Hey Embody fans! I came across this video, so figured I would share it with you. The Embody chair seems like a really strong follow-up to the famous Aeron chair!
I'll be back in a few days to discuss a new line from Mayline - I think you'll all love it!
Showing posts with label ergonomics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ergonomics. Show all posts
Lazy Sunday
Well, I talked a lot about Humanscale in yesterday's blog about ergonomic office furniture, so here's a video with a little more info on the company:
And an ergonomic video from Herman Miller:
And this video was too funny to not pass along:
Have a great Sunday everyone!
And an ergonomic video from Herman Miller:
And this video was too funny to not pass along:
Have a great Sunday everyone!
5 Ergonomic Products that Work at Work
It's amazing Saturday here in Boston - 75 degrees, sunny. Not sure why I didn't head to the beach today! I figured I'd take this opportunity to present five products that will make your work life more comfortable. Everyone could use some ergonomical improvements at work. There are the slouchers, the perchers, the phone-on-shoulder crowd, the feet danglers, and many more ergonomic offenders out there. These products should help most of those problems.
1.) Let's start with the most important product - the chair. A chair is a chair, right? Wrong! Ergonomic seating didn't start with the Aeron, but it did bring ergonomics into mainstream consciousness. There are a lot more ergonomic chairs than the Aeron - I personally like the Freedom from Humanscale, the Leap from Steelcase, the Chadwick from Knoll, and the lesser known sibling of the Aeron, the Mirra from Herman Miller. None of them are cheap (prices range from $518 to over $2,000 fully loaded), but these will save your back and rest of your body in the long run.
2.) Number two is a keyboard tray. There are several benefits of using a keyboard tray. Most importantly, they keep your arms and wrists in the most healthy, comfortable positions. Most keyboard trays are pretty straight forward to install, and they free up lots of desk space once reserved for the keyboard and your mouse. Humanscale and Workrite are the top two manufacturers in the keyboard tray space, and both have an extensive selection depending on your individual needs.
3.) Next up is a monitor arm...or for those lucky multiple monitor folks out there, monitor armS. Not only do monitor arms free up desk space, but they also allow you to position your monitor in a position that is comfortable for your neck. Your monitor should be slight below eye level. Not surprisingly, Humanscale, the ergonomic experts, also rule the field of monitor arms, but there are also great monitor arms from Workrite, Peerless, Chief, Ergotron and others.
4.) The fourth product is a lumbar support. If you don't have the best ergonomic chair, and can't fit one into the budget, you should at least consider a solid back support to maintain proper posture. Back supports tend to range from $20 to $100, so it won't break the bank!
5.) Last up is a footrest. From the Humanscale website: "Studies have shown that 70% of all women and 40% of all men have health issues such as blood clots, varicose veins and pressure on the Achilles tendon due to pooling of fluids in the lower limbs — the result of prolonged, inactive sitting." Wow - I don't currently have a footrest at my workstation, but that is pretty powerful information. I may have to pick one up. Like back supports, footrests are fairly inexpensive (prices are $30 to $150). Humanscale and Safco are the top two manufacturers of footrests for the work environment.
I'm off to the gym - something has to combat my "prolonged, inactive sitting"! I hope this information is helpful, and please feel free to shoot me any questions you may have.
1.) Let's start with the most important product - the chair. A chair is a chair, right? Wrong! Ergonomic seating didn't start with the Aeron, but it did bring ergonomics into mainstream consciousness. There are a lot more ergonomic chairs than the Aeron - I personally like the Freedom from Humanscale, the Leap from Steelcase, the Chadwick from Knoll, and the lesser known sibling of the Aeron, the Mirra from Herman Miller. None of them are cheap (prices range from $518 to over $2,000 fully loaded), but these will save your back and rest of your body in the long run.
2.) Number two is a keyboard tray. There are several benefits of using a keyboard tray. Most importantly, they keep your arms and wrists in the most healthy, comfortable positions. Most keyboard trays are pretty straight forward to install, and they free up lots of desk space once reserved for the keyboard and your mouse. Humanscale and Workrite are the top two manufacturers in the keyboard tray space, and both have an extensive selection depending on your individual needs.
