Spending many hours in the office requires a physical effort that we often ignore. Let’s discover together a little help for our posture.
In the history of furnishing, many ideas have been conceived to help health as well; the aim of smart design is, in fact, to encourage a pleasant use of furniture. The Orthopedic Chair, or Orthopedic Stool, is one of these great little ideas.
Whether we are talking about a real office or furnishing a space to work in at home, working hours should be as pleasant as possible. If we add the stress of sitting in an uncomfortable chair to the one of things to do, it’s a miracle that we can get through the day untroubled, so why not at least start by working on our posture? In this way we can at least control the way we (literally) approach working hours. A good start would be to opt for an orthopedic chair (or orthopedic stool, or Swedish chair).
This is a very specific product, particular in its design and the benefits it can bring. Many people mistake it for an expensive decorative object, others think it is an exclusive of some exotic showroom. Well, ProduceShop offers several models in its catalogue, but not only; today we will try to explain why, in our opinion, it would be better to opt for this kind of chair.
A different way of sitting well
The concept of the postural chair originated in northern Europe in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The collaboration between medicine, design and craftsmanship gave rise to a chair concept that completely overturned the old way of constructing chairs. Given the exponential growth of the “overtime philosophy”, the need arose for a chair that would help people to face many hours of work with the least possible strain on their backs.
Once it was realized that acting on posture could be the solution, the result of the various design experiments led to the orthopedic chair, also known as the postural chair (which is much more reminiscent of a stool); a criss-crossed structure or rocking arch, a seat (padded or not), no backrest (present in some modern models) and a support for the knees. The simplicity of the final product seems insufficient to justify its benefits; yet, time has done it justice.
Harmful sedentariness
The fact that a new chair model has been designed does not invalidate classic seating; on the contrary, it would be good practice to alternate between the two, to get the best out of both.
The basic idea is, according to the latest research, to avoid sedentariness; too many hours in the same position leads to compression of the spinal discs, which in the long term, in addition to unpleasant pain, can lead to serious problems. In addition, circulation and oxygenation of the blood and organs can be affected; this increases levels of pain, discomfort, stress, resulting in back pain, limb pain, headaches, and the risk of chronicity.
A chair is not enough
Like any significant change in one’s habits, choosing a new chair is important, but it is not enough; this “upgrade” should normally be accompanied by a whole series of small steps to implement the development. Just like when you start going to the gym: without the right diet, and giving up bad habits, all efforts will be in vain.
Among the tips we can give you
- Combine the use of an orthopedic chair with that of an adjustable desk. In this way, you can create a dynamic workstation that is optimized for every situation and requirement;
- Position the chair at an adequate distance from the desk: not too far away to avoid leaning forward and not too close to avoid eye strain;
- Remember to keep your elbows bent at 90° to the table. In this way, weight and tension are distributed evenly over your arm, forearms, wrists and fingers, without straining them;
- sit comfortably on your knees and keep your feet and ankles free to move and rotate;
- do not lean forward, but try to work with your whole body to maintain the correct position.
Among the many benefits, the most important are:
- back, shoulders and neck are aligned, tending naturally upwards and without postural constraints;
- the weight of the seat (and of the body) is distributed over the pelvis and knees, reducing spinal compression;
- what is called ‘active posture‘ is implemented: in this way, the entire upper part remains active, involving and toning the entire abdominal fascia, with relative benefits;
- decompression and improved oxygenation reduce stress, muscle tension, circulatory problems and pain.
One last detail: how do we choose them?
First of all, if you opt for a quality retailer like ProduceShop from the outset, there is zero risk of running into poor quality products. Also make sure of the brand name of the orthopedic chair, the materials used (which are compliant and certified), and the relative quality-price ratio; don’t aim for savings right away, but think about the use and benefits you’ll gain from it.
Given that they will probably be part of your workstation, smart working or office, think about folding postural stools, which are convenient to store when you want to change seats; lightweight, easy to fold and possibly also with an interesting design.
Finally, make sure the tilting angle is adequate; having to lean forward, or worse, bend backwards, would negate all the advantages of having such a chair.
A necessary expense?
At the end of the day, after all this thinking, we can say yes, absolutely.
Not only for those who want to give an input to the comfort of their seats; if, for example, you manage an office, a business, a coworking space, guaranteeing employees, collaborators and clients a comfortable, orthopedic, ergonomic and functional seat can only give a boost to the general sense of comfort and productivity.