Exercise Ball Can Improve Posture

Many women fall into the bad habit of slouching from an early age. They are unsure of their breast development as children and young teens, and so get used to bending over slightly for the remainder of their lives.

I admit that I used to be one of these girls. I developed faster than my female friends and slouched to hide the fact. As I got older, I felt myself maintaining this bad posture. I decided it was time to change once and for all.

After getting my first office job out of school, I was put in an office chair where I was forced to sit for eight to 10 hours a day. I was not impressed. My back began hurting and I felt myself slouching even more than before!

To combat this, I decided that it was time to ditch my office chair and invest in an exercise ball. If you’re not sure what an exercise ball is, it is a large blow-up ball that is available in different sizes, and commonly used for fitness workouts. When you think about it logically, I am saving the company hundreds of dollars by sitting on a $20 ball.

Not only did I feel a dramatic change in my posture, my core muscles were toning and my back was strengthening! As a result I was able to hold my chest out straight because it suddenly felt natural!

It’s funny how we get so used to sitting and eventually our bodies adapt. When sitting on a chair, we are inactive. Sitting on an exercise ball at work keeps your entire body active, as you are constantly adjusting and making slight movements to keep yourself balanced.

I highly recommend women try this alternative. Without fail, you will feel an improvement in your posture from the first day you use it. I felt my back literally got warmer with use, as it was being worked for long periods of time in small increments.

I recommend that you gradually increase the time you are sitting on the ball. Some women never seem to get the hang of it, so starting slowly can ease the uncomfortable introduction to your new chair. Start with 1 hour a day, and work your way up till you are naturally comfortable sitting on the ball for the entire workday.

A proper size ball will leave your legs slightly more than 90 degrees to the floor. As a woman of 5 feet, 5 inches, I use a 75cm ball – so judge yourself accordingly.

Having good posture will leave you feeling healthy yourself and looking confident!