Each writing style
It seems that today’s bloggers can write “quick” articles on their smartphones while traveling by train or standing in line at a popular restaurant.
This is an enviable ability that I, an analog native, can never imitate.
In my case, I open my computer at home or at a café and write while managing to keep my concentration, which breaks down after about 15 minutes.
In her book, “100 Strategic Life Hacks,” Kazuyo Katsuma wrote that she spends 30 minutes writing a blog, but if I were to copy her style, I would never be able to release an article because 30 minutes would pass just thinking about what to write.
If Benjamin Franklin had seen me working intermittently, I am sure he would have advised me that “time is money.”
However, even if I rush to complete a blog in a short period of time, I don’t feel any particular loss of opportunity since I can just read a stack of books on the floor, but the longer I spend at the computer, the more tired my body inevitably becomes.
Last week I introduced stiff shoulders in “Sloth care for stiff shoulders” and since I also have terrible back pain, I’d like to introduce some back pain remedies this time.
Back pain-friendly chairs
According to a survey by the Japanese Orthopaedic Association, the number of people suffering from back pain in Japan is 30 million.
If we exclude children under the age of 15, who seem to have no connection to back pain, from the total population of 124.09 million, the number is about 110 million, which means that roughly 30% of adults have some kind of back pain.
When I write my blog, I have to bend over to face the computer, which must be putting a certain amount of strain on my back.
Sometimes I stretch my back and pull my shoulder blades together, but I forget to do so when I am absorbed in my work.
I wondered if “there was a way to maintain good posture without being conscious of it“, and I came up with the idea of using a balance ball, which is used at fitness gyms to strengthen the core and sense of balance.
Although balance balls have a strong image for exercise and relaxation, they are used in offices these days in place of chairs to improve posture, muscle strength, and concentration, so it must not be wrong.
However, there is a wide variety of balance balls, so the selection of size and material should proceed with caution.
Sizes generally range from 45 cm to 85 cm in diameter, and when sitting down, the ball should be able to keep the feet on the floor and the knees and ankles at right angles to each other.
The material depends on preference, such as PVC, which is durable and heat resistant, or latex, which is a natural material with a pleasant texture, but latex material is recommended for those who are concerned about the smell characteristic of vinyl.
Latex, on the other hand, can cause allergic reactions at the point of skin contact with natural rubber, and should be avoided by those who experience redness, itching, or hives when wearing rubber gloves.
In this case, the balance ball is used as a chair, but it is a hindrance if it rolls around in the room when set up.
Also, I feel that it is a little uncomfortable for me, who has a poor sense of balance, to use it in an unstable condition.
I would rather spend my life with a sore back than injure myself by falling down.
Furniture-like balance ball
As a result of our research, we overcame the issues of safety and storage with the Tokyu Sports Oasis Balance Ball 55cm (with ring and hand pump).
The Oasis Balance Ball has a fixed ring that makes it easy to maintain balance and can be used like a chair.
It is safe because it is constructed so that it will not suddenly explode if a hole should occur.
Best of all, it’s not too expensive at 4,280 yen (Amazon), so if it doesn’t live up to my expectations, I can simply air it out and hide it in a corner of the room or quietly throw it away.
“I’ll buy it!” As I was looking at the product introduction page on the Amazon website, a voice beside me said, “This isn’t so good.“
I was surprised at the sudden remark, but I couldn’t ignore it because it was clearer than the proprietress of Senba Kitcho in Osaka, so I asked her why, just to be sure.
She doesn’t like that the ball stands out when placed in the room because the house is different from the gym.
“What an obvious woman…” In the first place, the shiny PVC ball would never fit the furniture in the room.
I countered, stifling my emotions, “I want to do something about my stiffness…“
She then asked, “Isn’t there a “more better” chair that doesn’t put so much stress on your back?”
My wife, who has never had the desire for more and more, and is suffering from the “more is better” disease, was not interested in what I had to say, so I tried again to find a stylish balance ball that would fit in the room.
I should put in “my resume” that I have the capacity to be flexible to any reckless request.
I thought, “If the balance ball is covered with fabric, the vinyl material would be less noticeable and would match the rest of the furniture…” I searched and found the MAROOMS Balance Ball Chair.
The balance ball and base are covered with a fabric like a sofa cover, so it does not look so strange in the living room.
In addition, the color variation of the cloth cover is good for creating a sense of unity in the room.
As a balance ball, it is pricey at 16,500 yen, but I decided to buy it because it would be troublesome to whisper about it again.
It is not suitable for enjoying a movie for more than two hours like a sofa, but it is perfect for use as a chair for remote work meetings or a change of pace while writing.
I can concentrate better than I imagined, and I may be able to write a blog in 30 minutes one day.
