According to the OpinionWay survey, 89% of French people were already suffering from back pain in 2017. This phenomenon has only intensified in recent years, with the explosion of remote work, highlighting the close link between back pain, sedentary lifestyles, and ergonomic problems.
A sedentary screen-based job and an unsuitable chair are the perfect combination to cause lower back, neck, and trapezius pain due to poor posture.
Students, office workers, or remote workers, many of us suffer from the harmful effects of sedentary lifestyles and prolonged sitting positions. Unlike a classic static office chair, the sitting ball or ball chair encourages a more dynamic posture, by engaging stabilizing muscles.
Inspired by the Swiss Ball used in physiotherapy for rehabilitation, the sitting ball is increasingly attracting users to prevent and relieve back pain. Good or bad idea? This is what we try to decipher in this article.
Sedentary lifestyle and prolonged sitting: real scourges for your back
According to ONAPS, adults in France spend an average of 12 hours sitting on working days and 9 hours on other days.
However, our body is designed to alternate positions and remain in motion, not for the immobility of the chair which causes and accentuates back pain.
When we sit for too long without moving, several physiological adaptations can occur:
- Intervertebral discs are more compressed.
- Postural muscles are less engaged and can lose endurance.
- Shoulders tend to round forward and the head to move forward.
- Breathing can become more shallow with slouched posture.
- Blood circulation in the lower limbs is slowed by immobility.
- Tensions in the lumbar and cervical regions can gradually set in.
Between 2023 and 2024, the number of people suffering from MSDs (musculoskeletal disorders) increased by 6.7%, now representing nearly 90% of occupational diseases. The expression "sitting is the new smoking", popularized by endocrinologist Dr. James Levine, illustrates the growing awareness of the detrimental effects of an overly sedentary lifestyle.
Ball chair vs. classic chair for back pain?
|
Criteria |
Classic office chair |
Ergonomic sitting ball |
|
Mobility |
Limited (prolonged static posture) |
Promotes micro-movements |
|
Posture |
Tendency to slump |
More active posture |
|
Muscles engaged |
Weak with prolonged immobility |
Engagement of stabilizing muscles |
|
Main objective |
Static comfort |
Dynamic sitting position |
On a classic office chair, the body generally remains in a prolonged static posture. The spine tends to slump, losing its natural curve, the lumbar lordosis, and the back rounds.
Sitting for long periods in a slumped posture exerts constant and asymmetrical pressure on your intervertebral discs. Less used, the stabilizing muscles that support the spine lose their tone. Tensions appear, aggravated by fatigue or improper chair adjustment.
Traditional chairs, even ergonomic ones, often encourage a more passive posture and limit spontaneous body movements throughout the day, accentuating back pain, mainly lumbar and cervical.
For people with sedentary lifestyles, incorporating more movement becomes an important issue for their comfort and health. Thanks to its voluntary and controlled instability, the sitting ball encourages micro-postural adjustments and more dynamic sitting.
But is sitting on an ergonomic ball really enough to prevent or relieve back pain?
What are the benefits of the sitting ball for your back?
The sitting ball helps relieve back pain through dynamic posture, strengthening deep muscles and the abdominal core, while preventing stiffness. The entire thoracolumbar system is thus strengthened, without tension, in a natural and physiological position.
A 2022 study, conducted on patients aged 17 to 40 suffering from chronic lower back pain, shows that exercises with a ball reduce pain after a few weeks of use.
"Dynamic sedentariness" against MSDs
The sitting ball supports your movements rather than blocking them, promoting "dynamic sedentariness". By moving more, you avoid muscle tensions, especially in the lower back, trapezius, and neck, resulting from static posture.
The controlled instability of the ball forces you to make constant micro-movements to maintain balance and regularly change position.
This gentle mobility stimulates blood and lymphatic circulation, as well as rehydration of the intervertebral discs. This helps prevent premature wear of the spine and reduce inflammation.
Passive strengthening of postural muscles to relieve lower back pain
To maintain balance on the sitting ball, unconscious core engagement occurs. Stabilizing muscles, especially of the abdominal core, spinal, and pelvic regions, activate and, eventually, strengthen for better lumbar support.
According to Fernández-Rodríguez's 2022 meta-analysis, trunk stabilization exercises are among the most effective approaches to reduce chronic lower back pain.
While sitting on a ball encourages passive muscle contraction, pelvic rotations help release tensions and contractures associated with certain back pains like sciatica or osteoarthritis.
Postural benefits: hip opening and natural spinal alignment
While a chair maintains the body in a right-angle position, a properly sized sitting ball opens the angle between the torso and thighs to approximately 110°.
In this way, an anterior pelvic tilt is created, contrary to the retroversion caused by traditional seats, in order to restore physiological lumbar lordosis. The lower back finds a more natural alignment with the cervical spine, the spine straightens, the rib cage opens, and tensions in the neck and shoulders decrease.
Encouraging a more dynamic position, the sitting ball helps sit straighter, better distributing loads along the spine and relieving disc pressure. Your buttocks and lower back experience less pressure and discomfort.
In the office, remote work, or living room: a ball for every space for your back
Sitting ball for back pain in the office: the alternative to the rigid chair
In the office as well as for remote work, the sitting ball provides dynamic sitting to keep your back toned in front of the screen.
Your sedentary workstation transforms into an active space.
Sitting ball for back pain at home: versatility and well-being
The use of active seating is not limited to work. You can also sit on your sitting ball at home for various activities like reading, scrolling on your phone, or watching television instead of slumping on the sofa.
It is also useful for pregnant women to relieve weight on the pelvis and back.
Finally, you can use it to do some gentle exercises and stretches.
Note that a sitting ball, like a Bloon, with its careful design, elegantly fits into any interior thanks to its modern colors and quality textiles.
