Sitting on balance ball at work....

lhaas24
lhaas24 Posts: 92 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I read that you can burn 3 cals per minute by replacing your desk chair with a balance ball..... do you agree?? That would equal out to 1260 cals/7 hrs of sitting......seems to good to be true.

Replies

  • Jessi_Brooks
    Jessi_Brooks Posts: 759 Member
    I knew a woman that did that... not sure why though, I never asked. I thought it was for better posture.
  • felcandy
    felcandy Posts: 228 Member
    if thats the case, i have to try it! haha :P

    Not as an alternative to exercise, but maybe you can change your normal activity level from sedentary to lightly active instead
  • sher80bear
    sher80bear Posts: 22 Member
    I am not sure about the calories burned but I do use a balance ball at work. I started using one when I started getting back problems. It was too late for me and I had to have back surgery, but the balance ball does strengthen the back and abdominal muscles so that is a plus. I highly recommend a balance ball if you are at a desk all day just from my personal experience.
  • mrs_schultz2012
    mrs_schultz2012 Posts: 395 Member
    i've been wanting to try one at work too - have scholiosis - but always thought i would end up falling off of it haha
  • bcf7683
    bcf7683 Posts: 1,653 Member
    The kid in the cubicle next to me sits on one. He hasn't changed in the year that he's been doing it.

    He also uses it as an excuse to eat McDonalds everyday for lunch. And preach to everyone who asks that it's "good for his abs". I want to puke every time I hear him talk about it (he knows NOTHING about fitness or eating healthy. Or how to be a normal human being for that matter.....but we'll save that for another day...)

    Anywho, I'd imagine that it'd improve posture....I can't see it being the end-all be-all to fitness, though.
  • Derpes
    Derpes Posts: 2,033 Member
    One study suggests that the ball can help burn four more calories per hour:

    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/21/health/21really.html?_r=0

    Standing can help one burn fifty more calories per hour.

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/73916-calories-burned-standing-vs.-sitting/
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
    yeah, but you'd burn more calories chewing gum. I think it'd be a good swap and probably help stabilize the core, but I wouldn't dare key in calories lost from sitting any more than I would for peeing or breathing.

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