Rollie Pollie

by Cheng-Ling Chen — February 7, 2008

I am hanging out at a friend's house when I spot a huge blue rubber ball in her living space. Just for fun, I sit on it. As my friend describes various exercises she practices with the ball, I entertain myself by rolling around. I have such a good time, I almost knock over a vase on her coffee table.

When I get home, I Google exercise ball and learn that it can be a very useful piece of workout equipment. Here are some reasons people like having the exercise ball around:

• Ergonomic Seat: Instead of sitting on a chair, many have found that sitting on an exercise ball while working gives them better posture. Since the exercise ball is not stable, the body must constantly adjust to balance on it. The active sitting posture promotes a straight spine and builds muscle strength. It also encourages frequent movement, promoting circulation.
• Constant Abs Workout: Staying seated on the exercise ball requires use of the abdominal muscles. This active, balanced posture provides a constant, low-key abs workout throughout the day.
• Improves balance: The body reacts to the movement caused by the instability of the ball, improving sense of balance.
• Fitness anytime: Having an exercise ball around or using it as a desk chair makes it easy to work out any time. You can do quick stretches when you're bored or waiting on something, even for a couple minutes at a time.

Exercise balls are reasonably priced, costing between $20 and $100. There are three pointers for choosing the right exercise ball:

• When seated on the exercise ball, feet should be flat on the floor with weight equally distributed.
• Thighs should be parallel to the floor, so that knees create a 90-degree angle with the hips.
• The body should be aligned centrally, without leaning in any direction.

Does this sound about right? Would any of you gals out there in the know recommend these bouncers?