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The tyranny of chairs: why we need better design

theguardian.com

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Re: The tyranny of chairs: why we need better design

#121

Post by _se »

yodsanklai wrote: post #83
renewiltord wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is literally the opposite of a controversial opinion. It's just the magic solution in a different shape. Most things in life aren't some sort of instant solution. If you run you won't live to be a hundred. If you smoke you won't get lung cancer. What these actions do is shift your probability distribution in certain ways. Running frequently improves your overall life-expectancy, smoking increases your risk of lu…

I know lifting weight is a big thing in the US, but not so much in my part of the world. Sometimes my impression is that many guys primarily want big muscles and conveniently convince themselves it is the way to go to be in good health. Not saying it's not but because it looks unnatural and isn't functional (I mean, have homo sapiens ever needed that kind of muscles?), I'm just wondering if it's really that healthy.…

Yes, there are many. It's quite easy to find the answer to that question.

We're not talking about crazy hypertrophy type lifting - bench 135, squat 185, deadlift 225 and you will not have rsi problems.

Re: The tyranny of chairs: why we need better design

#122

Post by arde »

_alex_ wrote: post #43
sgt101 wrote: post #33

I got a gaming chair at the beginning of lockdown, and I propped up my desk to get everything to the right height. The things I looked for : adjustable arm rests, adjustable height, adjustable tilt and headrest & lumbar support. Also buy a 28" 4k monitor, proper keyboard and mouse device of choice (I got an apple magic pad). All for ~ £500. It's worth the investment.

Do you like the gaming chair? I ordered an aeron and didn’t like it, sent it back. Need a new chair. Decade old office chair is falling apart.

I swear by my Herman Miller Embody chair. I used to have severe lower back pain, and this chair has helped me eliminate the pain by keeping a healthy posture. It's the only chair I found that locks my sitting position, keeping my hips the right way no matter how many hours I have to spend on it and still allowing healthy back movements.

Re: The tyranny of chairs: why we need better design

#124

Post by AtlasBarfed »

WalterBright wrote: post #113
mattlondon wrote: post #16

Just out of curiosity, am I the only one that seems to be happy to just sit on a dining chair when at my desk? When the WFH wave hit, people seemed to be going mad buying webcams and office chairs. Loads of people I work with spent a lot of energy researching and discussing chairs etc. I have a sit-stand desk and I stand for perhaps 2 to 3 hours any working day. But the rest of the time I just sit on a normal old woo…

> I do run 2 to 4 times a week so I do wonder if that helps avoid problems? I've done that for decades. I'd periodically suffer from debilitating back pain, where I couldn't even tie my shoes. I finally went to the doc, who said my problem was "weak back muscles". I pointed out the running, and the doc said "running does nothing for your back." He gave me an illustrated guide to back exercises, aka core strength exer…

Sitting does two things: it causes your hip flexors to do work all day, and it prevents your gluteus maximus from doing anything at all.

Doing this for hours on end trains the body tries to use its hip flexors for everything. Standing, lifting things, walking, even slow running. The hip flexors aren't meant to do this, and they are connected of course to your back muscles.

But the back muscles activated in concert with the hip flexors are not the "right" ones. They contort your back and cause imbalances and eventually back pain.

Running CAN help undo this.

But at certain paces of running (very slow ones that aren't much more than walking), the butt still is not used well, and you're not working to undo the 8+ hours of training you've given your hip flexors.

The more vigorous the running, the more your "prime path" evolutionary pathways of hamstrings, gluteus maximi, and lower back will be activated and trained.

Of course the older you are, the harder it is to do these paces, either sustained or speedwork.

Straight leg deadlifts can also help, but still isn't as good training for undoing the sitting position.

