We’ve Got Balls

July 2nd, 2010

“Hey…wouldn’t it be kinda cool if we replaced our office chairs with balance balls?”

We had no idea that something that started as a somewhat rhetorical and completely theoretical question would turn into an office revolution.

About six weeks ago, we said goodbye to our old (albeit pretty damn cool) desk chairs, and brought in a set of Gaiam Balance Balls to sit on.

And while not everyone was convinced, one by one, we fell in love with our balls (OK, we’ll stop).

It started as a couple of us taking a two-minute break to do some stretches, and then it grew into a timed balancing exercise, and from there, we instituted short, office-wide workouts throughout the day. SkadFit was born.

What is SkadFit? Aside from a spectacularly clever name for our company’s fitness program, it’s our company’s fitness program. Every day, at 10:05, 11:05, 2:05, 3:05 and 4:30, we all stop what we’re doing and get together for a short workout. Each session consists of three exercises, and then it’s back to work. Five minutes, max. “I don’t have time” is simply not a valid excuse.

We don’t like to think about it, but we (not just us, you too…yes, you) spend a whole lot time sitting on our asses. By committing just five minutes, a few times a day, the whole office has turned into a healthier (and happier) place. We find ourselves eating better, suggesting different exercise ideas, and having a lot of fun doing it.

If a small change can have such an impact on our office, why couldn’t it do the same for others? You don’t have to have balls of your own to do it (sorry, last one). Commit a few short minutes every day to do something healthy and positive, and get the office involved. What have ya got to lose?

And because we just can’t help ourselves this one last time…balls.