2014 February

Modern office chairs: comfortable, ergonomic design – how to choose

Posted on February 24, 2014 // Leave a Comment

Embody, modern office chair by Herman Miller

Did you know that modern office chairs, are much more than chairs?

Before you make a choice, take the time to ask the right questions. What is the use ? What material and model is best suited ? What quality / price ratio to choose?

GOOD MODERN OFFICE CHAIRS : A PLEASURE AND A RIGHT

The quality / price ratio implies also the quality and this depends on each concept : comfort, freedom of movement, strength, pleasure of spending long hours without fatigue, quality of work, productivity…

Who says you cannot mix business and pleasure? Some solutions :

What we need to think about before choosing modern office chairs?
What are your office chairs for ?
Condiderate that if your staff is sitting comfortably, they will provide a better job and be more productive.
Depending on the time spent sitting and the position you want to take to relax or work, there should be different choices.

Of course, there are plenty of modern office chairs for, but there are chairs with different settings that are suitable for different needs :

Easy to manipulate joystick ;
The possibilities of adjusting the height and backrest of the seat;
A modern office chair that does not create discomfort after some time (heat, squeaks, tightness ) ;
To combat back pain, it’s better with a slight inclination of the seat to the ground ;
Prefer a material that doesn’t slip too easily ;
Choose a modern office chair with five feet for safety, unless you opt for the traditional 4 feet;
Wheels that do not scratch your beautiful floor unless you want it without wheels ;
Aesthetics and design must adapt to your environment.
It ‘s harder working being uncomfortable, then opt for the comfort of the seat.

Especially when we sit for a long time and regularly. A modern office chair represents the most important piece of furniture because you can safeguard your wellness capital. The choice from the start can spare you a lot of future damage, back pain, lack of motivation, less productivity…

The choice will also depend on your body type, if the chair is strong enough, it‘ll be able to take care of your back for many years.

The video of a modern office chair Embody by Herman Miller:

Filed Under: Comfort, Life at the office //

Exercises and positions to relieve your back pain at your office

Posted on February 18, 2014 // Leave a Comment

Tight and sore back? Adopt 4 best positions to relieve back pain

Much of the U.S. population suffered, suffers or will suffer from backache! A bad position at work, an inappropriate effort and a peak stress are causes of back pain.
Keeping your back healthy every day goes with a few rules of healthy living. Immediately adopt the correct posture! First, you should have proper office chairs, be them design chairs or executive chairs.

Choosing immediately a correct posture is the best guarantor of the state of your back. Stand properly to ensure that the pressure on the column is evenly distributed between the joints. Having relaxed your muscles, your back should be slightly curved, neither too straight, nor bent.

Back Position # 1

Standing, keep your head straight, the neck vertical and elongated, horizontal and relaxed shoulders, stomach and buttocks back in order to support the spine, slightly back tilted pelvis, flexible enough knees and flat toes. Spread your body weight on your feet.

back position 2

Back Position # 2

Sitting on an ordinary chair, with all the weight distributed on the buttocks and thighs, parallel to the ground and forming a right angle with the calves. If necessary, support the back straight with a small pillow. The shoulders are low, thrown backwards and relaxed. Do not tilt the head forward. To keep your back straight, tighten the belly.
Your back needs exercise, let it move.
The regular practice of gentle physical exercises contributes to the well -being of the back.
It is necessary to start by releasing muscle tension to reduce contractures. Then, move and relax, and practice exercise to regain optimal mobility (swimming, walking, cycling). Once mobility has been found, it is good to build muscles and try to maintain a good muscle balance.

back exercise position 3

Back Position # 3

Relax your back by tilting your torso forward, “letting it go” completely. Standing, tilt your torso forward by releasing it completely for 10 seconds while breathing slowly through your mouth. Stand up deploying each vertebra while inhaling through your nose. Practice this position 3 times.

Before resuming sport, take the advice of your doctor
Do not start out with a bang, take your time, be in tune with your body. Stretch it, move it, and most importantly, forget the notion of performance. Try just the pleasure of seeing you in great shape. Progress in stages, you’ll save time.

Stretching, a good warm up exercise

Never exercise being cold. This is valid for a golf swing, a backhand in tennis, a downhill skiing or for a game of pool ! It is not a coincidence that professional athletes train daily flexibility, stretching and warming-up before the competition. Remember this exercise of suspension to relieve muscle and joint tension momentarily.

Back Position # 4

back exercise for the office 4

Stretch your arms up to the maximum for 10 seconds while breathing slowly through your mouth. Then release the arms completely down inhaling through the nose for 8 seconds. Rest your heels on the floor releasing you.

Or hang from a bar attached to the uprights of a door to release the intervertebral muscles and static posture discs.
To forget your back, relax!
Back pain causes painful muscle contractions that can be relieved adopting some techniques:
Start to relax by lying down. Breathe deeply 5-10 minutes, it releases tension. You can ask your partner to gently massage your back.

And, last but not least, offer a nice bed to your spine!

Filed Under: Life at the office //

Modern chairs, the most used object of the XXI century

Posted on February 14, 2014 // Leave a Comment

Human evolution, from caves to modern chairs

from caves to modern chairs Human evolution has led humans to be sitting more and more. Not only, especially in developed countries, nine out of 10 people work sitting on a modern chair all day long; moreover, with the massive diffusion of television and the Internet, Americans spend an average of four hours a day sitting in front of a screen.

It is therefore essential that modern chairs be not only ergonomic, but also able to safeguard office workers’ health. The challenge is huge, because they should not only ensure a proper position to prevent musculoskeletal pathologies, but also probably allow moving as freely as possible while sitting. Indeed, lack of exercise due to the sedentary lifestyle is boosting the number of obese and diabetic individuals on the planet.

modern chair

Filed Under: Comfort //

January 2014 Yuck Design Award : fake Italian brands

Posted on February 11, 2014 // Leave a Comment

This month, I decided to assign the Yuck Design Award not a to product but to a trend. I’m Italian, but having lived and worked in five other countries, I am always amazed at how many products and brands sometimes pretend to be Italian. I remember working, when I was a student, at a restaurant in Denver Colorado, United States, called Fratelli’s. The restaurant served a variety of Italian dishes, but nobody was Italian in its the staff.

Even in France, the term “sandwichs” (correct English would be sandwiches) is now giving way to ” paninni “, also often written “pannini” sometimes correct, sometimes erroneous versions of the Italian ” panini “.

Pizza and pasta are among the world’s most famous words, yet their popularity does not make a single penny for Italians, unlike champagne and Coca- Cola who bring billions to France and USA.

I find it quite normal, albeit a little grotesque, sticking an Italian name to products originally designed in Italy but manufactured in another country. That is why this habit’s worth the Yuck Design Award . This is the case, for example, of the popular (in Europe) discount Lidl, which offers products with brand names that seem quite Italian, like mozzarella Lovilio, which was produced in Germany, or pasta Combino, which have also excellent value for money. The image below is an example of “Italian” brands by Lidl:

fake Italian brands

Filed Under: Yuck Design Award //