Despite the popularity of balls-as-chairs in the workplace, the answer to this question is a cautious "maybe." If you work at, let's say, an active lifestyle magazine in Santa Fe, New Mexico, you’re likely accustomed to colleagues perched gingerly atop oversize bouncy balls, like prospective circus performers. Studies have shown that sitting on an exercise ball, as opposed to a regular desk chair, helps to burn an additional 30 calories per eight-hour workday. But is it good for your back? In the gym, exercise balls can provide great stability training, challenging your muscles to keep you balanced as you run through the standard sets of crunches and shoulder presses. As Dr. Edward Laskowski, co-director of Mayo Cinic's sports medicine center points out, “Even if you’re strong, you may not be very stable.” It's important for athletes to train stabilizer muscles to prevent joint injury as they tackle heavier weights or longer runs. Getting a good fit for your exercise ball is important.
As with any sitting device, you should use the "90-90" rule: make sure you're creating ninety-degree angles at your knees and hips, so that your hips are even with your knees, your back and legs are perpendicular to the ground, and your feet are resting squarely on the floor. (If the ball is too high or too low, you’ll end up leaning forward or backward, putting unnecessary stress on the spine.) Since most of us spend much of every day sitting at our desks, Laskowski recommends an ergonomic evaluation, in which a physical therapist comes into your office and fits your workspace to your body. (Some larger companies offer this sort of service in-house.) Especially when you’re recovering from a lower back injury, working your stabilizers is important. That said, you don’t want to overdo it. As always, Laskowski says, “If it’s causing you pain, making you stabilize too much, then you should ease off.” And sitting on a ball all day might well be too much for most people.
A 2009 study examining the effects of sitting on an exercise ball as opposed to a chair concluded cautiously that "the advantages may not outweigh the disadvantages." A separate 2009 study found that "both seating types [chair and ball] were found to replicate a poor sitting position." The trouble is, the ball only works if you sit up straight—which most people don't. Dr. Nick Shamie, an associate professor of spine surgery at the University of California, Los Angeles, specializing in high performance athletes, says that balls are definitely not right for everyone. The benefit of a good old chair, he says, is that it supports your lumbar spine, lowering the pressure on your disks and your risk for disk degeneration: “Maybe initially it’s better to sit on a ball, but as you tire, you can get into trouble. The danger is the typical hunching or arching that happens as the day wears on. It only works if you maintain perfect posture." As an example, if you get tired or distracted and start leaning to one side, you risk straining the joints on the side of the spine, leading to muscle fatigue, lactic acid buildup, and pain.
“Anything beyond five degrees for an extended period of time means you’re putting too much pressure on the spine,” Shamie says. Unfortunately, no matter how strong you are, your muscles relax as you sit for long periods of time, transmitting more pressure to your disks and joints. In order to maintain your posture, Shamie recommends getting up and walking around every 40 minutes or so to take the pressure off your back and give your stabilizing muscles a chance to reset. He also emphasizes the importance of a full seven or eight hours of sleep to give your back the best opportunity to recover. Another option, besides an exercise ball, is to avoid the risky business of sitting altogether. A new study out last month indicated that sitting for more than three hours each day, regardless of fitness and exercise level, can literally take several years off your life. The pressure on your spine is far greater when you’re seated than when you’re standing, so consider trying a vaulted, or standing, desk.
(Some back injuries are aggravated by standing, so, as always, consult with your doctor if you're dealing with injury.) Stability training is important, but not at the expense of your back. If you do want to try out an exercise ball, be hyper-vigilant about your posture. Or skip the balancing act and try some quick back exercises throughout the day instead.Sitting is one of the worst positions for the body to maintain. After just 20 minutes hunched over in a chair, blood pools in the legs and immense pressure builds on the spine. Now, imagine the effects of sedentary workdays long term. For employees at startups and tech companies, our jobs are desk-bound (that is, until treadmill desks are affordable in bulk). So, it's a good thing that expert's tips to prevent serious injury are rather simple — take frequent breaks and stand as often as possible. Prolonged sitting causes discomfort, numbness and spine misalignment. Holding the body upright also increases tension in major muscles and joints.
All that means stationary time at work can lead to cardiovascular disease (because of less blood flow), tightened hip flexors, shortened hamstrings, pinched nerves and many physical injuries in the long run. New York City chiropractor Dr. Jan Lefkowitz treats pinched nerves, spilled discs, carpal tunnel, back pain and stiff necks full time. His Body in Balance chiropractic office resides in the corporate heart of Midtown NYC. The majority of his clients work 50 to 80 hours weekly. Body pain, herniated discs, nerve problems and painful joints are direct results of long office hours, says Dr. Lefkowitz. When you're sitting, the spine is under a lot of pressure. Our bodies were made to stand, so maintaining the seated position is physically stressful. "The weight is distributed in a standing position," says Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D., a health psychologist at Stanford University and a leading expert in neck and back pain. That's not the case with sitting. McGonigal explains, "When you sit, you distort the natural curve of the spine, which means your back muscles have to do something to hold your back in shape because you're no longer using the natural curves of the spine to lift yourself up against gravity."
Around 80% of Americans will experience chronic pain in their lifetime as a result, she says. Desk work is putting a huge mental and physical stress on our bodies. Bad posture makes the sitting disease even worse. Slipped discs is a direct result. "When the posture breaks down, it causes a lot of spinal problems," Lefkowitz says. "If you are sitting down with bad posture and you're slouching, you can only handle 20 minutes of that before it deforms your ligaments." Good posture when sitting maintains the three natural curves of a healthy spine. The neck is forward, the upper back has an outward curve and the lower back is inward. Elbows are at the sides of the body and shoulders are relaxed — holding shoulders upright for a long time will strain the area. "The main point is avoid slouching, you have to sit up straight and sit all the way back in your chair," Lefkowitz says. "The chair should be tucked in close to desk. And, you need lumbar (lower back) support."
Inexpensive remedies are available. Either roll up a thick sweater or use a small pillow behind your back to allow your lower back to curve inward. Aim to insert it in between the small of your back and the chair. Another recommendation to avoid pulling muscles or causing pain is simply standing every 20 minutes or so. It's the most important thing desk workers can do to give the body a break from a long held position. "That will push the blood out of your legs and will prevent ligaments from getting strained," Lefkowitz says. "It starts to stretch out your ligaments." Simple stretches at your desk such as twisting, turning the head from side-to-side and chin tucks upward towards the ceiling will also help. "Those movements, doing them very regularly, at least once an hour, for 60 seconds will do more to relieve chronic pain than going to a yoga class once a week," McGonigal says. Stand at least every hour at your desk. Do simple stretches throughout the day such as placing your hands on your lower back and stretching backwards.