Sitting, Standing, and Bouncing

Tuesday, 3 November 2009 • Short URL • 17 comments

In my interview on The Setup (and subsequently on Twitter), I mentioned that I often stand while working, and that when sitting, I usually use a balance ball.

To my surprise, a lot of people have contacted me wanting to know more about it. Rather than answer everybody individually, I thought I’d share the information here.

Why work standing up or on a balance ball?

I began working standing up a few years ago to help alleviate a back issue I was having, caused primarily from sitting too long with bad posture in an unsuitable chair. Sure I was in decent shape, stretching, and running 3.5k every other day. But back muscles aren’t meant to be frozen in an unnatural, hunching, curving position for an extended period of time (even in a good chair, like the Aeron I was using).

Eventually these muscles can just give out. The many hours I was spending at the desk (without paying attention to my posture) combined with an overzealous weekend-warrior-style yard project took its toll on my back, and I wound up having to make a change while things healed up. This wasn’t the first time I’d had back issues either, and I knew I had to make a longer lasting change.

Through research (I know people will ask what research? but it’s been a while and I don’t really recall all the sources, but here’s one article), I learned that the sitting position that many (probably most) people assume at an office desk is pretty bad for your back, but standing could alleviate many posture issues, with a number of additional benefits.

I found that I felt much better standing up, but the only surface that was the right height was the kitchen countertop in the middle of the house. This might work if I lived alone, but I’m married (sorry ladies) and have a wonderfully talkative, energetic 2-year-old running around, so I needed to find another solution.

A standing desk

Initially I had planned to replace my current working habitat, an inexpensive pressboard desk I’d acquired from Organized Living many years ago, with an adjustable — and perhaps electronic — standing desk. I talked with a large number of people about this, took a Twitter poll, and spent many hours researching. I found a large number of excellent options in this space, from IKEA to Steelcase. Here’s a short list of some of the desks I found (electronic and standard):

I didn’t get any of them.

All of them were great, but except for the IKEA stuff (my least favorite option), they were a bit too pricey. After all, I’d never tried working while standing up for extended periods of time (like weeks or months), and I wasn’t ready to drop that much coin for something I wasn’t sure I’d use.

I also considered a laptop cart, but none of the options I found had the combination of adjustability with the kind of sturdiness I was looking for.

A temporary solution

I went to Target and bought two small, inexpensive modular shelves, which happened to be on sale. I put the Apple Display on the one in back, and a keyboard on the one in front. Although the height wasn’t perfect (or adjustable), it was better than being at the kitchen counter, and it would give me an idea of what working standing up might be like.

I spent a number of weeks working like this. At first my legs and different parts of my back hurt, but that went away after a few days, as my body got used to working this way while my back issue was healing. I was moving more, stretching more, and paying much more attention to my posture, too. Unfortunately, it wasn’t possible to take a break and sit down unless I unplugged the MacBook Pro and used its display alone because the Apple Display was too high up on the shelf to view when sitting.

A mobile standing desk

I was talking with a friend about the situation, and she told me about the Anthro Adjustable Laptop Cart. I took a look at the ones they use in their facility, and I was impressed with its combination of adjustability (it works for sitting or standing), mobility, and solid, sturdy construction. Their staff is incredibly helpful and courteous.

While the Anthro cart isn’t cheap, it is very well made, and compliments rather than replaces a traditional desk. Even better, it’ll still be useful as a laptop station or worktable if I later decide to upgrade to a full-size, adjustable desk. Now I could sit at a desk as needed, or put the laptop on the Anthro Cart and stand (or adjust to sit) whenever I wanted to. And it was mobile, too.

Enter the balance ball

Several months later, I found that I was spending about equal time sitting as standing. Unfortunately, despite my best efforts to develop better sitting posture, I’d sometimes fall into old posture habits. This wasn’t so bad, except that I also managed to tweak something in my back while lifting something heavy.

The physical therapist explained that — probably due to years of bad posture and genetics — it wasn’t enough to just stand. I needed to retrain and build up my core stabilizer muscles, especially now that I’m maneuvering a growing 2-year old boy so much, in and out of car seats, shopping carts, and playground equipment. Doing this would have the affect of strengthening my entire back, torso, and legs, so that future issues could hopefully be avoided.

