Bouncing On My New Balance Ball Chair

After my post about Re-Activating Your Lifestyle, I was surprised how many of you also feel stuck in a less-active lifestyle. It's tough with desk jobs and other sedentary responsibilities (hello, blogging!).

So we're going to work on making small changes. Little by little we're going to sneak more movement into our days. Take the stairs more often, park far away from your office, stretch while you wait for a fax... and read my review of my new Gaiam Balance Ball Chair!
I love this chair! Surprisingly it doesn't feel weird once you've sat on it for a few hours. Now I'm used to it and am loving the benefits.

Positives

- You can't help but sit up straight
- I'm much more alert throughout the day (That regular afternoon drowsiness is no more!)
- I can bounce all the time!
- It is funny looking (It gets so much attention! Everyone want to sit in it!)

Negatives
- It is tough to change the height of the chair (You could release some air out of the ball, but it doesn't make that much of a difference- to make it taller you can purchase accessories)

In case you're interested check out the chair on the Gaiam website or ebay! I reccommend it!

Re-Activating Your Lifestyle

I am great at maintaining- regardless of the specific number on the scale, my body will hold on tight without consideration of dieting, holidays or training programs.

So why has my weight jumped 4 pounds Christmas 2007 and 4 pounds Christmas 2008? "Did I really eat that much each Christmas?" I asked myself. After the gain I would try to lose the weight but the scale wouldn't budge. Like I said, I am great at maintaining. Up until Christmas 2007 I had always stayed within a specific 3 pound range.

Then it hit me.
Before Christmas 2007 I had balanced a desk job and school during the day with an intense waitressing job and social life at night. I was always moving. Christmas 2007 I quit waitressing. A lot less moving, 4 more pounds.
This past Christmas 2008 I graduated from college. No more parking 1 mile from classes and running around to catch the next. The farthest I have to walk now is from the parking lot to the front door. Hello an extra 4 pounds.
Sure I've trained and completed a half marathon and worked with a personal trainer as I was gaining weight... but it was the unintentional daily activity that really made the difference.

This more encouraging than saddening. Sure, I miss my (more) active lifestyle, but I am where I am and it's not changing yet. Hopefully one day I'll have a job away from the desk- but that is not today. And I'm not about ready to surrender to a sedentary lifestyle and welcome the pounds onto my frame.

So I'm going to do everything I can to add more movement into everyday tasks. I will finally walk to work when possible (it's only 1 mile!). I will park on the second level of Whole Food's parking garage and hike my way down to the store on the first level. I will take more stretch breaks at work.

...and I will use my new Gaiam Balance Ball Chair!

I've been apprehensive to spend so much money on a chair, but when I considered how much of my time is spent sitting in from of work's computer, I realized it is worth it.

How do you deal with a sedentary lifestyle?
Any little tricks you incorporate throughout your day? Please share them in comments!