Whether you call it an exercise ball, a fitness ball, a yoga ball or a balance ball, we have all seen it at the gym. People exercise and stretch on it. But, how many people do you know use an exercise ball as an office chair? An exercise ball office chair not only helps your posture, but it has the capability of strengthening your core muscles, all while sitting. Thanks to some help from the Internet, I was able to build my own exercise ball office chair for around $25.

According to Livestrong.com, an exercise ball chair has the ability to improve posture, relieve pain, help abdominal muscles and reduce fatigue. So, I thought, why not try it out for myself.

Professional exercise ball chairs are expensive. I didn't want to spend the money on it. I decided to research DIY exercise ball office chairs. I was determined to build my own chair. And, after a little while on the Internet, I found the perfect website to help me build it.

Instructables.com was a great resource when building my exercise ball chair. And, it was so easy. If you want to build your own, here is what you need, according to Instructables.com:

"You'll need the following for this project:

 

Balance ball (I used a small sized one, but I think a medium might be better; the large might be too high for the desk)
4 12" pieces of 1 1/4" PVC pipe
4 1 1/4" PVC elbows
PVC primer & cement (I have ones with the brushes inside; if you don't have that, add brushes to your supply list)
4 2" twin wheel casters with stems ... the ones that have the metal piece that the stems snap into (brakes are a nice feature too)
Spray paint (or duct tape, which is what I had on hand and used ... but probably does not look as good)

 

Tools:
Saw (if you need to cut the PVC down)
Sandpaper (I had 150 grit, which worked fine)
Drill & 3/8" bit (to fit the wheel stem, so adjust bit size as needed)
Hammer
Sharpie
Paper towel"

Once you get your materials, it's as simple as cutting the pipe and putting the pieces together. When I made mine, instead of using the PVC primer and cement, I found a PVC pipe glue. And, after everything was done, I wrapped the pipe with duct tape so it would match the room a little better.

For the full instructions on how to make your own exercise ball chair, click here.

This is what mine looks like. I used duct tape to cover the PVC pipe.

Jumpin' Zach Flash, Oldiez 96.1
Jumpin' Zach Flash, Oldiez 96.1
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If you're still wondering about the benefits of an exercise ball chair, here's a video:

Here's a video about a school adopting the use of exercise balls in the classroom:

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