A great way to do this, she explained, would be to sit on a balance ball. Sitting on a balance ball requires good posture, encourages movement, and involves your whole body. It will help strengthen your core stabilizer muscles, your upper and lower back, and your legs. I had to pick up a balance ball to do some of the exercises she’d recommended anyway, so I thought I’d give it a shot.

There are a lot of balance balls available, and many cheap ones exist in local stores. But my physical therapist recommended that I pick up one of the better ones which generally cost about $20-30.

I ordered a 65cm Thera-Band Exercise Ball for about $30.

I’ve been using the balance ball for a few months now, and I’m happy to say that it has changed everything about how I sit, work, move, and has significantly improved my posture and flexibility and strengthened my back. I can now sit all day (with breaks of course) on a balance ball, something I couldn’t do without discomfort or pain in a regular chair, not even in the Aeron.

An added benefit: I’ve read that you can burn up to 350 calories a day by sitting on a balance ball instead of a chair. I’m not sure if this is true (I’m not trying to lose weight), but my back certainly feels much better after a day of balancing on a ball than it ever did all day in a chair or standing up.

I should also mention that this position felt somewhat natural for me, as I spend about an hour each day in sitting meditation, with a back posture similar to the one you’ll go into when you’re sitting on a balance ball. (My physical therapist said the only time my back looked “right” was when I showed her how I sit in meditation.)

Yes, it’s true: I am now the poster child for using a balance ball as a chair.

How to transition from sitting in a chair to sitting on a balance ball

I knew I’d be in for a challenge, but I didn’t realize exactly what would be involved. So based on my experience, here’s what you can expect when you make the transition:

I really hope that this article is useful to you, especially if you suffer from back-related issues.

Please consider sharing your thoughts about adjustable desks, balance balls, and related topics here in the comments.

Filed in Gear, Efficiency, Tips and Tricks.

Travis Vocino

03 November 2009 at 2:59 pm

I actually stole my girlfriend’s exercise ball a couple days ago for the same reasons.  I originally saw that Leo Laporte (live.twit.tv) sits on one all day and was inspired to try it.

I’m definitely a fan but it does take a little getting used to.

Ciaran Lee

03 November 2009 at 3:32 pm

I also sit on a balance ball at work, and have been doing so for two years or so. I have had a bunch of back injuries, and need to do an amount of core work to keep them from re-occurring. I find the ball far more comfortable than slouching in a chair all day.

Pat

03 November 2009 at 4:01 pm

A couple years back I started sitting on an exercise ball while at the office, and noticed an incredible improvement in my posture. I, too, had been experiencing some major back problems beforehand.

It’s been a while since I last sat on an exercise ball, as I lost the cap to keep the air in on the ball I own. You’ve inspired me to go purchase a new one, however, as the health benefits far exceed the small cost to buy a new one.

Cheers,
Pat

Thomas J Bradley

03 November 2009 at 5:15 pm

I have been using a standing desk for a few years now and absolutely love it!

I have an Ikea desk, similar to the Fredrik, but an older model called the Jerker. They don’t make the model any more and it’s unfortunate because the build quality is many times better than the current models.

To complement my standing desk I have a drafting chair so I can sit at the same height that I stand. Though since I have been standing for so long I actually can’t sit in a chair for very long any more.

Another thing that helped me a lot is getting a really nice pair of comfortable (and supportive) shoes. I can’t stand at my desk without them on.

Dan Benjamin

03 November 2009 at 6:02 pm

@Thomas - the drafting chair is a great idea, as are the shoes. Somebody on Twitter even suggested using a smaller balance ball to kneel on while standing!

Martin Westin

03 November 2009 at 6:15 pm

I have a recommendation. A chair that is almost good for you :)
I have been sitting on and “standing on” (drafting chair-style) the Håg Capisco for years and can’t imagine anything else.

They are very strange but very cool looking. The idea is that the chair should encourage movement. The seat is a saddle shape which is great both for sitting and “half standing”. You can rotate and sit at pretty much any angle on it in varying positions.

The downside is the price. Norwegian-made chairs don’t come cheap even in neighbouring Sweden. They are about twice the price of most proper office chairs and 5-10 times the price of IKEA’s chairs. Still worth it though.

