hazy stars: Getting On The Ball

This blog is literally about getting on the ball.

I am talking about the exercise ball.

Those of you who have been with me since the beginning of this blog may remember my post about sitting on an exercise ball. This was months before my company went through a merger and moved offices from downtown to the suburbs.

When I worked downtown, I got crazy looks the day I brought in my big exercise ball to replace sitting on a chair. I became so loyal to my ball, that I would bring it with me to all of our company meetings. In time, two of my other coworkers (including the founder and president of my company) also began sitting on balls. And then we moved and merged with a larger company. Once again, people looked at me like I was missing a few marbles. But I stood strong and loyal to my ball.

Why sit on the exercise ball instead of a regular chair? I had read several articles about others sitting on balls during the work day and drastically improving their posture and strengthening their core muscles. After about seven months of sitting on this ball, I can tell you that my posture has seen significant improvement.

And how do I know this? Well, 15 years of competitive swimming (complete with a dislocated rib and torn bicep) has had its share of wear and tear on my shoulders. In fact, I was beginning to look more like a hunchback than an normal upright human being. Now? I stand pretty damn tall. I rarely hunch.

And the core muscles? Well folks, just sitting on a ball won't give you a six pack. That requires actual exercise, which I unfortunately have not done seriously in many years. Actually, I've put on around 15 pounds over the course of the year. Going from working on your feet to a sedentary desk job will do that to you.

The purpose of this blog is actually to tell everyone of something really neat that happened to me today. I decided to extend my 4th of July vacation three extra days. Today was my first day back at work. When I first came in, I could not find my ball. In trying to find my ball, I realized that all but one of my surrounding coworkers in the "cubicle pit" had replaced their chair with an exercise ball. One of my coworkers pointed to his ball and exclaimed, "see what you've done to us!!!"

Another coworker raved about how much better his golf game had become, just after a few days of sitting on the ball. He stood taller and his swing was more controlled.

Today is a beautiful day. My coworkers have inspired me to continue inspiring others. Regardless of how eccentric or bizarre my habits and behaviors may be, I will continue to stay true to myself and hope that others will see the method in my madness and follow suit.

And to all of my company's competitors, beware. We are standing taller than ever!

Next step ... start exercising. This is going to be a challenge ...