mention you can bounce on it! :bigsmile:

not sure I buy into that one

350 = calories burned running ~ 3 miles

angisnee

I LOVE using my stability ball instead of a desk chair! If you start, increase time on it slowly, or your back will start hurting. I use it when I start to feel sleepy, and it helps me focus better.

I've also been looking into buying a standing desk (I work at home), which burns about 100 more calories per hour than sitting. I would like one that adjusts from sitting to standing, but they're not cheap!

Hope you try the stability ball and like it!

peteyTwang

try an get a real bicycle style floor pump if you can -- it will work in a fraction of the time and effort and keeping it well inflated to the right size and firmness is really important. You will probably have to fill it at least a second time once it settles as well... some exercises are easier and harder (to impossible) with different size balls... ideally you should have a good 90 degrees angle going on with your legs for ‎sitting, but depending on your body type (long/short legs,etc) a ball that size that is perfect for sitting would probably be way too large and difficult for doing reverse crunches like this:
http://www.coreperformance.com/knowledge/movements/crunch-reverse-physioball.html

Thanks everyone! I'm definitely in it for the benefits to my core as well, but I was also curious if there was any significant burn attributed as well.

I went out on my lunch hour and purchased a 55in ball [I'm 5'5'' and that seemed to be the correct recommendation from various websites] from Target. I'm trying to decide what to do now about inflating it. It came with a hand-pump so I may wait until my deskmate leaves for the day and then inflate. I feel like it would be strange to do it at home and walk in tomorrow carrying it filled up! hahahaha

P.S. the Office!

catcrazy

I thought I'd try using my gym ball as a chair, not for the calories but to strengthen my core, it was comfortable, it was perfect height....shame I got travel sickness 10 minutes in!. To be fair I do suffer really badly with travel sickness, have to be in the front, cant read, text etc but I didn't expect it on a gym ball...not tried again, but maybe I need to build up my time slowly

peteyTwang

HEY just got a "Stability Core Disk" in my morning mail today... and i really like it (in fact I'm sitting on it as i type this into my laptop)
while it is nowhere versatile and overall worthwhile as a good stability ball -- i just picked up one of these:
http://www.gofit.net/core-stability-disk.php -- it is really great (and very discreet!) when you're sitting on it in your regular office chair

doing lunges and squats etc on the disk (see link) was strangely weird fun I guess ... too soon to comment about that but again as per the subject topic of this thread this gizmo is well worth considering

peteyTwang

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epblYUpK_FI

AngelsKisses75

I am so sold on this. I am going to buy one for work and see if it makes a difference. My posture is horrible at work, especially when I start getting sleepy. :yawn: :happy:

curvygirl512

I use one of these at home for exercise, but not one for work. I code this in as pilates. Not a terrific calorie burn, but I can really see the difference in how toned I feel, and how much more I'm able to push myself on other exercises. High Marks! Good luck!