Big red ball

I have a big, red exercise ball. Like one you would find in a modern gym, or on early morning exercise programs with women in pastel spandex and leg warmers. It actually was purchased as a tool for exercise, used in particular to improve my core strength for long distance cycling. Admittedly, it didn't see a lot of use on that front.

I took the Big Red Ball (BRB, for short) out of retirement around this time last year. I had been thinking a lot about posture, and how poor mine was getting. I brought it to school, blew it up and used it as a kneeling seat until I graduated last April. It was great for keeping my back straight, but perhaps more importantly it was perfect for keeping my hips at a wide, open angle. You see, the worst part about desk chairs (from my limited knowledge of ergonomics) is that the angle between your legs and your lower upper body is far too small. This results in the contraction of some muscles and the lengthening of others in a way that is particuarly unnatural to the homo sapien body. Not to mention that standing up from such a position is terrible for your lower back - unless you're very careful to use your arms to support yourself in the process.

I started my new job almost three months ago now. Up until today I sat in a desk chair. I'm happy to announce I made the switch back to BRB this afternoon (it took a little longer than I had hoped, but I won't go into the whys here). The reactions from my co-workers were few, but varied: There were some who just plain ignored it; there were a couple who came over to talk to me about it; there was one guy who gave me the thumbs up when he walked by (I get the impression he's very active, so I think he appreciated the athletic potetial); and I got the inevitable "That's not a chair" and a couple experimental kicks. I expect at least a few more reactions over the next week or so - it will be interesting to see what else comes of it.