3.) Next up is a monitor arm...or for those lucky multiple monitor folks out there, monitor armS. Not only do monitor arms free up desk space, but they also allow you to position your monitor in a position that is comfortable for your neck. Your monitor should be slight below eye level. Not surprisingly, Humanscale, the ergonomic experts, also rule the field of monitor arms, but there are also great monitor arms from Workrite, Peerless, Chief, Ergotron and others.
4.) The fourth product is a lumbar support. If you don't have the best ergonomic chair, and can't fit one into the budget, you should at least consider a solid back support to maintain proper posture. Back supports tend to range from $20 to $100, so it won't break the bank!
5.) Last up is a footrest. From the Humanscale website: "Studies have shown that 70% of all women and 40% of all men have health issues such as blood clots, varicose veins and pressure on the Achilles tendon due to pooling of fluids in the lower limbs — the result of prolonged, inactive sitting." Wow - I don't currently have a footrest at my workstation, but that is pretty powerful information. I may have to pick one up. Like back supports, footrests are fairly inexpensive (prices are $30 to $150). Humanscale and Safco are the top two manufacturers of footrests for the work environment.
I'm off to the gym - something has to combat my "prolonged, inactive sitting"! I hope this information is helpful, and please feel free to shoot me any questions you may have.
Ergonomic Seating Advice from a Certified Ergonomist!
Here's a great video from our friends across the Pond. Enjoy!
Office Chairs' "Bells and Whistles"
Are you ever confused by the names and features that are included with office chairs? Let us try to clear it up for you...
Pneumatic Seat Height Adjustment - Regulates height of the chair relative to the floor.
Tilt Tension - Controls rate and ease with which the chair reclines for different weights and strengths of users.
Knee Tilt (Option below) - Allows user to recline at slightly more of an angle than conventional tilt.
Dual Function (Option below) - Seat and back angle adjustment independently from one another.
2-to-1 Synchro Tilt - Allows user to recline while keeping the seat cushion relatively level to the floor.
Adjustable Lumbar Support - Allows user to move support to the area that applies to their particular lumbar.
Please feel free to fire any questions my way!
Pneumatic Seat Height Adjustment - Regulates height of the chair relative to the floor.
Tilt Tension - Controls rate and ease with which the chair reclines for different weights and strengths of users.
Knee Tilt (Option below) - Allows user to recline at slightly more of an angle than conventional tilt.
Dual Function (Option below) - Seat and back angle adjustment independently from one another.
2-to-1 Synchro Tilt - Allows user to recline while keeping the seat cushion relatively level to the floor.
Adjustable Lumbar Support - Allows user to move support to the area that applies to their particular lumbar.
Please feel free to fire any questions my way!
Aeron Chair Celebrity Sightings
We learned last week that Jack Bauer sits in a Freedom chair, so this week we figured we'd comb through the archives to see which celebrities sit in the world famous Aeron chair. Designed by Bill Stumpf and Don Chadwick, the ergonomic Herman Miller Aeron chair has seeped into our popular culture and has become the symbol of professional influence and power in the work place. Featured on television shows, in big-screen films, in best-selling books, and even in the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Aeron chair is undoubtedly a modern masterpiece to be marveled. Here are 10 places the Aeron chair can be spotted.
1. ) Medical genius Dr. Gregory House on the award-winning Fox Network television series House has an Aeron chair in his hospital office.2.) God is sitting at his desk in an Aeron chair on the animated television series The Simpsons in the episode entitled “Thank God It’s Doomsday.”
3.) Claudia Jean Cregg, The White House Press Secretary on the NBC television show The West Wing, was frequently shown in her very own Aeron chair.
4.) In an episode about “chair envy,” The Aeron chair was featured on the Emmy Winning and Golden Globe Nominated NBC television sitcom Will and Grace.
5.) The Aeron chair is seen in the New York office of Dunder Mifflin in Season 2 of the hit NBC television series The Office.
6.) In the 2006 spy film Casino Royale, the character M, played by Judi Dench, has an Aeron chair at her desk.
7.) In the 2004 psychological thriller film Hard Candy, the character Jeff Kohlver, played by Patrick Wilson, sits at his desk in an Aeron chair by Herman Miller.
