Now we’ll take a look at two slightly less conventional designs for office seating that seem to emerging into the sphere of ergonomic trends…

Another solution to prolonged sitting is forehead slappingly obvious: Stand up! No Eminem quotes please… This office setup is done with a few different combinations of elements, so it requires a more involved level of adjustment from the user. The standing option generally involves any or all of these items: a height adjustable desk (usually operated with a hand crank or counterweight system) or an elevated keyboard and monitor mount to rest on your existing desk. A tall stool-like chair can also be introduced to lean on when fatigue sets in from standing. The advantage here is that you’ll burn more calories and won’t be cutting off electrical activity/circulation to your legs.

Humanscale has a great single solution for this called Float. Once again, this piece comes at a higher premium but really when it comes to your health isn’t some long term investment worth it? Of course there are some less expensive alternatives as well. Below are some more in-depth articles and reviews:

Being a desk jockey is hazardous to your health – Fast Company
Standing Desk Shootout – Core77
The Executive Standing Desk – Macworld
Ditch your office chair for a new standing desk – Wired

The last solution, and probably most unusual is the saddle chair/stool. It looks exactly like it sounds. This chair is designed to be raised to slightly higher level and, by design, allows the legs to fall downward into a more natural and open position for the hips. Some of these are designed to work with a height adjustable table. Check out these links below for specific chairs and reviews.

The Salli Saddle Chair
HAG CAPISCO
Office Star Saddle Stool Review – SitBetter.com

And then there are these guys…

Personally I think a combination of these would be the best option. Maybe a kneeling chair coupled with an elevated desk- I’ll call it the Catholic Mass Effect! …Again, there are a lot of options out there so do your homework before making a final decision. Next week I’ll be providing more awesome health tips and links. Happy Friday!

~Ben Windsor, Membership Committee