Re: The tyranny of chairs: why we need better design

#125

Post by kranner »

mattlondon wrote: post #16

Just out of curiosity, am I the only one that seems to be happy to just sit on a dining chair when at my desk? When the WFH wave hit, people seemed to be going mad buying webcams and office chairs. Loads of people I work with spent a lot of energy researching and discussing chairs etc. I have a sit-stand desk and I stand for perhaps 2 to 3 hours any working day. But the rest of the time I just sit on a normal old woo…

I alternate between a Herman Miller Embody and a wooden dining chair. The wooden chair is good for meditation (when I need to keep my back straight and unsupported) and for when I want to be more mindful of my posture for a few hours. The Embody is great for both zoning out and just focusing on work while forgetting all about my posture. I spend more time in the Embody but both chairs get used everyday.

Re: The tyranny of chairs: why we need better design

#126

Post by nfour »

megameter wrote: post #69
polote wrote: post #49

I have been trying to find info on laying down desks and chairs in the past few weeks, but there is really not a lot of people who have experienced with it. If you had, please comment here

Here is my setup, which is a very inexpensive, low-footprint way of doing it: 1. A large lap desk. This is a powerful tool for adding flexibility as you'll see. It lets you keep all the peripherals near you. I currently use it with a USB hub, a 65% mechanical keyboard, a keypad with macro functions, and a trackball mouse. 2. A floor chair with reclining functions. The one I have is one of the cheapest on Amazon, basi…

Sounds interesting - I have a lapboard setup as well but it could use improvement.

Any chance you could provide some pictures?

Re: The tyranny of chairs: why we need better design

#127

Post by superseeplus »

mattlondon wrote: post #16

Just out of curiosity, am I the only one that seems to be happy to just sit on a dining chair when at my desk? When the WFH wave hit, people seemed to be going mad buying webcams and office chairs. Loads of people I work with spent a lot of energy researching and discussing chairs etc. I have a sit-stand desk and I stand for perhaps 2 to 3 hours any working day. But the rest of the time I just sit on a normal old woo…

It is important that you maintain a good and ergonomically correct posture. A chair is simply a tool to help you do that. If you are average sized or close to average size, it is possible that you can find a cheaper chair which works for you. The advantage of ergonomic office chairs is that they tend to have enough adjustments for a wide range of body sizes. On the flip side, an expensive office chair is not going to solve anything unless you take the time to adjust it properly.

Re: The tyranny of chairs: why we need better design

#128

Post by LoSboccacc »

> The real science of ergonomics, Cranz argues, should point designers toward chair design that supports and enables the body’s need for movement, not stillness – with seats that angle downward in front, for example, and have a base that’s flexible enough for the sitter to shift their body weight from leg to leg

weird then not finding mention of the Varier Balans chairs.

I had one growing up, and bought another one after a month of lockdown as my home office setup wasn't meant for extended usage.

that one and a standing desk seems working well so far.

Re: The tyranny of chairs: why we need better design

#129

Post by analog31 »

mattlondon wrote: post #16

Just out of curiosity, am I the only one that seems to be happy to just sit on a dining chair when at my desk? When the WFH wave hit, people seemed to be going mad buying webcams and office chairs. Loads of people I work with spent a lot of energy researching and discussing chairs etc. I have a sit-stand desk and I stand for perhaps 2 to 3 hours any working day. But the rest of the time I just sit on a normal old woo…

I use a wooden dining chair at one computer, and one of those old wooden swivel "banker" chairs from the 1930s. I replaced its inferior wheels with large felt pads that are gentle on my floors. It creaks and has to be oiled once in a while.

Like you, I exercise.

Re: The tyranny of chairs: why we need better design

#130

Post by spaetzleesser »

It kind of sucks that computers allow us to do most of our work while sitting in the same place. When I started working there were more reasons to get up, take something somewhere, walk to the printer and so on. This feels much healthier.

I don’t think any design with better chairs, stand up desks or whatever will make it healthy to stay in the same place the whole day. If I had to choose a career now I would definitely think about something that allows for more walking or other activity.

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