8.) The Aeron chair makes an appearance in the 2006 film Keeping Up with the Steins about a wealthy Jewish family planning their son's Bar Mitzvah.9.) Author Malcolm Gladwell references Herman Miller’s Aeron chair in his 2005 book called Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking about our ability to use instinct. Gladwell writes how the Herman Miller team followed their instincts for modernization, rather than becoming discouraged by negative first impressions of the Aeron chair, and by doing so, created the company’s best selling office chair. Gladwell says, “What was once ugly has become beautiful.”
10.) In the hit TV show Lost, protagonist Jack Shephard sits in an Aeron chair shortly after the crew washes ashore on the island.
Okay, just kidding about that last one, but the rest are legit!
12 Tips for an Ergonomic Work Station
Hello again, and thanks for tuning in. This week I decided I would share with you one of the best and most simple ergonomic overviews I've seen. Brought to you by Humanscale, the illustration above goes over 12 easy ways to improve your work station's ergonomacity (President Bush taught me that word). In case you're forgetful like me, here's a mousepad to remind you!
1. Top of monitor at or below eye level
2. Monitor and keyboard centered in front of you
3. No glare on screen
4. Documents in line with keyboard and monitor
5. Negative tilt keyboard support
6. Wrists flat and straight
7. Arms and elbows close to body
8. Change postures often (this one's a must!)
9. Work in a reclined position
10. Take frequent short breaks
11. Feet flat on floor or footrest
12. CPU off desk
Everybody's Aeron
Did you know the average business person gets around 6 hours of sleep each night? So on average business people spend 18 hours each day doing something other than sleeping. Most of those people sit in an office chair for 8 hours or more each day and many of them would complain about discomfort in their chair.
Well guess what...Chair Boy has a gift for them! An Aeron Sale that no one should pass up. $150 off the everyday sale price!! Now you have no reason to complain about the cost. You have the opportunity to receive an Aeron chair in BRAND NEW condition for a drastically discounted price. Don't miss out on the seating sale of the season!
You deserve to sit comfort and just think about how many hours you are going to be sitting there.
Well guess what...Chair Boy has a gift for them! An Aeron Sale that no one should pass up. $150 off the everyday sale price!! Now you have no reason to complain about the cost. You have the opportunity to receive an Aeron chair in BRAND NEW condition for a drastically discounted price. Don't miss out on the seating sale of the season!
You deserve to sit comfort and just think about how many hours you are going to be sitting there.
Lazy Sunday
There's no better way to spend a lazy Sunday than posting videos produced by other people. Enjoy...and please feel free to forward interesting videos as you find them.
The Leap Chair
The Aeron Chair
Some Fun with the Aeron
Workspace Egonomics
And some good ergonomic suggestions (I'm guilty of some of these offenses!)
The Leap Chair
The Aeron Chair
Some Fun with the Aeron
Workspace Egonomics
And some good ergonomic suggestions (I'm guilty of some of these offenses!)
A Chair Tough Enough for Jack Bauer...
So, any guesses which office chair your favorite 24 star sits in? When Jack Bauer's not saving the world from terrorists, he's back at CTU sitting in his very own Freedom chair. Come on - did you expect anything else for this guy?!
The Freedom chair from Humanscale is not only durable enough to endure Jack Bauer, this is a pretty great chair for anyone who's looking for a comfortable and ergonomically sounds place to sit during their 9 to 5 or while at home browsing ESPN.com.
Another advantage of the Freedom chair is that it doesn't have a dozen knobs and levers on it. There are just a few simple adjustments for arm and seat height depending on the owner's body type, and the reclining function is self-adjusting. It actually senses your body weight and provides the adequate amount of resistence for ultimate comfort and healthy posture. Every aspect of this chair was intuitive the first time I sat in it!
If you're more of a mesh chair fan and you're still trying to be as patriotic as Jack Bauer, you may want to try the Liberty chair.
Thanks a lot for tuning in to this edition of the blog from CTU headquarters in Los Angeles.
