There’s been a lot of recent discussion in the tech blog world about how sitting all day working at a computer is really bad for us. This fact is something I’ve known for a long time as the son of an ergonomic office furniture business owner, so I’ve watched these discussions with interest.
The following is an infographic created that provides some interesting and startling facts:
If you’ve got a computer-based job like me, what do you do about this? There are two main things I’d recommend:
1. Swopper Stool
I’ve used a Swopper Stool on and off over the years, and we currently have two of these being used in my house now. They are a fantastic way to stay active while you’re sitting. You can bounce on the chair, move forward and back, side to side, and keep your body moving and more active. It also promotes good posture.
Many people use one of the inflatable ball chairs for the same purpose. While they provide some of the same benefits, they are definitely not as sturdy, well-made, as comfortable, or as stylish as the Swopper.
The Swopper isn’t cheap, but it’s a really high quality made chair/stool that has a great warranty and I’ve never had any problems with ours. There are lots of colors available and the price is different depending on what type of fabric (or leather) you get on the seat.
2. Standing Desk Option
If we can’t sit all day, why not stand most or part of the time? A company called ErgoTron makes a bunch of different devices in their WorkFit line that securely clamp to normal desks that allow to easily move from sitting to standing. You simply raise and lower your keyboard/mouse and monitor(s) when you want to stand. One of our GuideMe team members has one, and I’m planning on ordering one now as well. He reports that his back feels so much better at the end of each day than it did when he sat all day.
The Swopper combined with a standing desk option like the ErgoTron WorkFit should really fight against the problems associated with sitting all day. While some people may balk at the money involved in creating a setup like this, how much is your health worth to you?
Besides your actual work setup, here are some other tips:
- When talking on the phone, get a wireless headset so you can walk around.
- Take breaks every 15 or so minutes to stand up and move your body a little bit.
- Take the stairs, bike/walk to work, or eliminate sitting time in any other way.
- Get regular exercise
- As the infographic points out, extra TV time is really dangerous.
Good luck, get off your butt!