If you’re an office worker who spends most of your day at a desk, you’re probably well aware of the physical discomfort that can develop after eight hours staring at a screen with minimal blood flow to your extremities. Ranging from mild to excruciating, pain in the lower back and neck is no joke.
Even if you work in an ultra-hip modern office setting where employees are encouraged to follow the 52/17 rule or the Pomodoro Method, the consequences of sedentary work are enormous. Staying seated for too long is unhealthy.
Why It’s Dangerous
An extremely sedentary desk job can increase your likelihood of developing serious health conditions, including cancer and cardiovascular disease. It’s also psychologically damaging, with anxiety and depression on the rise among office workers who remain seated for long stretches of time.
The good news is that with more global awareness about the risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle, an increasing number of offices are implementing routines associated with productivity, success, ambition, and better overall health. Even if you can’t change your routine entirely, there are a few tips and tricks you can follow while condemned to a desk and a screen for your eight-hour day.
The History of the Kneeling Chair
Kneeling chairs are suddenly all the rage, and it’s not difficult to see why considering how invested young professionals are in their physical and psychological health.
The ergonomic kneeling chair, known for alleviating back and neck pain in sedentary workers, was technically invented in 1979 by Peter Opsvik and Hans Christian Mengshoel, but they’re a uniquely millennial trend.
Forty years on, ergonomic kneeling chairs are everywhere. Canadian office workers are taking a page from the Scandinavian’s book and applying the concepts of ergonomics to their own office lifestyles. Fun fact: the Scandinavian nations routinely rank as the highest in overall happiness. They must be doing something right!
How They Work
The concept is simple: orient the angle of the lower body to ease the weight on the lower back. A conventional desk chair is incapable of providing this level of comfort. Although the idea of sitting with your knees up might sound like the opposite of enjoyable to some people, the padded knee cushion actually provides the user with the utmost in comfort, even over long periods of time.
With adjustable kneeing chairs available for only $99.99, plus free or low-cost shipping, there’s no excuse to keep suffering through your daily routine with a traditional desk chair.
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