The Freedom chair from Humanscale is not only durable enough to endure Jack Bauer, this is a pretty great chair for anyone who's looking for a comfortable and ergonomically sounds place to sit during their 9 to 5 or while at home browsing ESPN.com.
Another advantage of the Freedom chair is that it doesn't have a dozen knobs and levers on it. There are just a few simple adjustments for arm and seat height depending on the owner's body type, and the reclining function is self-adjusting. It actually senses your body weight and provides the adequate amount of resistence for ultimate comfort and healthy posture. Every aspect of this chair was intuitive the first time I sat in it!
If you're more of a mesh chair fan and you're still trying to be as patriotic as Jack Bauer, you may want to try the Liberty chair.
Thanks a lot for tuning in to this edition of the blog from CTU headquarters in Los Angeles.
Clear Up The Clutter
George Costanza once said that one of the keys to moving up in the working world was keeping a messy desk. He said that top management can always get away with a clean desk but for the rest of us it looks like we aren't working hard enough, so pile those papers high and wide. Now I'm not one to typically disagree with the wisdom of T-Bone, but these days especially if you’re working in a paperless environment and with everyone and their mothers jumping on the green train the wisdom of Costanza doesn't seem like it will be holding up over the test of time.Staying within the schoolings of Body Suit Man, in my opinion if you really want to make an impression at the office you should do so by having a well organized and clutter free desk. One of the best ways to go about reducing clutter without actually having to clean anything is to switch to an ergonomic work station. Having a monitor arm off your desk and a keyboard tray alone will really clear up some desk space. Next week we can take a look at how to sleep under a desk without file pedestals.
Intro to Ergonomics
What is ergonomics? According to the Centers for Disease Control, ergonomics is "a discipline that involves arranging the environment to fit the person in it. When ergonomics is applied correctly in the work environment, visual and musculoskeletal discomfort and fatigue are reduced significantly." Makes enough sense, right?
The hard part is navigating the vast selection of ergonomic products available, and finding what's right for you based on body size and type, your existing work environment, your daily activities, and, most importantly, what feels comfortable to you. There are
literally thousands of options - what type of chair, foot rest, keyboard, keyboard tray, monitor arm, mouse pad etc. The choices are endless! My aim with this blog is to simplify some of those choices and help you find your ideal ergonomic work environment.
First, just a few simple rules to start out:
1. Arm position - Your elbows should be at a 90-degree angle when typing.
2. Thighs - Check that you can easily slide your fingers under your thigh at the leading edge of the chair. If it is too tight, you need to prop your feet up with an adjustable footrest. If there is more than a finger width between your thigh and the chair, you need to raise the desk/work surface so that you can raise your chair.
3. Lower-back support - There should be a cushion that causes your lower back to arch slightly so that you don’t slump forward as you tire.
4. Monitor level - Place the monitor so that the entire screen sits below eye level.
5. Armrests - Adjust the armrest of your chair so that it just slightly lifts your arms at the shoulders.
That's all for today, but I'll be back (once a week or so) to give more tips on creating the perfect work environment. Good luck!
The hard part is navigating the vast selection of ergonomic products available, and finding what's right for you based on body size and type, your existing work environment, your daily activities, and, most importantly, what feels comfortable to you. There are
literally thousands of options - what type of chair, foot rest, keyboard, keyboard tray, monitor arm, mouse pad etc. The choices are endless! My aim with this blog is to simplify some of those choices and help you find your ideal ergonomic work environment.First, just a few simple rules to start out:
1. Arm position - Your elbows should be at a 90-degree angle when typing.
2. Thighs - Check that you can easily slide your fingers under your thigh at the leading edge of the chair. If it is too tight, you need to prop your feet up with an adjustable footrest. If there is more than a finger width between your thigh and the chair, you need to raise the desk/work surface so that you can raise your chair.
3. Lower-back support - There should be a cushion that causes your lower back to arch slightly so that you don’t slump forward as you tire.
4. Monitor level - Place the monitor so that the entire screen sits below eye level.
5. Armrests - Adjust the armrest of your chair so that it just slightly lifts your arms at the shoulders.
That's all for today, but I'll be back (once a week or so) to give more tips on creating the perfect work environment. Good luck!
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