Stanford University researchers found that sitting for long periods is dangerous for our health, but most of us have to do it. What’s more, most of us aren’t sitting in the ideal, balanced human posture that researchers have been testing. We’re slumping over in front of our computers like a bunch of early primates who couldn’t even read those research reports.
We’ve probably all been told not to slump by someone (possibly a third grade teacher), but a glance around your break room will show you very few examples of beautiful posture and a whole lot of hunched backs.
Slumping over like that causes backaches, headaches, heartburn and other digestive issues, poor balance, pinched nerves, permanent curvature of the spine, and even blood clots. It can constrict the lungs, leading to shallow breathing which interferes with clear thinking and increases stress. So how do you cut down on the slumping in your office?
A researcher recently discovered that hiring an assistant to slap him whenever he lost focus improved his productivity significantly. It could also be the solution to slumping in the office: get that third grade teacher in to smack people when they slump and posture might improve. We figure you don’t want to do that.
The answer: ergonomic chairs. Ergonomic chairs are designed to encourage good posture naturally and to keep people in the most comfortable, productive positions for desk work. In offices with ergonomic chairs, 90% of the workers will sit in healthier positions — not because someone told them to, but because it’s natural and comfortable to do so.
Herman Miller (that’s the Herman Miller Aeron in the picture) and Steelcase may be the best known and most highly-regarded brands of ergonomic office chairs, but Knoll also turns up in Consumer Reports listings. EthoSource has these iconic brands as well as many more, and the savings you’ll realize by choosing pre-owned chairs can make up the difference between these great chairs and the cheap ones at the local Big Box office supply store.
Factor in the difference in the health and happiness of your workers, and our used ergonomic chairs are a steal.