Border Line Purge To Fitness

Tai Chi Chuan is the Chinese martial art of fluid motion; at its root, it promotes health, balanced energy flows and flexibility. Millions of practitioners have used it as a form of exercise, meditation and even as a soft martial-art.

Wouldn't it be cool if you could practice the forms of Tai Chi while sitting down at your office? Well, the Tai Chi Ergo Chair does exactly that. This chair, designed by June Ekman, a dancer and choreographer, and a certified teach of yoga, tai chi and the Alexander Technique, and Larry Wilson, an ergonomicist inspired by Buckmister Fuller, looks like an office chair base attached to a large vinyl ball replacing the seat cushion.

Sitting on the Tai Chi Ergo Chair is a novel experience; you have to constantly flex your thigh and butt muscles as you sit – this causes your body to naturally adjust position, and helps prevent lower back pain and spinal tension; indeed, when you first get the chair, the instructions say to "work into it" slowly – only sit in it for an hour on the first day, two on the second and so on – by the end of the second week, sitting on the chair using an "active sitting" method will become natural to you.

Because the chair requires that you constantly remain in motion, the Tai Chi Ergo Chair is a toning exercise for the core muscle groups of your body. This helps keep your spine moving fluidly as you go about your office work, as opposed to what normally happens in a conventional chair, where people tend to slump, the hips remain locked in a 90 degree position, and your chi sort of drains out because you aren't using your muscles.

In practice, you should think of your spine as being like a kinetic sculpture. It should always be flexing and moving, so that you don't lock into one position entirely. The Tai Chi Ergo Chair helps your spine do this, because in order to remain perched on it, your muscles keep locking and unlocking in sequences, as your inner ears control your balance.

People who use the Tai Chi Ergo Chair notice that their lower back pain eventually goes away, they feel more sexually energized and creative, and they build muscle tone in their thighs, buttocks and abdomen. While it's not the equal to a full on session in the gym, it's likelier that after the end of the day of sitting in one, you'll be less likely to put off going to the gym or working out. Plus, you'll save money on chiropractor bills – the Tai Chi Ergo Chair pays for itself in three or fewer chiropractic visits for most people.

Incidentally, it's also a stylish addition to most office furniture sets, and its quality construction is warrantied for years. It also slides neatly under most desks, making it perfect for a student or dorm room.