On any other day you would find more info on their website(s) but both seem to be down at the moment.
http://www.haginc.com/
http://www.hag.no/

Jeremy Lecour

03 November 2009 at 8:03 pm

Hi,

With my co-workers, we’ve talking about buying a few balls and try them in replacement of regular chairs, but we can buy 65cm or 75cm.

I guess that the size matters but what is the best size for a person who’s 1.88 m heigh ?

Thanks

Ken Fowkes

03 November 2009 at 10:54 pm

When my neglected back got to the point where I couldn’t sit anymore due to pain, I switched to a kneeling chair, and it was a huge improvement.  I’m not sure why, but it does shift some weight to the knees/calves, and the angled seat makes it difficult to slouch.  Of course, after a couple of hours in a kneeling chair the calves start to complain, so I got a height adjustable desk made by a company called rightangle.  Now I alternate between sitting and standing.  The desk is small enough to raise and lower easily and quickly, but there’s still plenty of room for my monitor/keyboard/mouse, a couple of small speakers, and a notepad on the side.  Not cheap, and slightly wobbly, but I’m loving this thing!

Jeremy Weathers

04 November 2009 at 3:34 pm

A couple years ago I tried both a ball and a normal style kneeling chair at least a couple hours a day for a month or two each, but neither of them stuck. About 6 months ago, I bought a Kneelsit chair (http://kneelsit.com) and at around 4 months I was using it all day every day - it is working great for me. I don’t know for sure if the difference was the chair or just making more of an effort to experiment with the adjustments and get used to it. I didn’t want to throw away $500 - it was easier to give up on a ball and a cheap surplus kneeling chair.

The Kneelsit has a front/back tilt that is not locked into place, so it has some of the active balancing properties of a ball without rolling all over the floor when I’m not using it.

Matt

04 November 2009 at 6:51 pm

With your back issues, I’d love know what kind of mattress you have. Thanks for all the great ideas on chairs and standing desks.

Anthony

04 November 2009 at 7:01 pm

Leo Laporte somewhat famously had his balance ball explode on him during one of his live podcast sessions. Definitely important to get the high-quality ball and check it routinely for signs of wear as well as looking out for sharp edges in its vicinity. I believe the good ones do not explode when punctured, like his original, but will simply deflate slowly, making it much safer.

Dan Benjamin

05 November 2009 at 12:37 pm

If you’re interested in a kneeling chair, I have and recommend this setup: http://zafu.net/tiltseat.html

Tom

08 November 2009 at 10:20 pm

I’m curious if a ball will work for a desk where the space between legs is only about 2.5 feet ... I’m worried that the front of the ball will hit the legs before I can get far enough “in” to not have to lean forward over my keyboard.

Thanks.

Dan

10 November 2009 at 6:54 pm

I’ve been sitting on a Savasa Body Ball for a week now and have had no ill effects. In answer to Jeremy’s question the box indicates:

Height     Ball-Size
5’0”-5’5”  55cm
5’6”-5’11”  65cm
6’0”-6’3”  75cm

John P

11 November 2009 at 7:22 pm

Great post!

I bought a GeekDesk about a year ago, and I don’t think I’ll ever go back to just sitting OR standing—being able to switch back and forth easily and quickly really makes a difference.

Agree w/comments above re: sitting “variety.”  I use a regular desk chair (mine’s a Raynor), a kneeling chair (great for short stints), a bar stool, and of course, standing. Change it up all day long, and feel much, much better now working long days than I used to. I may even try the balance ball idea—we’ll see.

At any rate, many fewer visits to the chiropractor, and a lot more energy in general. Can’t recommend experimenting w/ones desk/sitting setup strongly enough.

Stephen Bartholomew

22 November 2009 at 7:58 pm

Thanks for posting this - certainly some good tips here.

Any chance you could post some photos of you using your desk standing/sitting/kneeling?  I’m trying to sort a solution out myself and it’d be great to see some action shoots (so to speak).

Cheers!!

JS Carlton

28 January 2010 at 11:40 pm

Finally got my balance ball today…just spent the last hour inflating it :)

I’ve been working on my core muscles a bit over the last year, but this is a whole new experience altogether. I’m interested to see how it goes over time.

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