Elias
Current Posting Number 1
Topic: Health
Title: The Claim: Replacing Your Desk Chair With an Exercise Ball can Improve Your Posture.
Writer:ANAHAD O’CONNOR
Publication Name: New York Times
Date of Publication: September 20, 2010
Length: 252 words
The Claim: Replacing Your Desk Chair With an Exercise Ball can Improve Your Posture.
It has become popular use an exercise ball instead of an office chair. Some are saying it burns calories and improves posture. A 2008 study says that you burn about 4 calories more per hour which translates to 30 extra calories burned on a typical workday. A British study from 2009 found that although short bouts of sitting on an exercise ball improves posture, after a while on the ball your posture is the same as it would have been had you been sitting in a desk chair all along. A Dutch study from last year found that workers sitting on an exercise ball have 33% more trunk motion as well as more muscle activity when compared with workers sitting in traditional office chairs. The downside, however, is that prolonged sitting on an exercise ball causes spinal shrinkage, according to this same study.
I would prefer to sit in a desk chair at work and do sports after work for exercise since sitting on an exercise ball burns fewer calories than running, playing soccer or even leg lifts or bouncing. Besides the decreased concentration caused by focusing on sitting straight on the ball, I would be nervous about my spine possibly shrinking.
I agree that using a chair is better. A ball does not seem to burn a substantial amount of calories. I would also hate to put my spine in possible danger. Finally, I think that a chair is more comfortable, because it has a back rest and not round like a ball.
ReplyDeleteComing from someone with back pain, I think that sitting on the exercise ball is worth a try. When I sit in chairs for a long period of time my back stiffens up and it is very uncomfortable to get up. However, I don't feel like using the exercise ball would have much of an upside because the study talks about burning calories, not about comfort, and I feel like I get enough exercise as it is.
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