Switching My Office Chair For An Exercise Ball

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Say hello to my new chair!

Say hello to my new chair!

I have a very nice ergonomic home office chair. But I’ve decided to give it up for a GoFit Proball. That’s right, I’ll be doing a core workout while writing this blog. Awesome!

Now, I’m not using one of those ball chairs – the one where the ball sits in a chair frame. That is just stupid. I’m sitting on a real ball…OK, that does sound strange. Bear with me.

When sitting on the ball, my body has to constantly make small adjustments to remain balanced. I’ll use my core (abdominal muscles) to compensate for changes in balance, resulting in a low-key abdominal workout. I spend roughly 2-3 hours online a day. That’s a nice core workout.

Seems like cheating to me. What say you?

Seems like cheating to me. What say you?

As for why I am opposed to the ball chair, I just view it as defeating the purpose. Seems like the balance part is completely removed if the ball is sitting in a frame with arm rests (what, no cup holder?).

Picking the right ball is key. I had to factor in my height, weight and my desk’s height. The ball needs to be about 4 inches higher than my current chair. I’m 5’5” so I’m using a 65cm exercise ball.

The ball gets blown up tonight and I plan to start using it tomorrow. The office chair doesn’t go away. I can only use the ball for 20-minute intervals. That way my muscles can get some rest to prevent fatigue and get maximum benefit.

Now my only major concern is kitty claws.

Should I Up My Strength Training

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lifting book coverI missed my Tuesday session with my trainer due to a nasty ear infection and stomach bug. Thankfully I bounced back for today’s session.

I’m tired as hell, but feel great. How does that work?

It really is amazing how I feel after each session. Yes I’m drenched in sweat. My legs feel wobbly. My arms are jello. Yet, I am very relaxed and have an overwhelming desire to go for a long walk. I’ve heard about a runner’s high, perhaps this is something similar.

Right now I’m strength training twice a week and speed walking the other days. But I’m starting to wonder if I should up my strength training. I came across an article in Women’s Health about the value of strength training over cardio. Two stats jumped out at me:

1. Just 21% of women strength train two or more times a week.
2. Two strength training sessions per week can reduce overall body fat by 3 percent in a 10 week span.

The article isn’t about choosing between one or the other. I don’t think I have a choice. I need to do both. It’s about the clear benefits of strength training and encouraging women to take advantage of it. I think women don’t strength train because they fear bulking up too much. Sorry ladies, but we just are not built that way. I promise, you won’t turn into her.

But I’m wondering if my strength training and cardio are out of whack. Right now I’m split 70-30 in favor of cardio. Yes, I do believe that as long as I continue to eat the right foods and exercise, I’ll lose weight. The difference is that with cardio I’ll lose weight, but that can mean fat and muscle. With strength training, I can target my problem areas and lose fat, not muscle.

For the time being, I’ll stick with what I’m currently doing. I’ll re-evaluate around June 1. By that time I should be working again and can see how realistic it is to add another session.

In the meantime, I’ve ordered The New Rules of Lifting for Women. Since I’ve added strength training, I noticed I need to make some adjustments to what I’m eating. I have noticed that my metabolism plunges a few hours after these sessions. Clearly I’m not fueling my body properly. My last couple of sessions, I came home an ate an apple and that seemed to help, but I need to really work in more protein. Problem is, protein is a high point item on Weight Watchers. So I really need to figure out the most bank for the buck without going over my daily points allowance. I’m hopeful that this book can shed some light on the nutrition front.