How Children Can Benefit from Exercise Balls

A few weeks ago I decided to make some small changes in an effort to get in better shape. One of those changes included replacing my office chair with an exercise ball. Imagine my surprise when my son and I started having debates about who was going to sit on the exercise ball. Mind you, he didn't want to play with it. He wanted to sit on it while he played his video games. I was even more surprised when my son came home and told me that his class was doing an experiment using exercise balls instead of chairs. Maybe I was on to something here after all.

I was using the exercise ball to prevent slouching while I worked. This in turn helped to work on the trunk area of my body as well as keeping me from sitting on my feet. I felt a vast improvement in a matter of days.

We all know that children have more energy than us. When they don't do anything to use that energy they tend to get restless and may even have a hard time getting to sleep at night. The exercise ball not only helps them to use some of that excess energy, it also helps them to improve their focus.

When children are sitting still or laying on the floor, not only are they not burning up energy, but they are also missing out on a lot of things that we all need to do to practice good health and focus. Posture is one of the biggest things that is left untended. If you've noticed a change in the amount of backaches you've had over the years, then you know how important posture can be.

It's not only about physical fitness though. It's about focus. It's about being able to do more than one thing at a time.

A child sitting on an exercise ball while completing their tasks is doing lots of things at once. They are subconsciously focusing on their balance using their legs, arms and back while also focusing on their task that is in front of them. The benefits? Children who are able to multitask and practice healthy physical habits all at once.

Have your child sit on an exercise ball while playing video games, drawing or simply playing at a table. You'll notice that your child is a lot more focused even though they are physically active. This practice works so well that many classrooms have permanently replaced their chairs with exercise balls.

Considering how much we all use technology and spend time sitting, why not try using an exercise ball with your child so that they can develop focus and sharpen their mental and physical acuity all at once? Try it yourself just for a couple of hours a day and you're sure to see an improvement.