Choosing the right ball for back pain
To be truly beneficial for your back, you still need to choose the right ball. Opt for a model adapted to its use. While a Swiss Ball works very well for sports sessions, only an ergonomic sitting ball is suitable for prolonged sitting, provided you choose the right size.
Limitations of the classic gym ball for back problems
The gym ball, sold in all major sports stores, is ideal for doing muscle strengthening exercises for a toned back.
However, if you want to use it as a seat, it is better to opt for a model designed for this purpose. Sitting on a Swiss Ball for long hours is never recommended, especially when suffering from back problems, as it is too unstable and flattens under the weight of the body. As a result, your muscles get tired, your posture deteriorates, and your back pain worsens.
Find here all the differences between a gym ball and a sitting ball.
Bloon: the sitting ball designed by an osteopath for back pain
Co-designed with an osteopath, the Bloon is an ergonomic sitting ball designed with your back in mind. In fact, its use is encouraged by some health professionals.
Its patented weighted base allows controlled instability and returns to its position with each change of posture. Indeed, for a ball to be beneficial for the back in the long term, it must be stabilized. Thanks to its roly-poly effect and non-slip cover, the Bloon offers a perfect balance between mobility and safety. This active seating promotes movement without causing lumbar fatigue linked to increased balance seeking.
Choosing the right ball size
Another essential criterion for selecting your ergonomic sitting ball is its size. It must be adapted to your morphology and the height of your desk.
A sitting ball that is too small inevitably makes your back round, while one that is too large presents risks of falling.
At Bloon, we offer two ball sizes:
- Regular for people under 1m80 (5'11")
- XL for those over 1m80 (5'11").
Find our size guide and our advice here.
The right size is one that allows you to place your forearms flat on your desk with your elbows at 90°, and your feet flat on the floor with your knees at 90°. Your hip opening should be approximately 110°, meaning your hips should be slightly elevated compared to your knees.
How to properly use your sitting ball for back pain?
You have acquired the right ball for your back pain? Learn how to use it properly to reap all the benefits and avoid injury.
Optimal inflation
The first step before sitting on your ball is to inflate it properly.
As with size, inappropriate inflation can have contradictory effects. Your ball should be firm, but not completely inflated, to offer you optimal support and greater comfort.
The perfect posture to adopt on your ball
Although an ergonomic exercise ball chair naturally encourages better posture, you must position yourself correctly on your ball; otherwise, you risk poor posture and overworking your back.
Sit in the center of the ball with your back straight, feet firmly on the ground, and spread hip-width apart.
The right pace
It can be ambitious, even dangerous for your back, to want to replace your ergonomic office chair with an exercise ball chair overnight.
Allow your body time to adapt to dynamic sitting and pay attention to signs of fatigue and discomfort. Do not overexert yourself.
For the first few days, it is recommended to sit only for short 30-minute sessions, then to gradually increase, alternating with your office chair.
Once you are accustomed and feel comfortable, you can use it as long as you wish.
The winning duo for your back: ergonomic exercise ball chair and targeted exercises
To prevent or relieve back pain related to a sedentary lifestyle, the ideal approach is to combine an exercise ball chair with targeted exercises.
While you can do stretches and back strengthening exercises recommended by an osteopath, here we will focus on exercises with a ball for back pain.
Why combine active sitting and exercises?
Stretches help to release muscle tension to prevent its accumulation, while targeted muscle strengthening exercises help to tone your back and stabilize your spine.
Simple exercises to do with your ball
Several exercise ball chair exercises help to prevent and relieve back pain through stretching, such as:
- Pelvic tilts and rotations: seated on the ball, hands on hips, draw an "O" with your hips or tilt your pelvis back and forth.
- Back roll: seated on the ball, slide your feet forward so that your back is against the Bloon.
- Self-lengthening with arm raise: seated on the ball, keep your back straight, the crown of your head reaching towards the sky, then raise your arms above your head.
- Child's pose: kneeling in front of the Bloon, place your belly/chest on the ball, letting your arms hang on each side.
You can also practice exercises to strengthen stabilizing muscles, such as the glute bridge with feet on the ball.
Precautions: when should you avoid the ball?
An excellent tool for promoting a more active posture and limiting the effects of prolonged sitting, the exercise ball chair does not replace professional advice in cases of significant pain or specific situations.
In certain contexts, its use may require a gradual approach or alternation with a more stable seat.
When might the exercise ball chair not be suitable for your back pain?
The exercise ball chair relies on slight instability that engages deep muscles. This specificity, while beneficial in many cases, may be less suitable if:
- You are experiencing a period of significant or very sensitive pain,
- You have a marked lack of muscular endurance in your trunk,
- You are prone to balance difficulties,
- Or you need a very stable seat for long durations.
In these situations, it may be preferable to start gradually or alternate with a classic chair while adapting.
When to seek professional advice before using a ball for your back?
A healthcare professional (doctor, physiotherapist, or osteopath) can guide you in your choice if you have:
- established or recurrent back pain,
- a known back condition (such as chronic low back pain or a herniated disc),
- monitored scoliosis,
- or persistent pain following trauma.
Conclusion: the exercise ball chair for the back, good or bad idea?
While it is not a miracle solution for back pain, the ergonomic exercise ball chair is an interesting alternative for limiting the detrimental effects of a sedentary lifestyle on the back, provided it is chosen and used correctly.
Promoting a more active position, it engages the stabilizing muscles of the trunk more and encourages micro-movements, which can reduce tension related to prolonged static postures, especially in the lumbar and cervical regions.
Used intelligently, the exercise ball chair can therefore be a relevant option for people seeking to relieve or prevent back pain related to prolonged sitting.
In case of acute or persistent back pain, consult a healthcare professional.