Recently the trend for swapping out your office chair for a gym ball has swept through the UK with many asking the question ” is a gym ball better for my back than a conventional chair?”. This is based on the theory that the abdominal and back muscles are constantly engaged and active in order to maintain proper posture and balance on the ball.

Ergonomics expert Jo Blood of Posture People sheds some light on the pros and cons of using a gym ball in your 9-5.

“Gym balls are fantastic exercise tools, frequently used in physical therapy and exercise classes, they are a good way in building core strength as the body has to respond to the instability of the ball and balance. However, using a gym ball in an office environment may not be as beneficial as you had hoped.

Most people do not have the core strength to sit on the ball properly, which automatically makes the user tuck their feet under the ball to stop instability, and therefore defeating the purpose of swapping out your office chair. With average office hours exceeding 8 hours, it is impossible to keep your core muscles engaged for that period throughout the entire day”.