Are Exercise Balls Good For Posture? Know Before You Use

PUBLISHED: May 06, 2023

Your good posture brings numerous benefits and gets rid of the risk of back pain and other musculoskeletal problems. But the steps towards your good posture journey require effort and consistency. Exercise balls are known to be a good tool to improve your posture in recent years.

So, are exercise balls good for posture? Yes, they are. These exercise balls can potentially improve your posture if you maintain consistency and know how to use them. Let’s explore more about this!

Are Exercise Balls Good For Posture?

Yes, these can help your posture if you include these in your posture-improving journey.

You can activate your core muscles by engaging them more to maintain balance and stability, which can help to strengthen the muscles that support good posture.

A study found that using an exercise ball as a chair can help to improve posture and reduce muscle activation during sitting.

Besides, if you use your exercise ball as a chair, you can keep the spinal alignment right while ensuring the right alignment for your pelvis.

This helps to reduce muscle strain in your back and enhances your flexibility.

How To Use An Exercise Ball For Improving Posture?

The first thing that you need to remember while using your exercise ball is to choose the right size exercise ball. The right size will depend on your height. You need to match the ball according to your size.

While you sit on the ball, your feet should be flat on the floor and your knees should be at a 90-degree angle. This will keep your back straight and your shoulders relaxed.

As a result, constant usage of this ball will automatically create muscle awareness in your body.

Using an exercise ball requires maintaining the active engagement of your core muscles.

This means that you'll be continually changing your position to maintain balance, which can help to strengthen the muscles that support good posture.

Also, there are several exercises that you can do using an exercise ball. These exercises will help you to improve your posture and lead you to a better life.

6 Benefits Of An Exercise Ball Chair

You can use your exercise ball as a chair. This will give you the benefit of not giving any extra effort while fixing your posture easily. Here are some of the other benefits:

1. Promote better alignment

You can improve your posture by using the exercise ball. This will increase muscle engagement and activity while promoting better alignment of the spine and pelvis.

2. Core strengthening

When you sit on an exercise ball, you need to change your position continuously. This helps the constant engagement of core muscles, which can help to strengthen your core muscles.

3. Improved balance and stability

Constant engagement and fixation also help you to improve your balance and stability. This especially helps athletes.

4. Increased calorie burn

As you need to use more energy to ensure the perfect sitting position, it burns more calories than sitting in a traditional chair.

5. Reduced back pain

The upright position that you get while sitting on the ball can work as an aid in reducing back pain by promoting better posture and reducing strain on the back.

Some studies have also found that using an exercise ball as a chair can help to reduce spinal shrinkage and other negative effects of prolonged sitting.

6. Increased productivity

The upright position can promote your productivity at work. Some people use exercise balls as a chair in their workplace to work on their posture as well as gain the advantage of better productivity.

4 Disadvantages Of Exercise Ball Chairs

While there are several advantages, you might also be troubled due to some drawbacks of the exercise balls. Some of them are:

1. Lack of stability

One of the biggest drawbacks of using an exercise ball chair is the lack of stability. As a result, you can’t use them for long periods. There is also an increased risk of falls or injury.

2. Difficulty adjusting

You can’t easily adjust the exercise balls like regular chairs. As a result, the development of your core strength may hinder.

Besides, you need to maintain proper balance if you want to use these balls.

3. Not suitable for every work

While exercise ball chairs can be useful for tasks that require movement or flexibility, you can’t use them for workplaces.

Especially, if you want to type on your computer sitting on these, you can’t do that due to the lack of stability.

4. Discomfort

Initially, sitting on the exercise chair might be uncomfortable and painful. Over time, the situation improves. But these balls can’t be the proper alternative for regular chairs.

An Exercise Ball Instead Of An Office Chair: Good Or Bad Idea?

The usage of exercise balls has increased in recent years as they are very effective to improve your posture. That’s why, many people have started to use this as their work office chair. But is that healthy?

While using an exercise ball as a chair can have some potential benefits, it may not be the best option for everyone to use for a prolonged period.

Although it can improve your posture, prolonged sitting in an exercise chair instead of your office chair may introduce further issues.

There are some potential drawbacks to using an exercise ball as a chair. You will face a lack of stability which may increase the risk of falls or injury, particularly for people who are already at risk for balance issues.

Besides, it may not be appropriate to use in a work environment.

You can know about the proper sitting position and use that in your ergonomic chair in your workspace.

However, if you intend to use an exercise ball, make sure not to use that as the only means of sitting. You can switch between your chair and ball during your work.

Alternatives To Exercise Ball Chairs

If exercise chairs seem uncomfortable to you, you can switch to alternative options. Some of them are:

1. Ergonomic office chairs

You can find several office chairs designed to support good posture. You can adjust them as you need. Besides, there are other tools like laptop stands that will aid your good posture.

2. Standing desks

Another good substitute for the exercise balls are the standing desks. They can help to reduce the amount of time spent sitting and promote more movement throughout the day.

3. Kneeling chairs

These chairs are incredible as they help to shift weight off the lower back and onto the knees. As a result, you will have less strain on the back.

4. Supportive materials

Tools like wobble stools or balance cushions can help to engage core muscles. Instead of the exercise ball, you can also use these to help your posture.

5 Exercise Ball Exercises To Try For Your Posture

Here are 5 exercises that you can do using your exercise ball which helps to promote better posture. Let’s know!

1. Seated Ball Stretch

Sit on the exercise ball
Keep your feet flat on the floor, your hands will be on your hips
Now gradually roll the ball forward
This will stretch your spine and reach your hands toward the ground
Hold for a few seconds, then roll the ball back

2. Wall Squat With Ball Squeeze

Stand with the exercise ball
Place the ball between your lower back and the wall
Now lower your body into a squat and squeeze the ball
Hold for a few seconds, then return to standing

3. Ball Hip Lift

Lie on your back and keep your feet on top of the exercise ball
Lift your hips off the floor and hold for a few seconds
Now slowly lower back down

4. Plank With The Ball Roll

Start in a plank position
Keep your hands on the exercise ball
Now use your core muscles to roll the ball forward and back

5. Chest Stretch On The Ball

Sit on the exercise ball
Place your feet flat on the floor
Now put your hands clasped behind your head
Slowly lean back
Hold and then return to the starting position

Frequently Asked Questions FAQs

Is it good to use an exercise ball as a chair?

No, you shouldn’t use your exercise ball as a chair. This may increase the risk of muscle strain if you sit there for a prolonged period.

Is an exercise ball good for your back?

Yes, this helps your back muscles to become more active and helps your spinal alignment. Exercise balls also form the core body muscles.

Is it better to sit on a ball or chair?

A ball can never replace your chair. So, using it as a substitute for your chair is not a good idea as it can cause muscle discomfort and bring more disadvantages.

Who should not use an exercise ball?

If you have spinal injuries and diseases then you shouldn’t use the ball. It will worsen your condition and lead you to extreme pain.

Wrapping Up

So, now you know are exercise balls good for posture or not. But you need to use them with care as overusing them may bring more issues than advantages.

Also, if you have spinal issues, it’s better to avoid exercise balls.