Walking Magazine

Sitting at your desk might not seem that fatiguing. But by quitting time, your exhausted mind, aching head, and stiff back are telling you otherwise. What's a poor office drone to do?

"Concentrate on not being still," recommends Carla Springer, Ph.D., an ergonomics consultant in Tucson, Arizona. "People become very interested in what they're working on and never move a muscle," she explains, adding that they set themselves up for muscle tension and its attendant problems as a result "Any kind of wiggling or fidgeting is helpful."

One solution may be a good pair of glasses. Many people don't realize they can't see their computer screens clearly and settle into a single position in their efforts to see better.

Need a fun reminder not to sit still? Check out The PostureBall from The Fitness Co. (480 - 443 - 9611). It's an inflatable oversized black sphere meant to be used as an office chair -- the perfect excuse to bounce and fidget all day long.

Vida Nova

Why would you substitute a traditional secretary's chair for an inflated ball? According to American physiotherapist Deby Harper, the ball helps to correct poor posture, improve circulation in the legs, and strengthen the muscles of the abdomen. More than 300 American companies, according to the LA Times, already enjoy the PostureBalls. Every ball is on average 55 centimeters in diameter, varying according to the height of the user, and comes with a list of exercises for breathing and posture that can be done while at work. The PostureBall usually costs $45 and can be bought from Fitness Company, telephone 480-443-9611. This does not include shipping and handling.

Your Health

People can have a ball at work these days. "The PostureBall", an item that fitness and rehabilitation experts have been using for years to stretch and strengthen back and stomach muscles, is making its way into offices and classrooms. Deby Harper of Scottsdale, Arizona has used them for 20 years in her exercise classes but believes she is the first to introduce them to office workers and schools. "Just sitting on the ball is exercise," she says. Chairs allow the body to slouch, twisting the spine out of alignment, hampering respiration, and harming back and stomach muscles. For more information, contact Harper at The Fitness Co. (480) 443 - 9611.

Health Magazine

Anybody at your office complaining about back pain? The Fitness Co. in Scottsdale, Arizona sells inflatable balls to replace desk chairs ($45; call 480/443-9611 to order). Already using in more than 300 companies around the country, the balls make it tougher to slouch, workers say, and encourage a slight bouncing movement that keeps leg muscles busy and eases stress.

Family Circle Magazine

By Elizabeth Yow.

Get On The Ball: PostureBalls, long used in physical therapy centers for support during strengthening and stretching, have a new function: as desk chairs! While perched on a ball, you must make continual minuscule movements that strengthen back, shoulder, and abdominal muscles and keep posture perfect, says Deby Harper, a certified personal trainer and president of the Fitness Co. in Scottsdale, Arizona. The balls come in five sizes: two for pre-schoolers ($20 and $25), one for school-age kids ($30, in red), office-chair size ($45) and extra large, for taller people ($45). From the Fitness Co. at 480-443-9611.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer

Balls are the new wave in working out. But now there's "The PostureBall," designed primarily as an alternative to chairs.

As a "dynamic seating device," the ball is designed to promote correct posture and balance while stimulating energetic performance at desk jobs. Chairs, on the other hand, are said to allow the body to slouch, thereby twisting the spine out of alignment, weakening abdominal muscles, and just generally raining a worker's energy.

The PostureBall is more than just a chair. It can also be used to stretch, strengthen and tone muscles and helps you perform exercises (a description of which comes with the ball) that will improve your posture, alleviate back pain, or reduce stress.

It is available in assorted colors, and four sizes: Preschool, student, office chair, and extra large, for people taller than 6-foot-5. Shipped flat, you'll have to inflate it with a bicycle pump or at a gas station.

The Ball costs about $45, though there are volume discounts. The primary supplier to schools and workplaces is the Fitness Co, (480) 443-9611.