If you like to shop fair trade and also have that extra boho flair that brought you to Global Groove Life’s website then you probably already have an unique home design theme going on. Cheers to that - good for you!

Circular seating continues to build interest in your space and provides seating options that alter from the norm (always a good thing with the bohemian crowd).

Functional And Fun

Need additional seating? Roll in some balance balls from the office or studio instead of having your guest “pull up a chair.” This is way easier to do than carrying chairs around to move them - and it works especially well if you have multiple areas of the house that are used for socializing with people.

Red Flower of Life Cover

Gone are the days of uncomfortable office chairs. If you work from home or are otherwise spending a lot of time sitting at a table or desk then you should really try sitting on a yoga ball. They’re quite comfortable and you can easily find wheeled bases that keep them more stable beneath you if straight up sitting on a ball sounds like a bit of a challenge.

Here are three of our top reasons why we recommend using a balance ball as your new favorite chair:

1. You’ll experience a new level of comfort while sitting on a balance ball! 


Say goodbye to uncomfortable wooden chairs and other unforgiving materials and hello to a flexible, responsive seat. The slight bounce that the ball provides allows you to make constant micro-adjustments instead of stagnating in the same position for hours at a time.

Although sitting in one single position may seem like it would be more comfortable, studies have proven that staying sedentary hour after hour (for example while working, watching TV, or scrolling through the internet) can lead to potentially lethal complications! Sitting on a yoga ball is a simple way to keep your body and life force energy moving.

2. It’s good for you!

We know, we know - we sound like your mother responding to child you when you asked her why you need to eat your vegetables! We’re not trying to dredge up old memories … but just like your mama we see the importance of looking out for your health and wellbeing!

Balancing on a yoga ball strengthens your core muscles. You know, the ones in your stomach, sides, and back that keep you moving around with ease (or not depending on the state of your core). Maintaining a strong core is very important to your overall balance and range of motion. So we’re big fans of anything that can be done to keep this part of the body toned.

3. A new perspective!

You probably know by now how passionate we are GGL are about gaining new perspectives - on everything from style to life. If you are desk-bound for a large part of the day then you could probably benefit from the change of perspective that replacing your desk chair with a balance ball will bring you.

Cobalt Geometric Cover

Changing your point of view can really transform your whole mindset and therefore your entire day! You can funnel your newfound energy and enthusiasm into more productivity and efficiency.

Style It

Naturally as a bohemian (i.e. individual with a strong sense of self and personal expression) you’ll want to explore the unique style opportunities that come along with using yoga balls as seating. Global Groove Life has so many options to transform your balance ball from blah to chic.

Plum Geometric Ball Cover

Want to use your ball as an accent piece? Choose a brightly colored or a boldly patterned yoga ball cover. Here are a few of our favorites below.

Orange Rhapsody cover

Tribal Sand Cover

Alternately, you may want to be able to use the balance ball as a chair in multiple rooms and as a workout tool in your studio. In that case you couldchoose a few different covers - or - go for a more neutral tone.

Black Flower of Life Cover

Olive Geometric Cover

We’re sure that you’ll find your perfect groove however you choose to use and decorate your balance balls. Send in photos of how you’re using your yoga ball in your space - we’d love to see it!

 

Amara Evans is a vibrational healer, collective consciousness-raiser, writer, and devotee of the Goddess. She loves to connect with her global community through writing and speaking about important topics like the environment, spirituality, and fair trade.

You probably know them as yoga balls, fitness balls, balance balls, or even birth balls. You've read the guides and watched the videos showing you how to use them, asking you to do squats, push-ups, bridges, curls, tucks and crunches. Maybe you've used yours to get your abs back, or improve your flexibility. Maybe after having one, you'd never do a workout without it. "They're so versatile!" you say, "I can use it for everything!"

It's true. They're remarkable tools. But we'll let you in on a secret: you can use them for so much more.

Let us show you five lesser known ways you can get value out of your balance ball using our yoga ball covers. We think you'll be surprised by just how useful these fitness classics can be!

