In case you haven't heard, sitting is the new smoking. Even if you run a 10K race every day, you can't beat the negative effects of sitting too much.
But for the most of us, sitting at our desks is a necessity we can't get away from. And sometimes we may get caught up in a project and realize a couple hours have gone by and you've been sitting the whole time.
Read on to discover how height adjustable active chairs can save your health and extend your life!
What is Active Sitting?
Studies show that standing all day is not a good alternative to extensive sitting. So while standing desks have risen in popularity in recent years, using only a standing desk is not the ideal solution.
Switching between sitting, walking, and standing at your desk is vital to your health. You can accomplish this with frequent standing breaks and by using an active sitting chair.
Active chairs, sometimes called wobble chairs, offer you instability that is missing from traditional office chairs. Compared to a traditional office chair that allows you to sit for hours completely still, active chairs make you engage your core and make it easy to move while sitting.
Active sitting chairs are designed for shorter sitting sessions. This complements the modern business trend towards a focus on ergonomics and more movement at work.
Wobble Chair Lowers Your Risk of Obesity
Did you know that on average, Americans sit for 13 hours each day?
Sitting for long periods slows down your metabolism and makes your body accumulate fat. This also leads to muscle loss.
Being sedentary increases insulin levels which makes fat in the fat cells become storage. Studies show that a sedentary lifestyle leads to a person having more fat cells. So in other words, sitting actually doesn't make your current fat cells more full but causes your body to have more fat cells total.
To combat a lifestyle that is full of sitting, you can stand up often while you work. This simple solution will decrease your risk of obesity. Active workstations and balance chairs can force you to move around and take standing breaks.
Active Chairs May add Years to your Life
A study found that sitting less during the day could add an extra 2 years to our lifespan.
How exactly does an active chair support less sitting? Well, when you sit in a traditional office chair you can sit still and be quite comfortable for hours on end.
However, an active sitting chair is unstable and so you can't help but rock, sway, move and twist. This keeps the blood flowing through your body. The instability, especially when using a height adjustable active chair, promotes frequent standing and walking breaks.
Excessive Sitting Is Bad for your Brain
You might be shocked to find out that sitting for long periods of time has negative effects on your memory. But it's true! A study that came out in 2018 showed that sedentary lifestyles lead to thinning of brain parts that are needed to form memories.
This alarming discovery is present in middle-aged people, not just seniors. What's worse is that the study found that even doing exercise every day does not undo the negative effects of sitting.
That means that you can't go all day sitting at your desk, hit the gym and then go home to watch TV thinking you are good to go. The best way to keep your brain in optimal condition is to avoid long stretches of sitting.
An ergonomic stool for a standing desk is one option. Another is a wobble chair. Both will get you on your feet regularly.
Look for other ways to get moving throughout the day.
Maybe set an alarm on your phone for a quick, brisk walking break every hour. When you are on the phone stuck on a conference call, stand up.
Instead of sitting down to have brainstorming meetings, take a walk. You might just find that the fresh air (or even the change of scenery outside of the boardroom) will spark great ideas.
How to Use Height Adjustable Active Chairs
Active chairs promote good posture and engaging core muscles. However, most people lack core strength and may be inclined to slouch, even on these balance chairs.
Just like starting a new exercise, at first, go slow and build up your endurance. Don't expect to use a wobble chair all day long the first time you try one.
Start by using it for short periods in between a traditional office chair. As soon as you notice that you are leaning on your desk or have lost your neutral posture, take a break from your balance chair.
Sitting on an unstable seat is going to take some practice. Especially as you will be using your core much more than you ever have before. You will need to build up to using your active chair gradually until you can use it for the whole day.
Height adjustable chairs are a good choice so that you can use it as a chair but also as a perch to lean on when you are standing.
Final Words
We hope you have found this article on height adjustable active chairs informative. Now that you know that there is no reversal that can erase the damage caused by sitting too long, we hope you will make it a priority to move around more.
Check out our selection of balance, perch and wobble stools engineered to help you sit actively.