| A stability ball can do a lot for your health and | | | | and lean against the ball at the small of your back. |
| wellness. The simple act of swapping your desk | | | | Roll up and down, doing squats. Once you're doing |
| chair for a stability ball for a period of time each | | | | well with that, try suspending one foot in the air |
| day at work or while you're surfing the web at | | | | while you do it |
| home could dramatically improve your posture, | | | | - Put the ball between your feet as you sit in |
| your core strength and help tone your tummy, | | | | your desk chair and use your feet to lift the ball. |
| glutes and thighs. You could effortlessly burn | | | | Squeeze together as you lift |
| calories at your desk at quite a high rate. | | | | - Whenever you can, align your knees against a |
| When you first try sitting on a stability ball you'll | | | | stable surface and lean back and do some |
| realise it's tricky. It requires core strength to keep | | | | crunches. Once you've found your balance, you |
| from wobbling and before long, you'll find that you | | | | won't even need that surface and can just do |
| have that strength and you can even feel a | | | | them on the fly |
| difference in your stomach. Sitting on an exercise | | | | - Twist while on the ball and define your obliques |
| ball won't burn fat but it can build muscle and | | | | - Conference calls at your desk that allow you to |
| strength and help you define your abs underneath | | | | hit mute on a headset are a great time to do |
| any extra fluff you've accumulated. You'll be | | | | some ball work! |
| actively sitting which, after a while, won't feel like | | | | Use your imagination and you'll probably come up |
| work but will be helping you to tone and | | | | with plenty of ways to exercise at your desk. |
| strengthen. | | | | You could burn an extra few hundred calories a |
| Sitting on a ball while you're at your computer | | | | day during working hours (or computer surfing |
| could also improve your cognitive functions. In | | | | hours). |
| fact, many classrooms are putting children on | | | | Choosing an Exercise Ball |
| these while they do school work because some | | | | Exercise balls are not expensive. You can often |
| kids often have trouble staying still. Sitting on the | | | | find them for less than $20. It's important to |
| ball actually helps them focus on school work and | | | | choose a ball that's large enough to make sitting |
| sitting on the exercise ball becomes what can be | | | | at your desk and working comfortable. You still |
| described as productive fidgeting. | | | | need to think ergonomically with using an exercise |
| Deskercise | | | | ball as a chair. Buy an exercise ball that allows you |
| Beyond just sitting on the ball and gaining balance, | | | | to sit so that your belly button is about level with |
| you can do several deskercise type exercises | | | | the G and H on your computer keyboard and so |
| such as: | | | | that your knees are at a ninety degree angle. You |
| - Sit on your desk chair and use the ball like a | | | | can also buy special stability ball chairs. |
| thigh master. Squeeze thighs together repeatedly | | | | In terms of adding fitness activities to your day, |
| with the ball between your thighs | | | | every little bit helps! |
| - Go to a nearby wall (or your cubicle wall will do) | | | | |