How To Burn 6% More Calories In The Office By Sitting

Exercise balls just received a promotion, rising from the ranks of gym room staple to office hero. Now we’re not about to tell you to turn your workspace into an F45 studio, no. This may require far too many approvals from upper management. We’re talking swapping your office chair with an exercise ball because as it turns out, merely swapping your seating arrangements can have a big impact on your health. 

Here are the 5 compelling reasons you should be using an exercise ball as a chair.  

Let’s talk calories   

A 2008 study conducted by the University of Buffalo found that working while sitting on an exercise ball burnt on average 6% more calories than sitting on a normal office chair. On average, that equated to burning between an extra 6 to 10 calories an hour depending on a person’s size. Now if 6 calories an hour are not enough to convince you, let us do some math for you. That is an extra 222 calories burnt in a working week and 888 calories burnt a month...by sitting on your bum. 

Let’s talk abdominal muscles  

While it won’t happen overnight, sitting on an exercise ball will gradually help build up your abdominal muscles. This is due to having to use your abdominal muscles to compensate for changes in balance while sitting on a ball. Stronger abdominal muscles will also help prevent injuries during your strenuous workouts at the gym.  

Let’s talk spinal alignment  

Sitting on an exercise ball requires balance forcing you to align your spine and sit with a good posture. This means those hunch backs will become a thing of the past unless you plan on falling off the ball every few minutes. It also prevents neck stiffness that comes from sitting in the same position for too long.  

Let’s talk circulation  

Sitting for prolonged periods in the same position not only fatigues the muscles but also compresses the blood vessels responsible for supplying your muscles with blood. Unlike sitting in an office chair, sitting on an exercise ball will promote circulation throughout your entire body. 

Let’s talk flow on effect and energy   

That 4pm slump could have far less to do with the effects of a busy day and a lot more to do with the fact that you have been sitting hunched over a laptop for hours on end. Sitting in the same position for prolonged periods of time leads to lack of circulation and lack of movement which all work to decrease your energy levels. Sitting on an exercise ball requires constant movement and changes of direction which in turn increases your circulation, alertness and energy levels.