Efforts have been made to get adults sitting at an office desk all day moving, but what about for children who sit at a desk for hours during the school day?
The use of stability balls—large exercise balls used for strength training, stretching, and tightening the core muscles—as an alternative to traditional desk chairs has grown in popularity in area school divisions.
Schools in the Williamsburg-James City County school division, particularly the elementary schools, have been utilizing stability balls in some classrooms for years.
“The balls allow movement and sensory feedback throughout the day,” shares Dr. Amy Lazev, supervisor of the school division’s School Health Initiative Program (SHIP). “There are physical benefits, including improvement in core strength and an overall increase in movement throughout the day. There are many academic benefits involved since movement can improve focus and concentration, which are crucial for learning. Our goal is to provide teachers with the appropriate resources that have been shown to benefit our students’ health, well-being, and academic success at school.”
Gayle Harmon, a second grade teacher at Matoaka Elementary School in WJCC, has been using stability balls for the past three years.
“The addition of the stability balls in my classroom has been wonderful for my students and me,” Harmon says. “They all enjoy them, are able to focus on their work better, and benefit from the constant, gentle movements to allow their brains to remain engaged while they are seated. When bodies are in motion, brains stay in motion. I am thrilled to have the stability balls in my room.”
Last school year, Molly Case, a fifth grade teacher at Coventry Elementary School in York County School Division, began incorporating alternative seating arrangements in her classroom for her students. These included five standing desks as well as a variety of stability balls and foam floor mats.
Case points out that offering other seating options “was a great first step in educating students, through experience, to pay attention to their bodies and their comfort levels while asked to be seated for sustained learning in a classroom. I feel that providing these seating options has allowed them the opportunity to explore alternatives and become aware of their preferences and empower them to seek out what works for them.”
Stability balls, in particular, “have provided an opportunity to move with minimal noise or distraction,” Case says. “Students are in control of their bodies and seem comfortable.”
Which is what is most important when expecting someone, especially young children, to concentrate for a prolonged period of time.
“It became clear to me that we need to have these seating options available for students of all ages,” Case says. “The ability to allow our students flexible seating seems common sense to me now. I hope more classrooms are open to alternative arrangements as we gain a greater understanding of the limitations and possibilities of our brains and bodies to maximize our potential.”