Ergonomics and furniture
ERGONOMICS
Ergonomics is the science that coordinates the design of devices, systems, and physical working conditions with the capacities and requirements of the workers. I like a broader definition that includes how we interact with our environment wherever we are. The most important thing to realize is that we can prevent some health problems, and in some cases cure them by modifying our environment and/or our lifestyle.
The first consideration in ergonomics is the importance of varying the positions that we work in. One good example of this is the use of an “sit/stand” desk…a desk that has the capacity to have varying heights of the working surface. The benefits of these desks are so widely documented that some nations (such as Denmark, where the State is responsible for health care costs) mandate that they be used in certain working environments. Denmark Interiors carries the Jesper sit/stand desk which comes in three different sizes.
A comfortable desk chair is very important for someone who uses it a lot. The development of advanced mechanisms and their mass production has made good desk chairs more readily available.
Another example of an ergonomically correct piece of furniture would be the Norwegian-made Stressless® recliner by Ekornes. These recliners are endorsed by the American Chiropractic Association due to their ergonomic features. For example, the recliners have a mechanism that automatically adjusts the lumbar support according to the position of the chair: more when you are upright and less when fully reclined. Without this variation the lumbar support would be too intense in the fully reclined position. Another feature is the headrest that also adjusts automatically as you recline. The purpose of this is to keep your head in an upright position (better for reading or watching TV) regardless of the position of the chair. This mechanism can be easily disengaged if you choose to have your head in alignment with your torso. Denmark Interiors is proud to sell these Ekornes recliners, and to have been honored as Dealer of the Year by Ekornes. Our sales associates have all been trained to help you find the size chair that fits you best.
Considering that you spend a third of your life on a mattress (if you’re lucky) it is certainly worth having a good one. Of course any mattress is consistent with rule number one, in that it allows you to vary your position. Denmark Interiors sells several brands of mattresses, but we have been particularly impressed with stories from our customers about their satisfaction with the Tempur-Pedic brand. Tempur-pedic mattresses naturally allow the spine to remain in a non-stressed position, regardless of how you sleep. Tempur-Pedic also sells motorized “hospital-type” beds that have many advantages. Tempur-Pedic conducts a random, yearly survey of their customers and reports that 95% are satisfied with both the comfort and quality of their mattress. For more information on Tempur-pedic Mattresses see the article with that name in this blog.
While these products can certainly improve our quality of life, they cannot compensate for bad habits (like poor posture, lack of exercise, lack of a stretching routine, poor diet…it’s a long list). I try to remind myself daily that I can change the things I don’t like about myself.
Perhaps the most common and costly health problem that is related to ergonomics and/or lifestyle, is back pain and indeed, all of the products mentioned in this article are related to this issue. Most people with office jobs spend a lot of time bent over forwards working on a computer or doing other tasks. Taking little breaks for a (backwards) counter-stretch can be very helpful. There is a wealth of information (and probably some mis-information) available on the subject. For instance, I just googled “back pain relief” and got 85,500,000 results. The website ergonomics.org may be a good place to start looking.
Another work-related health issue is carpal tunnel syndrome. There is a website eatonhand.com that gives a simple and proven series of exercises designed to prevent, and sometimes cure this problem. I personally know people who have had outstanding success with this routine.There are many sources of stress (no names mentioned) in our daily lives, but there are things we can do to combat it: slow and deep breathing, stretching and exercise, to name a few. Again, there is no shortage of information relating to stress management. A Google search on “stress management” gave over 48,000,000 results. Are you stressed out? Do something about it!
Ergonomics is the science that coordinates the design of devices, systems, and physical working conditions with the capacities and requirements of the workers. I like a broader definition that includes how we interact with our environment wherever we are. The most important thing to realize is that we can prevent some health problems, and in some cases cure them by modifying our environment and/or our lifestyle.
The first consideration in ergonomics is the importance of varying the positions that we work in. One good example of this is the use of an “sit/stand” desk…a desk that has the capacity to have varying heights of the working surface. The benefits of these desks are so widely documented that some nations (such as Denmark, where the State is responsible for health care costs) mandate that they be used in certain working environments. Denmark Interiors carries the Jesper sit/stand desk which comes in three different sizes.
A comfortable desk chair is very important for someone who uses it a lot. The development of advanced mechanisms and their mass production has made good desk chairs more readily available.
Another example of an ergonomically correct piece of furniture would be the Norwegian-made Stressless® recliner by Ekornes. These recliners are endorsed by the American Chiropractic Association due to their ergonomic features. For example, the recliners have a mechanism that automatically adjusts the lumbar support according to the position of the chair: more when you are upright and less when fully reclined. Without this variation the lumbar support would be too intense in the fully reclined position. Another feature is the headrest that also adjusts automatically as you recline. The purpose of this is to keep your head in an upright position (better for reading or watching TV) regardless of the position of the chair. This mechanism can be easily disengaged if you choose to have your head in alignment with your torso. Denmark Interiors is proud to sell these Ekornes recliners, and to have been honored as Dealer of the Year by Ekornes. Our sales associates have all been trained to help you find the size chair that fits you best.
Considering that you spend a third of your life on a mattress (if you’re lucky) it is certainly worth having a good one. Of course any mattress is consistent with rule number one, in that it allows you to vary your position. Denmark Interiors sells several brands of mattresses, but we have been particularly impressed with stories from our customers about their satisfaction with the Tempur-Pedic brand. Tempur-pedic mattresses naturally allow the spine to remain in a non-stressed position, regardless of how you sleep. Tempur-Pedic also sells motorized “hospital-type” beds that have many advantages. Tempur-Pedic conducts a random, yearly survey of their customers and reports that 95% are satisfied with both the comfort and quality of their mattress. For more information on Tempur-pedic Mattresses see the article with that name in this blog.
While these products can certainly improve our quality of life, they cannot compensate for bad habits (like poor posture, lack of exercise, lack of a stretching routine, poor diet…it’s a long list). I try to remind myself daily that I can change the things I don’t like about myself.
Perhaps the most common and costly health problem that is related to ergonomics and/or lifestyle, is back pain and indeed, all of the products mentioned in this article are related to this issue. Most people with office jobs spend a lot of time bent over forwards working on a computer or doing other tasks. Taking little breaks for a (backwards) counter-stretch can be very helpful. There is a wealth of information (and probably some mis-information) available on the subject. For instance, I just googled “back pain relief” and got 85,500,000 results. The website ergonomics.org may be a good place to start looking.
Another work-related health issue is carpal tunnel syndrome. There is a website eatonhand.com that gives a simple and proven series of exercises designed to prevent, and sometimes cure this problem. I personally know people who have had outstanding success with this routine.There are many sources of stress (no names mentioned) in our daily lives, but there are things we can do to combat it: slow and deep breathing, stretching and exercise, to name a few. Again, there is no shortage of information relating to stress management. A Google search on “stress management” gave over 48,000,000 results. Are you stressed out? Do something about it!
Labels: "back pain", "carpal tunnel syndrome", "desk chair", "sit/stand desk", ergonomics, furniture, mattress, recliner, stress, stressless, tempur-pedic
posted by Donny Andrews at
3:34 PM
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