Sitting is part of everyday life: commutes, computers, meetings and relaxing at home all involve sitting. Most adults in North America sit for about 9.3 hours every day – which is bad news for our health.

Long periods of sitting have the ability to restrict circulation, slow metabolism and result in muscle and connective tissue contraction.

Our brains need oxygen and nutrients that we’re barely getting through our system.

Our body engine may be on “idle”, neutral, or worse — switched off altogether.

Sitting too much can make us less healthy, less fit, and more metabolically damaged — potentially even leading to cognitive decline and dementia.

“Well,” you might think, “I work out safely.”

Think again.
Even if you exercise for one hour each day and then sit the remaining nine or more hours, one hour won’t do much to offset all that sitting time.

Running an hour is no excuse for smoking cigarettes or other substances.)

Bottom line: Prolonged, chronic sitting is no good for anyone.

What can you do about this situation?
A number of experts from both health and ergonomic fields have put forward various solutions:

Sitting on an exercise ball instead of a chair. Working at a standing desk instead of sitting. Utilizing a treadmill while working from a standing desk.
Breaking up sitting with movement at regular intervals – these all sound promising but does any actually make a difference?

Let’s take a look.
The Search for an Ideal Chair
Sitting all day can be uncomfortable. But having the ideal chair could solve this issue!

Back pain. Stiff necks. Aching shoulders. Hurting knees – these symptoms of overexertion are all too familiar.

“Moviegoer’s knee” refers to prolonged contact between femur and patella that causes chronic knee pain (and this term is often applied by health practitioners as an umbrella term for all such instances).

At our computers, many of us slouch. Lean closer towards the screen. Round our shoulders forward. Crane our necks. Squint. Tension in our facial muscles.

As reliable suspension bridges, our backs strive valiantly to make up for lost time.

Even just an hour of sitting can make our backs visibly stiffen.

Men typically experience more discomfort due to being less flexible than their female counterparts.)

Unsurprisingly, designers have strived to develop an ideal chair. Over the last decade, researchers have assessed various designs.