How Sitting on an Exercise Ball Helped my Back Pain

I have a collapsing disk in my low back that has given me intermittent low back pain over the last 4 years. It was sparked by an over-use injury and is something I’ve been dealing with ever since. People suggest that I should pay attention to my posture and work on my core. These all seem like fine enough ideas… but what does it really mean to keep better posture? To work on my core – should I just do more crunches? When advice is generic- it elicits a pretty mediocre outcome.

I have an adjustable standing desk at work, but let’s be honest – standing all day is tough and some days I’m just too tired to put in the extra effort. Besides, it just feels so good to chill in my cushy office chair. One of the things I’ve found that aggravates my low back pain is when my hips get out of alignment. Going to the chiropractor every day is not exactly a feasible option, and so last time I went in for an adjustment – I asked if he had any recommendations on how to keep my hips in better alignment on a regular basis. The conversation quickly turned to my sitting habits at work. I thought, “great… here we go… another conversation on keeping better posture” His recommendation was a little unexpected though… he thought I should try sitting on an inflatable exercise ball.

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(Photo: Google)

I assumed it was exclusively to force me into better posture, but he explained that the muscles I would use to stay balanced on the ball during the days are the same muscles that surround my hip bones. By specifically strengthening those muscles, the hips will have a much harder time getting out of alignment. This prospect intrigued me and so I decided to give it a go.

I have now been doing a combination of standing and sitting on an exercise ball for about 2 weeks now and I cannot even believe the difference. I have not had any sign of back pain in the last 2 weeks. This is the first time in 4 years that I have gone that long without pain. I’ve tried many things over the years including planking to build my back muscles, massage therapy and even using a cannabis cream when my back was really flared up. Good thing I live in a place where this stuff is legal because it’s been a life saver on some days! So far, this is the most targeted strategy I have encountered and I am absolutely hooked.

(Photo: Google)

I am also loving the extra core work throughout the day. I try to find micro moments in my day where I can interject small changes to improve my overall health and wellness. Some examples of things I already do is take the stairs when I can, walk on my lunch break and take short 30 second “breath” breaks where I try to let go of all the tension in my body and refocus. It’s amazing how much tension can build in my arms, shoulders and neck without me even realizing it. Having a short reset every hour has been a powerful exercise for me. Getting to work on my core and engage my muscles more throughout the day while I’m just sitting at my desk has really fit into that philosophy for me.

If you want a little more inspiration on reasons to try an exercise ball at work check out this video. She also offers a couple of subtle exercise options you can do at your desk while working.

(Source: friendyourbody.com)

Every situation and body is different, and so sitting on an exercise ball may not help everyone who has back pain – but I wanted to share my experience in case it is beneficial to anyone else. Thanks for reading. <3