Sitting down is killing us.

[kendoiwan]

The chair you're sitting in now is likely contributing to the problem. "Short of sitting on a spike, you can't do much worse than a standard office chair," says Galen Cranz, a professor at the University of California at Berkeley. She explains that the spine wasn't meant to stay for long periods in a seated position. Generally speaking, the slight S shape of the spine serves us well. "If you think about a heavy weight on a C or S, which is going to collapse more easily? The C," she says. But when you sit, the lower lumbar curve collapses, turning the spine's natural S-shape into a C, hampering the abdominal and back musculature that support the body. The body is left to slouch, and the lateral and oblique muscles grow weak and unable to support it.

This, in turn, causes problems with other parts of the body. "When you're standing, you're bearing weight through the hips, knees, and ankles," says Dr. Andrew C, Hecht, co-chief of spinal surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center. "When you're sitting, you're bearing all that weight through the pelvis and spine, and it puts the highest pressure on your back discs. Looking at MRIs, even sitting with perfect posture causes serious pressure on your back."

Your Office Chair Is Killing You - Yahoo! News

Chairs = bad.

 

[capslock]

Chairs are good, the behavior of sitting down extensively, is bad.
Don't blaim the chairs.

 

[kendoiwan]

Down with chairs!!!

Actually the article says barstools are the best thing to sit on as they engage your legs. So...

The best sitting alternative is perching -- a half-standing position at barstool height that keeps weight on the legs and leaves the S-curve intact. Chair alternatives include the Swopper, a hybrid stool seat and the funky, high HAG Capisco chair. Standing desks and chaise longues are good options. Ball chairs, which bounce your spine into a C-shape, are not. The biggest obstacle to healthy sitting may be ourselves. Says Jackie Maze, the vice-president for marketing at Keilhauer: "Most customers still want chairs that look like chairs."

 

[phthalocyanine]

instead of creating countless new facebook apps and stupid low carb tortilla varities, why don't people vest more time into creating more ergonomic chairs and other such products so we don't all become half crippled before we can get a good retirement setup?

just reading this makes my back hurt.


...i'm sounding old already! damn kids.

 

[Haphazard]

Actually, doing all your office work from a chaise lounge sounds pretty awesome.

 

[CzeCze]

That's why I lie down when I'm on the computer. And keep a big bag of Cheetos and a liter of pop within easy reach. I try to keep it healthy.

 

[foolish heart]

I hate sitting, and I hate chairs with a passion! :steam: So uncomfortable. I try to do as much as I can standing up

 

[ajblaise]

Yeah, humans were doing so much better when we were up and active all day... working on a farm and dying in our 30s.

 

[JocktheMotie]

Chairs are good, the behavior of sitting down extensively, is bad.
Don't blaim the chairs.

Guns don't kill people, death kills people.

 

[Joneswilliamsc]

Yes, I am totally agree with you. If we sit and do nothing than we feel that we died for a moment. When we don't do any work that makes us lazy. We become that much lazy that are like killed. Always do more and more work and more get your motto. Ans get some inspiration from the people who are working and not sit like a dumb.

 

[Halla74]

Ergonomic chairs should be required equipment for all office workers.

I have a lower back injury, discs L3 and L4 are bulging.

So, my doctor wrote a note to give to my employer requesting that they purchase me an ergonomic chair. It makes a HUGE difference in remaining comfortable. In fact using an ergonomic chair is the difference between being in pain, or being comfortable.

Mine is called a "C-pod" and it is really comfy, I dig it.

 

[wolfy]

That is one amazing looking chair. I love how the back support looks like a spine.

 

[gromit]

I wish it would be professionally acceptable for me to sit on the floor at work. I actually love sitting on the floor...

As it is I shift around in all different positions throughout the day. Right now I have my feet curled up under me/to the side a little bit. Sometimes I'll sit cross legged or sometimes slouch down really low so my shoulders are almost at the desk level. If I sit too long in one position it starts to get uncomfortable.

 

[Halla74]

That is one amazing looking chair. I love how the back support looks like a spine.

It's wild, eh?!

The back of it, the surface that touches the back of the person sitting in it that is, is actually mesh. Here in Florida, whether you are indoors or not, it is hot, and anything you can do to cool down is welcome. Sitting in a chair with a back like that actually does cool you down a bit, I would have never thought so until I sat in one.

 

[KDude]

I've quit some jobs because of chairs

 

[miss fortune]

I don't think I've ever worked a job that allowed me to sit unless it was in the driver's seat! I had to get a doctor's note even to have permission to sit with a broken leg!

 

[KDude]

Unfortunately, I've had a few clerical/office positions.. the lame chairs hurt after awhile. I had one low lvl position in an office though where I was sorting through records a lot and sitting on the ground. It was actually better.

 

[miss fortune]

I used to sit on the floor or on the table when I had a clerical job... nobody cared because I could sort and file things about 10 times quicker than anyone else could

 

[gromit]

Anybody ever tried using one of these?

 

[Alwar]

I started doing squats about three months ago because I was developing chair-ass. Too much longer and you could have played handball of that mofo.