Bouncy, Bouncy, Bouncy
Posted by Doug Thu, 23 Mar 2006 16:16:46 GMT
From a suggestion on #caboose I’ve snagged my wife’s 65cm exercise ball as my desk chair. I sit at my desk a lot and struggle with poor posture and general lower back pain.
The ball is quite fun. I’m such a fidgety person, I can’t stop bouncing! If you want to setup an iChat video you can see me bounce. I’m definitely sitting up straight. After a little over six hours on it yesterday, my back is definitely feeling sore. Not aching like I’m out of position sore; but sore like my muscles are feeling the exercise.
I’ve still got my regular desk chair, but when I sit in it I immediately start to slouch. After a few minutes I get pretty aggravated when the casters start to make ruts in the chair matt and I have to keep scooting to re-adjust my position. I’m really liking the ball!
I need to try something like that, I’m just over 6’ and find few desks & chairs are suited to someone my height, so I start slouching.
Yeah, I’m about 6’ too, so I’ll give that a shot. I love this photo of your second home. You’ll find the toilet paper on my desk too and I sold my 17” Powerbook a few months ago as a gamble that the 12” MacBooks will come out soon, so I can’t wait to pick one up. I’m wondering about the white paper on the wall. Is it just a wall that needs work or something more interesting?
That white paper is the plastic covering over the insulation they put on basement walls. I’m not 100% clear why they don’t go all the way down. I think it’s something to do with the freeze line.
Almost all of the programmers at the company I’m working sit on yoga balls at their desks (myself included). After about two months of that, I’ve definitely noticed improved posture. For the last year or so, I’ve always woken up in the morning feeling like I got hit by a truck, because my back would be stiff and sore. Now that pain’s completely vanished.
Once you’re comfortable sitting on tha ball all day long without being too sore, take it up a notch by spending some time sitting indian-style/meditation-style on top of the ball. It will force you to keep your spine even straighter and really give your lower-back muscles a workout.
Yes, almost $200 for the new chair, about $20 for the ball, but the bouncy Doug …..... priceless!