Sitting on Stability Balls: Biomechanics Evaluation in a Workplace Setting

Abstract

Use of a stability ball alone and stability ball chair were evaluated in the Veterans Health Administration as possible alternatives to incorporate with regular office chair use. The evaluation of stability ball use was conducted under the auspices of a work site health promotion program as a cross-over trial with participants rotating through use of the stability ball, stability ball chair, and regular office chair on a monthly basis for a total duration of 3 months. Rotations on regular office chairs served as the control. Three medical facilities participated. A total of 193 employees completed a baseline questionnaire; 159 completed at least one post-rotation questionnaire. Self-reported measures included perceived posture when sitting, perceptions of overall balance, energy levels, job performance, safety, and pain. Use was associated with improvements in perceived posture (p < 0.0001) and energy levels (p = 0.007) for stability ball users compared with the office chair control, and improvements in perceived posture (p < 0.0001) and overall balance (p = 0.05) for stability ball chair users compared with the control. Use of stability balls at work decreases the likelihood of reporting pain from regular office chair use from approximately 45% to 21%. Alternatively, a high number of participants reported pain with use of the stability ball alone and stability ball chair, 42% and 45%, respectively. The perceived risks and benefits of stability ball use should be weighed when incorporating use.

[Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene for the following free supplementary resource: Post-Active Sitting Device Questionnaire]

Keywords:

• intervention effectiveness
• office ergonomics
• seating
• stability ball

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors acknowledge the strong support and participation by leadership, employees, and labor partners at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California; Birmingham VA Medical Center, Birmingham, Alabama; and Fargo VA Medical Center, Fargo, North Dakota.