Thursday, March 22, 2007

A Writer's Bum's Best Friend

I'm probably about to impart too much information, but my tail bone was broken eight years ago. A tail bone is supposed to have a natural curve, but mine healed straight, which makes sitting for any length of time uncomfortable. With all the time I spend at the computer, I sometimes go through periods of time where I've crippled myself with all the sitting. Yeah, it's a lot of fun.

But behold! The Gaiam balance ball chair! Josi Kilpack has one of these in her office, and I had the chance to try it out. Upon sitting, I knew immediately I had to have one, and I ordered it from Amazon. It arrived a week ago and it has made all the difference in my sitting experience.

Why is it so wonderful? First, you can adjust it to your own firmness needs. If you need a squishier chair today than you needed yesterday, you just let out a little air, or pump it up a little, if that sounds better. Second, it arranges your body ergonomically, so your spine, thighs, and knees are all where they are supposed to be. Third, the back rest is in just the right place.

So if you're having "sitting-at-the-computer-and-my-back-and-behind-hurt" blues, this just may be a solution for you. I know I'll never be without mine.

4 comments:

Keith Fisher said...

Ok I don't get it. looking at the picture it looks like you are sitting on top of a rolley bouncy ball. I think I would fall off. What prevents it from rolling out from under you?

I'm glad you have found something that will help you. Now write war and peace! :)

Tristi Pinkston said...

I haven't rolled off once. :) When you sit down, the ball compresses and creates a dent around your bum, contouring itself to your bum. So you're not going to roll off the top of it.

Additionally, there's a metal bar across the front that holds the ball onto the stand.

I wasn't sure about it either until I sat on Josi's. It doesn't look safe and it doesn't look comfortable, but looks can definitely be deceiving.

As far as "War and Peace" goes -- um, we'll have to talk about that. :)

Karlene said...

I still can't picture that in my mind. Is the chair really short? I have very long legs and pump my office chair all the way up as high as it will go. I may have to figure out where you live and come visit you some day and try yours out because my 19 year old daughter broke my tail bone and I haven't been able to sit right ever since. (Probably another case of TMI.)

Tristi Pinkston said...

The height of the chair is adjustable by how much you pump up the ball. I'm not terribly short and it fits me just fine. And yes, you can come sit on it! Pop me an e-mail and we'll arrange a time!

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