Active, Dynamic Seating - The active seating solution

Everyone knows that Americans are becoming more sedentary. Innovations in everything from dishwashers to computers have made our lives easier. However, we are now realizing that this increasing decline in physical activity is having very negative effects on our health. Using the ball as a chair in your home or office is a simple, yet effective, way to add some activity to your life, especially if you spend a lot of time at a computer!

Take a minute and, without moving, think about how you are sitting? Are you slumped back into a chair? Slumped sideways? How often are you in this position? Have you ever thought about what it might be doing to your back and your overall health?

Poor posture leads to uneven loading of disks in the spine and a compression of respiratory and digestive organs. Also, most chairs support your weight as you relax and, while this may be more comfortable, the support decreases the strength of the muscles that support your spine. This decrease in strength can lead to back pain or put you at risk for a back injury.

The ErgoChair promotes "active sitting" because you cannot relax while seated on the ball. There are constant small adjustments in your back, hips, knees and ankles to keep you balanced on the egg ball. These small adjustments help circulation to the disks in your spine and can strengthen your back muscles. Also, gentle bouncing on the egg ball will encourage you to sit in the correct posture and will strengthen your postural muscles, and all you have to do is SIT!

Back pain has become an epidemic problem in modern society. Statistics show that 80 percent of people in modernized countries will have back pain sometime in their lives. Most back problems are simply due to tension and muscular tightness, which come from poor posture, being overweight, inactivity and lack of abdominal strength. There are a lot of ways back pain can occur and even more ways to treat it, but how often do you hear about ways to prevent it?

Most experts agree that inactivity combined with prolonged sitting can lead to back pain. So it makes sense that gentle exercise would be a great preventive measure in back care. For instance, "active sitting" on an ErgoChair will lead to more movement while sitting because your body must make constant small adjustments to keep you balanced on the ball. These small adjustments help circulation to the disks in your spine and can strengthen your back muscles. Also, gentle bouncing on the egg ball will encourage you to sit with the correct posture and help strengthen your postural muscles.

The ErgoChair supports the weight of the pelvis and facilitates the proper use of the sit bones, encouraging an easeful distribution of weight. The inflated egg ball seat sends a continual subtle message to "move up" which keeps the spine from slumping in a C curve. The egg ball responds individually to the weight and body movement of each user. Tension is released throughout the shoulders and back. This is an ideal chair for people whose work involves long periods of sitting as well as for those who have injured their backs.

Other benefits:

• Uses the principle of active sitting. Sitting on a moveable surface requires the active use of the legs and torso, activation of the muscular support system
• Dynamic position - causes constant balancing reactions
• Keeps the spine uncompressed.
• Mobility of the pelvis - improved muscle tone
• Encourages one to sit up without tensing every muscle in the body.
• Helps prevent back injuries prevalent in the increasingly stationary work force. It is in fact a muscle-toning device.
• Overcomes some of the circulation and muscle fatigue associated with sedentary work.
• Improves blood circulation in the intervertebral discs, which is a significant factor in preventing degenerative changes
• Improved breathing and digestive functions
• Helps keep the mind alert.
• Eliminates a backrest, balancing the muscular work between the front and back of the spine, thus promoting torso strength.
  

(The Chair: Rethinking Culture, Body and Design”, Galen Cranz W.W. Norton, 1998)

Stretching & exercising with The ErgoChair Egg Ball offers many unique advantages:

• Provides a full range of motion
• Enables easy position transitions
• The egg ball supports body weight through the stretch
• The egg ball helps stabilize the core while isolating a particular body part for the stretch