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I highly recommend kneeling chairs. You sit with your legs underneath you instead of in front of you, which puts your back at a much more natural angle (much l

I highly recommend kneeling chairs. You sit with your legs underneath you instead of in front of you, which puts your back at a much more natural angle (much like standing, actually) than a standard office chair. They're cheap (mine was $75) and very compact, so you can augment them with a "normaller" chair. Long hours in a kneeling chair can strain certain muscles (the small of my back gets a little tight), so I do recommend using a standard chair about %20 of the time. I alternate between a cheap office chair and a cheap kneeling chair (something like this - http://www.amazon.com/Boss-Office-Products-Ergonomic-Kneeling/product-reviews/B00429Q38I/ref=cm_cr_dp_all_helpful?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending http://www.amazon.com/Boss-Office-Products-Ergonomic-Kneelin...), switching if I feel any twinge of discomfort, and my back and neck feel great.

wanorris 15y ago
The central problem with kneeling chairs is that it's normal and necessary to subtly shift your sitting position on your chair with some frequency (often without even noticing), and kneeling chairs are not conducive to this since they effectively hold your legs in a fixed position. Of course, if you're switching between two different styles of chair when you need to, that may well alleviate any problems.
- fceccon 15y ago
  I use a kneeling chair(a Varier Variable Balans[1]) and I change position a lot, actually I think I move more with this chair than with traditional chairs. And I can stretch my legs(one at the time of course) while maintaining the correct posture. [1] http://www.varierfurniture.com/Collections/Human-instruments/Variable-balans-R http://www.varierfurniture.com/Collections/Human-instruments...
redthrowaway 15y ago
Without any evidence supporting its benefits, the kneeling chair is little more than another fad in cubicle ergonomics. Call me old-fashioned, but I believe the things that are good for you are the things that make you feel good. Lying on a comfortable, supportive mattress is good for you. Sitting in a good chair at your desk is good for you. Walking, and other, more vigorous exercises are good for you. Kneeling in a knee-chair...is a fad. Either show me the data supporting the health benefits or don't be offended when I dismiss out of hand your new productivity- and lifespan-booster.
- ovi256 15y ago
  So how does heroin sit in your value system ? Only considering first order effects is very naive.
  - redthrowaway 15y ago
    Heroin is a short-circuit of the brain's reward system. It's a validation of my point, not a refutation. That reward system exists to make us feel good about things that enhance our survival. That means, throughout history, the vast preponderance of things that make us feel good (eating, exercise, sex, etc) are also evolutionarily beneficial. Sure, lately, we've become very good at targeting the pleasure without the effort required to achieve the benefit, but for things like posture I'd still contend that a comfortable position is likely the one that's best for your body. See: slouchers have less back problems than people who sit straight in their chairs.
- Tharkun 15y ago
  What gives you the impression that lying on a comfortable mattress is good for you? Comfortable and supportive aren't always the same thing, and neither one is particularly "good for you". Mattresses are really hard to get right. It depends on the shape of your spine, your weight, whether or not you have back problems (and which), and personal preference. There are trade-offs involved. If you find evidence so important, I suggest you show me yours, as I find it to be strangely lacking. Ah, the irony.
  - starpilot 15y ago
    There's a barefoot running movement stemming from research apparently indicating cushiony running sneakers leading to less healthy feet than running barefoot. Maybe the same could be true of bedding. Many Japanese today still sleep on thick cotton-stuffed pads laid on the floor, which is vastly firmer than most spring/foam mattresses.
- saturdaysaint 15y ago
  Not much research has been done, but the most recent (2008) study concluded: "This study suggests that ergonomically designed kneeling chairs set at +20 degrees inclination do maintain standing lumbar curvature to a greater extent than sitting on a standard computer chair with an overall mean difference of 7.633 degrees . Further research with a greater number of subjects and on different chair designs is warranted." http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18810008 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18810008
k7d 15y ago
+1 for kneeling chairs. I've Varier Gravity Balans http://www.varierfurniture.com/Collections/Human-instruments/Gravity-balans-R http://www.varierfurniture.com/Collections/Human-instruments... and it totally rocks once you get used to it.
colanderman 15y ago
I tried a kneeling chair a while back. The pressure on my shins was unbearable to the point of being painful. I really wanted to like it but couldn't use it for more than a few minutes at a time.

wanorris 15y ago

The central problem with kneeling chairs is that it's normal and necessary to subtly shift your sitting position on your chair with some frequency (often without even noticing), and kneeling chairs are not conducive to this since they effectively hold your legs in a fixed position. Of course, if you're switching between two different styles of chair when you need to, that may well alleviate any problems.

fceccon 15y ago
I use a kneeling chair(a Varier Variable Balans[1]) and I change position a lot, actually I think I move more with this chair than with traditional chairs. And I can stretch my legs(one at the time of course) while maintaining the correct posture. [1] http://www.varierfurniture.com/Collections/Human-instruments/Variable-balans-R http://www.varierfurniture.com/Collections/Human-instruments...

redthrowaway 15y ago

Without any evidence supporting its benefits, the kneeling chair is little more than another fad in cubicle ergonomics. Call me old-fashioned, but I believe the things that are good for you are the things that make you feel good. Lying on a comfortable, supportive mattress is good for you. Sitting in a good chair at your desk is good for you. Walking, and other, more vigorous exercises are good for you. Kneeling in a knee-chair...is a fad. Either show me the data supporting the health benefits or don't be offended when I dismiss out of hand your new productivity- and lifespan-booster.

ovi256 15y ago
So how does heroin sit in your value system ? Only considering first order effects is very naive.
- redthrowaway 15y ago
  Heroin is a short-circuit of the brain's reward system. It's a validation of my point, not a refutation. That reward system exists to make us feel good about things that enhance our survival. That means, throughout history, the vast preponderance of things that make us feel good (eating, exercise, sex, etc) are also evolutionarily beneficial. Sure, lately, we've become very good at targeting the pleasure without the effort required to achieve the benefit, but for things like posture I'd still contend that a comfortable position is likely the one that's best for your body. See: slouchers have less back problems than people who sit straight in their chairs.
Tharkun 15y ago
What gives you the impression that lying on a comfortable mattress is good for you? Comfortable and supportive aren't always the same thing, and neither one is particularly "good for you". Mattresses are really hard to get right. It depends on the shape of your spine, your weight, whether or not you have back problems (and which), and personal preference. There are trade-offs involved. If you find evidence so important, I suggest you show me yours, as I find it to be strangely lacking. Ah, the irony.
- starpilot 15y ago
  There's a barefoot running movement stemming from research apparently indicating cushiony running sneakers leading to less healthy feet than running barefoot. Maybe the same could be true of bedding. Many Japanese today still sleep on thick cotton-stuffed pads laid on the floor, which is vastly firmer than most spring/foam mattresses.
saturdaysaint 15y ago
Not much research has been done, but the most recent (2008) study concluded: "This study suggests that ergonomically designed kneeling chairs set at +20 degrees inclination do maintain standing lumbar curvature to a greater extent than sitting on a standard computer chair with an overall mean difference of 7.633 degrees . Further research with a greater number of subjects and on different chair designs is warranted." http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18810008 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18810008

k7d 15y ago

+1 for kneeling chairs. I've Varier Gravity Balans http://www.varierfurniture.com/Collections/Human-instruments/Gravity-balans-R http://www.varierfurniture.com/Collections/Human-instruments... and it totally rocks once you get used to it.

colanderman 15y ago

I tried a kneeling chair a while back. The pressure on my shins was unbearable to the point of being painful. I really wanted to like it but couldn't use it for more than a few minutes at a time.