Are you thinking of changing the seating arrangements in your office space? Well, 1 in 4 US workers spend at least 8 hours a day sitting, which is known as bad for your health.

Many workers have tried different ways to combat the negative effects of sitting, most notably with standing desks and stability ball chairs. Let's talk about the most important exercise ball office chair pros and cons to see if they're right for you!

Benefits of Exercise Ball Office Chairs

Of course, there are plenty of reasons why people choose to use exercise balls as office chairs. Otherwise, people wouldn't use them. Here are some of the biggest benefits of using a stability ball at work.

Improving Core Strength

Core strength is essential for plenty of daily functions, including walking! Building a strong core will help you in nearly every type of physical activity, as well as improve your overall quality of life. It can also reduce the risk of injuries and chronic pain later in life!

Improving Posture

It's important to maintain good posture at work. This is where you spend at least 40 hours of your week, which adds up over time!

If you focus on sitting straight throughout the day (this is important), you should see notable improvements in your posture. It's a lot easier to slouch and forget about your posture while sitting in a regular office chair. An exercise ball will make you pay more attention to your posture, which can strengthen your core and other key muscles like your spinal erectors.

Over time, this should make it easier to stand or sit straight throughout the day. This can prevent or lessen chronic lower back pain, which affects 80% of adults in the US.

Burning Calories

Sitting in a typical office chair does not engage your muscles in the same way as an exercise ball. While it won't burn a ton of calories throughout the day, it will still burn significantly more than sitting in a regular office chair. If you're going to be sitting all day anyway, why not burn some extra calories?

Increasing Energy

It's well-known that sitting in one position throughout the day will reduce your overall energy levels. Giving your body a chance to move throughout the day while working in an office can help. This could improve your focus and motivation throughout the day and otherwise improve your quality of life!

Spending More Time on Your Feet

Our bodies are not meant to sit all day. We are meant to use our feet. Sitting on an exercise ball isn't exactly hard, but it does require more effort than an office chair.

For this reason, you will directly take a lot of the pressure off of your lower back and place more of it onto your feet, where it belongs. This is much better for your overall musculoskeletal chain over time.

Also, it will help you avoid staying in one position for too long, which is bad for your back. Exercise balls will force you to move around and change positions more often.

Fun

Finally, and most notably, exercise ball office chairs can create a far more fun work environment. It's a great way to show workers that your company can think outside the box and incorporate new ideas into your workspace.

Downsides of Exercise Ball Office Chairs

As one would expect, ball chairs aren't perfect. Every good thing comes with a price, so here are some of the downsides of exercise ball office chairs.

Safety

Let's just say it, it's a lot easier to hurt yourself on an exercise ball than on an office chair. Some unions and jurisdictions don't allow them for safety reasons. It's a lot easier to slip, kick, or trip on, and this can lead to unwanted chain reactions.

For example, tripping on an office chair may hurt or cause someone to fall. However, it won't send the office chair flying into someone's computer or a hot cup of coffee. Exercise balls aren't necessarily built for an office environment.

Also, you would have to try to fall off of an office chair. However, falling off of an exercise ball is a lot easier and more likely to happen.

Impact on Office Design

Let's be honest and say that giant, colorful balls don't say "professional workspace." They can have a negative impact on the design of your workstations and offices.

Focus

This may sound counter-intuitive, but if you're performing an activity that requires concentration or stability, a stability ball is not the best option. This can pose a distraction and take away your focus from work throughout the day. If you're easily distracted at work, this may not be the best option for you.

Rolling

Tucking an office chair under your desk is not a problem at all. However, exercise balls can easily just roll away. They may even roll into something that could pose a safety hazard.

If these downsides are too concerning for you, then check out some of the best office chairs to decorate your office space. These are safer, they won't distract your employees, and they won't roll away, littering your office with giant tripping hazards.

Exercise Ball Office Chair Pros and Cons

Now that you know some of the exercise ball office chair pros and cons, let's do a quick recap. They are popular for helping with stability, strength, and enjoyment throughout the day. However, they do pose some risks that can be quite annoying or even unsafe at work, which is important to keep in mind.

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