[whye]

I have used an exercise ball instead of a chair for the past year or so and really like it. I tend to have a lot of nervous energy, and being able to bounce on the ball while still seated at my desk help a lot, without having to get up, walk around, and getting too distracted from what I am doing. A couple of caveats, though: 1) You really do look pretty silly, especially if you bounce 2) Some people develop lower back problems when using a ball for long periods; be careful! 3) Office mates always seem to like stealing it and kicking it down the hallway (which is actually a lot of fun, but also annoying) and 3) If you had beans for dinner, beware, the ball tends to amplify sounds from down there :)

[rosser]

I've also used exercise balls for a couple years now -- at home, and at the former office. You'll find that your core muscles (abdominal, in particular) tone up significantly, with almost no apparent effort. The inherent instability of sitting on what's essentially a balloon benefits more than just your posture. All those small adjustments you unconsciously make to maintain balance work muscles that you don't often get to work otherwise, and with a wider range of motion than pretty much all the traditional exercises that target those muscles offer, too. It's some of the best "passive exercise" available.

As for the concerns about being made fun of or judged or whatever, mentioned several places in this discussion, someone's judging you says more about them than it does you.

And, yes, they do tend to have a resonant effect on certain reverberative sounds...

[caffeine]

And what is the correct size ball? I can only seem to find them going up to 75 cm in diameter in my local sports stores - is that sufficient?

[lupin_sansei]

> If you had beans for dinner, beware, the ball tends to amplify sounds from down there

Also an issue with Aeron's "mesh"