It’s your mind that should be locked in, not your body.
Our primal bodies are made for movement. They do their best work that way. But modern workspaces require you to be stationary for at least 8 hours/day, even if you splurge on a standing desk.
Over 25%
of American adults
More than 8 hours
sit every day
3 hours
additional to watch TV
11 hours
that's on average
Old Science = Posture! Posture! Posture!
Early ergonomics research focused heavily on posture and disc pressure. In recent decades research focus has moved on to the impact of movement on health, seeing the strong positive health effects, while ergonomics standards have not kept up to reflect the new science.
(Biomechanics of Position)
In the 1960’s, with the development of new sensors, early research focused on measuring the pressure on vertebral discs. These early studies indeed showed, as was to be expected, that the intervertebral disc pressure varied across a range of postures, and that some seated postures demonstrated higher pressures.
Unfortunately, these early experiments have been misinterpreted as evidence that the disc is a significant pain generator and that increasing the biomechanical load leads to greater pain. In search of a clear design goal chair designers misinterpreted these results and began focusing on “ideal” posture support, with no supporting evidence for health benefit.
The seated posture is inherently unstable, and if there is no stable posture, there is no one perfect chair.
— The Chair, Galen Cranz, UC Berkeley
The purpose of study
To compare lumbopelvic kinematics, discomfort, and task performance between the novel chair and traditional sitting /standing.
Result
When standing in the novel chair, the lumbopelvic angles fell in between traditional sitting and standing (p < 0.01). Movement and/or postural changes that occurred with the novel chair reduced low back and leg discomfort for pain developers (PDs) (p < 0.01). All participants classified as PDs in traditional standing were non-PDs with the novel chair.
participants
16
Hours TESTING
6
Discomfort over time
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(Day 3 - Movably Sit/Stand)
METHODS
Sixteen participants completed three separate 2-h sedentary exposures. During the 2-h collection, participants completed three controlled computer tasks (typing, data entry, and reading comprehension) to simulate desk work. Although participants transitioned every 3 min between sitting and standing with the novel chair, productivity was not affected.
100%
The first known independent study demonstrating discomfort prevention in every one of the participants.
Hey Movably, prove it!
Study: Impact of Movably use on low back pain development during desk work and the influence on adopted postures and movement patterns
The Biomechanics behind why
sitting is bad and movement is good
The spine disc is the largest structure in our body that doesn't have a blood supply
The only way it gets nutrients in and waste out is through diffusion
Diffusion is aided by pressure on the spine varying regularly. Think of your lungs breathing or heart pumping
By sitting, you increase pressure on the spine but don’t allow it to expand to diffuse properly.
Diffusion: “Pump” mechanism of spinal disk health
Non load-bearing
Load-bearing
This is why prolonged sitting is harmful and movement is beneficial (and necessary)
Frequent movement: for mind and body
A review of several studies shows continuous health improvement with shorter sitting durations
Mean sedentary bout (min/day)
Cerebral blood flow
Movably eliminates a majority of sedentary health risk
Today sedentary behavior is recognized as a distinct variable and significant contributor to health issues. Interrupting long sitting bouts and reducing the overall time is critical.
