This one is for the fidgeters.

Varier’s come out with a press release on a recent study done using their Move Stool for ADD/ADHD children in which they found that providing an outlet for fidgeting  increases aptitude and learning.

I remember being a kid and having trouble sitting still, be it at home or at school.  Even now it’s hard to sit at my desk and work uninterrupted.  As a writer with more than my fair share of imagination, I process ideas the best when I’m in motion, be it pacing or gesticulating while talking to myself.  As a new teacher I need to come up with all sorts of learning strategies to engage my kids, and the more freedom I give them to move, the more ownership they have over their learning and their work in the classroom.

Humans are active.  We sprawl, lean, tap, drum and generally wiggle our way through the day. It’s unnatural to sit still for hours, and a static body promotes a static mind.  By allowing kids the freedom to move while they read and interact in a classroom, we encourage the development of their kinetic intelligence and actually, believe it or not, promote healthier brain function.

The same goes for adults in the workplace, and companies like Varier focus on ergonomic options for the active adult as well as their smaller Move Stool for kids.  The Move Stool and their line of kneeling chairs give us the freedom to fidget in the office while providing great ergonomic support for our bodies.  What’s not to love?

Humanscale Sale! Hurry!

The folks over at Humanscale are having their Fall Sale this week, starting tomorrow, September 23 through Monday, October 3rd.

It’s a short one, but it’s definitely a good one:  15% off all Humanscale products for a whole, glorious week.  Get your clicking fingers ready for tomorrow, because all of our Humanscale products are available at this discounted price.  If you’ve had your heart set on the Liberty Task Chair or our recently reviewed Freedom Task Chair, now is definitely the time to order.

Use coupon code HMSX15 at checkout to receive your discount.

To a healthy and happy ergonomic fall for everyone!

Slouch-asaurus Rex

Our friends at Varier recently posted about the importance of posture – only this time, they’re not talking about in the office.

So, you have an ergonomic chair in the office.  You sit in it 8 hours a day.  You make sure to adjust your position periodically to support your spine.  You’re more alert throughout your day and by the time you leave, that early morning stiffness you came in with is gone.  What’s the first thing you do when you go home?

If you’re me, you throw something on the grill, flip on the TV and instantly slouch back onto your sofa.  This negates your daily efforts toward perfect posture, and it promotes long-term spinal damage:

 If your home seating fails to maintain the natural curve of your low back, indeed encourages you to sit in a sustained slouch, then the ligaments in your back are going to be stretched, just as they are if you sit badly in the office. As a result the small stretch receptors in the ligaments and deep muscles of your back will tire of their protective role and switch off, and you lose the reflex that automatically protects your spine. Your spinal stability is gone and your spine is now very vulnerable to injury. And all the time you are sitting slouched, fluid is emerging from the muscles, ligaments, discs and joints, irritating the spinal structures, and creating inflammation.

Put simply, habitual slouching = inflammation = injury.  Sitting well in the office does not cancel out the damage you do to your back at home.

We don’t usually think about ergonomic seating in the home.  It’s long been an important issue where we work, but at home our personal rule is the softer, the better. Varier doesn’t agree, and neither do we.  We’ve blogged about the Gravity Chair before, but now is the perfect time to reconsider your home seating arrangements.

You don’t have to sacrifice style with the Gravity Chair and, most importantly, your money goes to support the continued flexibility and health of your back.  At 25 and as a habitual sloucher, I’m already experiencing early-morning soreness and a loss of flexibility that has me worried.  The earlier you become aware of your posture and take steps to correct it, the healthier and easier your mobility will become as you get older.

Varier’s committed to bringing beautiful, healthy seating to you no matter where you are.  We at Seating Zone are proud to offer their phenomenal products in the US.

And just think – a kneeling chair at work and a Gravity Chair at home?  I’m all about matching, and this sounds like a dream come true.

Frameless, fabulous?

Core77′s design awards showcase a unique line of products designed with function and comfort in mind.  One of the big beauties this time around is the Herman Miller SAYL chair.  Its laid-back design delivers total support for the active office worker without sacrificing style. The SAYL offers injection-molded mesh that conforms to your body without bulky lumbar pillows.

But best of all, it’s unpretentious.  It’s aesthetically pleasing without too many frills and is one of the best examples of functional design I’ve seen in awhile.

From the onset, we understood that designing a chair (and no less fro Herman Miller) was an amazing design challenge. There is no place to hide in a chair; every part serves a structural or tactile purpose, while providing comfort, ergonomic support and beauty. We approved this challenge with the overall goal of attainability.

It’s also designed to be affordable for a wide market, which is a huge plus.  This isn’t your grandfather’s executive chair!

Review: Humanscale Freedom Task Chair

Whilst wandering around the showroom this past week, I found myself drawn to the Humanscale Freedom Task Chair sitting invitingly in our entryway.

Shown with and without headrest.

I’m short compared to the rest of the population (around 5’4″), so I tend to shy away from large, complex chairs with headrests because they usually make me feel like a dwarf.  This chair’s adjustable lumbar support and weight sensitive reclining functions mold to your back’s needs, no matter your height.  The super-comfy seat tilts to offer stability whether you’re reclining or leaning forward to squint at your computer screen because you’ve left your glasses at home.  Again.  You’re fully supported as you recline, and the best part?  No annoying levers.  The counterbalance mechanism provides full support and weight-specific tension to ensure your eye level is constant.

This is one of those rare chairs that works with your body to provide support throughout a long work day.  What feels great at 9 am may not feel the same at 2 pm, and the Humanscale Freedom chair changes as you move to provide great comfort and ease of movement.

We offer several additional features, such as a gel seat, adjustable or fixed gel arms, base upgrades and height cylinders with additional footrest rings.  This is a chair you’ll want to customize specifically to your needs, and it’s well worth the price.  Here’s a link to a video about the importance of ergonomics and how Humanscale addresses these needs.  It’s also available on our website at the link above.

We were almost blown away.

We’re here, albeit recovering from loss of power for two days. If you tried to contact us either Monday or Tuesday, never fear. We weren’t ignoring you.  We were sitting here in the dark.

Not really.  But we are back up and running, and the damage to our area was minimal, thank goodness.  Stay tuned for another review of one of our lovlies on the showroom floor.