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!

quickstep60

I have used a stability ball at my desk since 2004.
I have not lost my balance or had an accident or injury using it.
I have had to replace a few because in the winter I use a space heater and they have rolled toward the space heater and it quickly melted a hole in the ball. I now use a ball that has some sand in it, it still rolls around but not away from my desk.
I have better posture and balance. It has also reduced my back pain.
Recently work has been slow, and during lunch time I practice balance sitting (no feet on the ground and no holding onto anything with my hands) I can balance for 5 minutes straight. I can really feel that in my core and my thighs.
I recommend it to anyone who's company will allow the ball. I have a great, flexible company to work for, so it's no problem at all.

quickstep60

I have used a stability ball at my desk since 2004.
I have not lost my balance or had an accident or injury using it.
I have had to replace a few because in the winter I use a space heater and they have rolled toward the space heater and it quickly melted a hole in the ball. I now use a ball that has some sand in it, it still rolls around but not away from my desk.
I have better posture and balance. It has also reduced my back pain.
Recently work has been slow, and during lunch time I practice balance sitting (no feet on the ground and no holding onto anything with my hands) I can balance for 5 minutes straight. I can really feel that in my core and my thighs.
I recommend it to anyone who's company will allow the ball. I have a great, flexible company to work for, so it's no problem at all.

Autumnewald

I have for 3 weeks now! And I love it!! I was having horrible shoulder and neck pain. I was having to take headache medicine everyday! I no longer have any of that pain! Also my posture has gotten soo much better!!

audieannie

Ive been looking for the calorie count for a while myself, but to no avail... I've been using a ball at work for quite some time now and it REALLY helps when you get sleepy or start to get sore from sitting in a dumb chair. I have 2 diff sizes I use, but I like the bigger one better b/c I can reach my desk better :P

MY brother in law has religiously sat on his ball at his work and no joke has lost INCHES off his waist---he's been working there about 2 months and I'm pretty sure he does no other type of working out. He really has inspired me to utilize mine more

Sprink65

Calories Burned
How many calories you actually burn while sitting on the ball depends on what you're doing. According to Harvard Health Publications, desk work burns about 106 calories per hour if you weigh 135 lbs., and about 156 calories per hour if you weigh 185 lbs. Apply the 6-percent increase for sitting on an exercise ball and you can expect to burn about 112 to 165 calories per hour during office work on the ball.

Other Benefits
The exercise ball's instability forces your core muscles to work constantly at keeping you stable. This might account for the extra calorie burn and offers you a chance to develop some abdominal tone with no extra effort



Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/310665-calories-burned-sitting-on-an-exercise-ball/#ixzz1teBgSk8s

luisjdelariva

I think its referring to people who replace their chairs and bounce/balance for an 8 hour work day, 3 miles for 8 hours of bouncing is not bad.

Redamber11

I have a Body Media and last night while I watched TV for 1.5 hours I bounced instead of sitting on the couch. Sitting on the couch for 1.5 hours burned about 170 calories (from night before readings) while bouncing for 1.5 hours burned 350...so I will be bouncing along every night now. I am a female and weigh 140. Now I am considering getting one for work as well.

summertime_girl

No calorie burn benefit, just a strengthening in your core.

laddyboy

Just sitting on the ball will not get your HR up to a point where you are burning any consideralbe extra calories. The point is that your core will be working all day long to keep you on that ball. It will strengthen your core which will make everyday things a lot easier and less prone to injury. Where a HR monitor is you want to see if you burn any extra calories.

nuttyfamily

The benefit for wellness is truly in the fact it is better for you back and build up your core muscles. I've never heard of the benefit of burning more cals although I imagine you do but not enough to equate to exercise.