Adding a Bosu Ball with your standing desk is a great way to enhance the benefits of a standing desk. Standing desks are excellent alternatives to sitting all day and there are many benefits to using one. They offer a healthier lifestyle while you are working at the office or working from home. A Bosu ball with your standing desk is just another good option that makes standing while working a life changing experience.
Bosu Balls are often used for balance training in gyms and exercise classes. They are inflated rubber domes, or half exercise balls mounted on a rigid base. They can be purchased from going over to amazon or any local fitness store or sporting goods store like DICKs.
When the dome side faces up, the Bosu ball provides an unstable surface while the bottom remains stable. The ball can also be flipped over so that the base faces up. When upside down like this, the ball is highly unstable and can be used for other types of positions or exercises.
This double sided use is where Bosu gets its acronym name meaning “BOth Sides Utilized.” This is different than a standing desk balance board, where only one side is used. This versatility is a great option to improve your desk setup. Another great thing about a Bosu Ball is that it takes up less space than a stability ball and you won’t have to worry about it rolling away from your desk.
Here are 5 benefits of using a Bosu ball with a standing desk.
1. Improves static and dynamic balance and postural stability by activating multiple core muscles. This can improve your overall posture and balance strength.
2. Increases flexibility through stretching varieties. Unlike a flat standing desk mat, the Bosu will allow you to perform a variety of stretches while working at your desk. A simple one is to place the Bosu dome side down and use it to stretch your calves by placing the ball of one foot on the edge of the rigid base, and rest the heel of that foot on the floor. The Bosu will tilt at an angle and support your foot as you stretch your calf muscles. It can also be used to stretch your hips, IT Band, and hamstrings.
3. Increased strength through exercise varieties. Some people like the option to stay active or exercise at their desk. This can be accomplished without getting a treadmill standing desk or bike desk. With a Bosu Trainer, you can do step drills (step one leg up and back down) or side overs (step both legs up and over to the opposite side- repeat). You can also do calf raises in between your calf stretches. 10 or 20 per hour quickly adds up over days and strengthens your calves.
4. Reduces the risk of falling. Bosu Balls can strengthen your core and stabilizing muscles as mentioned, and this results in reducing the risk of falling. Your internal stability and increased core stability and strength provide subconscious control to prevent falling. This is especially good for older individuals or somebody that is recovering from and injury and could be prone to falling.
5. Reduced risk of injury and pain from using a standing desk. Using a Bosu trainer to stretch occasionally at your desk will decrease the risk of tightness and overuse injury that some people may be dealing with. The increased flexibility also alleviates the strain on your back from sitting all day.
If you do decide to add a Bosu ball to your stand up desk setup you won’t regret it. Just make sure you use it properly and start slow. Similar to standing desks, Bosu balls also strangely get a bad wrap of research for not having any proven benefits. Again, as mentioned here, done in moderation both standing desks and bosu balls have great benefits. You want to ensure you use both correctly, and specifically for a Bosu ball be sure that you are focused on working both sides of the body evenly, balance training, and core stability. Here is an excellent video from Marcie at hangtightwmarcie.com describing some of these benefits and many more of exercising with a bosu ball at your standing desk.
When you are standing at your desk it is easy to get stagnant and still, or resting too much on one leg. The Bosu ball is a constant reminder that to stay still you have to work for it, and will keep you using proper posture and staying active at your desk. If done correctly and in moderation, using a Bosu Ball at your standing desk is an excellent upgrade to improve your office setup.
Image Courtesy
By www.localfitness.com.au – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3797489