 

1. Artful seating

Let's face it - yoga balls are ugly. They're usually a bright neon color, rubbery, sticky and big. We take our fitness balls out for exercise, and exercise only, and then promptly hide them back in the closet.  And for some, once that exercise ball is in the closet, it might never come back out again! We need the daily visual of the ball to remind us to actually use it for exercise. So how can we make a yoga ball something that we actually want to see taking up space in our homes?

Here's something that you probably haven't noticed about yoga balls:  their unique shape. "It's a sphere…lots of things are sphere," you'll say. But how often do you come across such a big, perfectly geometric shape in your daily life? Such shapes are rare, and visually appealing. Ask any interior designer. A balance ball has the ability to add a powerful dynamic to an otherwise drab room.

But of course, no matter how cool the shape, you can't call that neon, rubbery, sticky eyesore a piece of art just yet. You'll need to cover the ugly with something pretty. That's where our yoga ball covers come in. Made by local artisans in Chiang Mai Thailand, we truly believe our designs have artistic as well as functional value. Simply plop on a patterned cover or a fluffy fleece cover that matches the décor of your room, and voilà - you have a statement piece. 

 

2. Office Chair

We do a lot of sitting on our yoga balls when we're exercising, so why not do it while we're working too? Here are some great reasons to use your newly decorated fitness ball as an office chair:

• It's fun! Ever get bored staring at your computer screen during the afternoon slump? Do a couple bounces on your exercise ball, and get yourself moving without even getting up. We all can relate to the simply joy of bouncing… now you can do it all day long!
• It burns calories. According to a study by the European Journal of Applied Physiology, sitting on a yoga ball burns 6% more calories per day than sitting on a regular office chair.
• It improves posture. Without a back to lean on, sitting on a balance ball forces you to sit up straighter all day.
• It makes stretching easy. Use  your "seat" as a true yoga ball for stretches during breaks from work. It'll not only make you feel better, but it'll get you mind flowing quicker.
• It might even make you more productive. According to Sweat Science, in one study, men who were sitting on excercise balls typed 551 words in 20 minutes, while men who were sitting in a normal chair typed 519. 

 

3. Kids room decoration

Kids love yoga balls! They're fun to roll around, bounce on, and play with.  Plus, the right balance ball cover will add the perfect amount of color and excitement to your child's room.  Add some cheetah print for an animal lover, or a  bright purple fur cover for a sweet cuddle bug.

 

So there you have it. We hope whether you have an old yoga ball gathering dust in storage, or you've just purchased your first, you'll find our suggestions helpful in getting the most out of your fitness ball!

Global Groove has been providing color, pattern and texture options for exercise ball covers without delay.  If you are the proud owner of a 55cm, 65cm or 75cm exercise ball, then you have more than likely transformed your exercise or living space into something just a wee bit more palatable and groovy than the mood that the sticky, yucky plastic ball creates on it's own!  Maybe you have a fluffy fur exercise ball cover, or a racey animal print balance ball cover.  Maybe you've chosen a precious pink birthing ball cover, or funky swirl stretch cotton yoga ball cover.  Whatever your personal style may be, without a doubt that your personal space looks and feels a whole heap better now that your exercise ball is a functional piece of art and not an eyesore shoved behind the couch or in the closet!  

 

But what about your smaller folks?  You've been asking and you've been waiting and lo and behold, you have been heard!  Global Groove is happy to announce that we have introduced exercise ball covers in the 45 cm size to accommodate healthy kids' decor too!  

Remember that the 75cm covers now come in a wide variety of options, too.  So, you six footers and up, time to get stylie and groove out your exercise ball cover!  Join us in fashionable living and shop for ball covers in all sizes here.

 

To boil yoga down to a simple catch-phrase is extremely difficult. There are so many different types of practices and flows, and it tends to mean something different to every yogi. But most of us would agree that a central tenet of any yoga practice is that mind, body and spirit are one, and that improving one aspect means improving all three.

It’s at this point that yoga and Fair Trade truly intersect.

Yoga practitioners crave yoga products that have been produced in fair, ethical and safe environments, because they already understand honouring the spirit in others that is a reflection of the spirit in you - a true expression of 'namaste'.

Yoga and Fair Trade beat with the same heart.