Fitness Balls Don’t Fit the Bill at Work

While fitness (or Swiss) balls improve your core strength and keep your workouts interesting, they shouldn’t be used in place of an office chair at work, according to WorkSafeBC, the Workers’ Compensation Board of B.C. Fitness balls, which are designed for intermittent use in rehabilitation or training programs, don’t offer adequate support or stability for an eight-hour workday and could even be hazardous, says the group in a recent issue of WorkSafe Magazine. 

Peggy Gallant, professor in the department of human kinetics at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, N.S., agrees.  “The ergonomics of the fitness ball is inappropriate for use at work and at the work desk,” she says. 

Fitness balls do not permit swiveling or easy navigation of your workspace, and they don’t provide sufficient support for your neck, back or legs.  Instead, you’re exercising all day in an attempt to maintain an upright and comfortable position.  You can use them at the office for short periods, says Gallant, but they’re not practical, and workers would be better advised to invest in ergonomically designed work spaces.