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Eight Things You can Do in Your Office to Reduce the Risk of Sitting Disease

Number8Upon thinking about the schedule of a typical day, most people will find that the majority of their time is spent sitting. Between commuting, sitting down for meals, watching TV, and browsing the Internet, moving around is unfortunately quite uncommon.

But the worst offender is often time spent at the office. Remaining sedentary for eight hours (or more) per day can inflict a lot of pain on your muscular system and cardiovascular system. Research has linked too much sitting to a horde of health problems, and sitting disease has become an actual diagnosis. It can be difficult to change those sedentary habits in the workplace. However, with a few adjustments to your work day, it can be done. Here are a few simple ways to combat the damage done during your workday:

  1. Take a walk during your lunch break: It’s not often that it takes an entire half-hour to eat lunch. Most of the time it takes less than ten minutes and the rest of your break is spent browsing a smartphone or checking email. Instead of sitting at the lunch table, try using that extra fifteen minutes to take a walk. It’s a perfect excuse to get some fresh air, get the blood pumping, and enjoy a change of scenery.
  2. Stretch those muscles: Doing some simple stretches at your desk is a great way to improve circulation and strengthen the muscles that don’t get used enough while sitting. Do a few repetitions of forward stretches, backward stretches, side twists, overhead reaches, and leg lifts just a couple times each day.
  3. Breathe deep: Stress can unconsciously cause shallow, rapid breathing, which strains muscles and limits oxygen supply. Taking just thirty seconds to focus on taking slow, deep breaths is a good way to improve your circulation and relieve stress.
  4. Get face-to-face: Instead of sending an email or making a phone call to a coworker, try doing it face-to-face! Just those few steps across the office are enough to invigorate your body and fight off uncomfortable, stiff limbs.
  5. Drink water: Stay hydrated by keeping a water bottle at your desk or visiting the water cooler often. Many office air conditioning systems can contribute to dehydration, and sitting at a desk can make you surprisingly thirsty. Keeping yourself hydrated can stave off headaches, improve circulation and digestion, and maintain healthy skin.
  6. Follow the 20/20/20 rule: Optometrists recommend that every 20 minutes, computer users should take 20 seconds to look at something that is at least 20 feet away. This helps prevent eye strain by working other muscles in your eye, as well as reminding you to blink a bit more to reduce dryness and redness of the eyes.
  7. Practice good posture: Altering the way you are sitting can immediately improve your comfort, reduce your pain and stimulate blood flow. Keep your feet flat on the floor and your knees level with your hips. Make sure that your chair and your armrests are at a proper height so that your screen is directly in front of you and your wrists are flat while using your keyboard and mouse. Ensure that you have proper lumbar support in order to prevent back pain.
  8. Invest in an ergonomic desk chair: Of course, it is much easier to maintain good posture when sitting in an ergonomic desk chair. 1Stop Office Furniture’s CharlieChair is a comfortable, affordable chair that can be adjusted to fit your body and workplace needs. With multiple paddle adjustments, the CharlieChair will improve productivity, keep you comfortable, and reduce your risk of sitting disease.

Please visit our Product Gallery to view all of the great new, used, and for rent ergonomic office chairs that we have to offer. Once you’ve found the ideal chair, please give us a call at 510.569.6969 or fill out the quick “Get a Quote” form. Remember, we serve all nine counties around the Bay Area (Marin, Napa, Solano, Sonoma, Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara, San Mateo, San Francisco counties) and the Sacramento area. And…we can deliver within 24 hours! We look forward to helping you with our office chair needs.

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The History of the Chair

History of the ChairThey are everywhere, in homes, businesses, restaurants, and theaters. They are the result of thousands of years of progress and invention, a wonder of history disguised as something so ordinary we take them entirely for granted: chairs.

In the Beginning

The simple four-legged, flat-backed affair with two armrests that we consider a normal chair was first found in ancient Egypt. It was the privilege of royalty and a symbol of power. People of high social standing demonstrated their social status by sitting not on the common benches and low couches, but on luxuriously crafted chairs of ebony, ivory, or gilded wood.

Throughout the Classical Age of the Greeks and Romans, and the early Middle Ages, chairs retained their illustrious symbolism of power and prominence. It was not until the Renaissance time period that chairs became more widely available.

What a Brilliant Idea

As the centuries progressed and fashions in society and art changed, the styles of popular chairs varied. In the 17th century, low, heavily built chairs were common, but the 18th century brought about the fashion of luxurious, half-reclining chairs. Finally, simpler, more modern chairs were produced in the 19th century, due to the influence of the art nouveau movement.

But amid all the changes, one thing remained constant: the growing popularity of chairs. As our ancestors once exclaimed, “What a brilliant idea!” at the invention of the wheel, so the world accepted the idea of the four-legged, Egyptian-style chair and it spread around the rest of the globe.

The Triumph of the Millennia

At 1Stop Office Furniture, we take the same line as the ancient Pharaohs, the magnificent emperors, and all the grand aristocrats – chairs are important. And if in our modern age they are no longer a symbol of power and success, they are something far more vital: a way to achieve success. How can this be? Let’s take a look at the 20th century.

The astonishing scientific advancements that the 20th century is famous for led to the creation of the ergonomic office chair – a seat that is extraordinarily designed for optimum support, comfort, and functionality. This marvel of modern ingenuity is as important as a Pharaoh’s throne because it promotes good health and efficient work, which are significant factors in success.

CH777 sideWith an ergonomic Charlie Chair in your office, you can be the proud owner of an invention that is the triumph of the millennia. And every day, you can experience the comfort, practicality, design, and reliability that are the result of our world’s social and scientific advancement throughout history.

1Stop Office Furniture features the multi-adjustable Charlie Chair and many other popular, ergonomic office chair designs. All of these are available for rent or for purchase. Please review our gallery for all of the office chair selections currently available. 1Stop Office Furniture – we’ve been serving the Bay Area’s office furniture needs since 1986 and we’re ready to serve you too.

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The Foundation of Success

Ergonomic Desk Chairs
Firefighters, Navy SEALs, lion tamers, and paratroopers… When we think of dangerous professions, it is usually these spectacular people who come to mind. Left out of the list of hazardous occupations are the businessmen, executives, secretaries, writers, scientists, researchers, analysts, and every other person with a job at an office. Yet, there are many mortal perils of office life that we don’t often realize.

A Perilous ProfessionCH777 front
Most companies have large budgets for technology to ensure that their employees are using reliable computers and phone systems. But in their efforts to increase productivity and efficiency, they often forget one of the crucial aspects of office life: a desk chair. When your work is centered at a desk, you inevitably spend most of your time in a sedentary manner. And this lifestyle can have devastating effects.

As Danny Bradbury says in his article in the National Post, “Executives who spend a lot of time at their desks often focus on what’s in front of them, while forgetting what’s underneath. Not paying attention to your chair can lead to back pain, fatigue, and in the worst cases, repetitive stress disorder.”

Is There Hope In Sight?
What can you do? The long hours of sitting at your desk are necessary – deadlines are waiting, projects are calling, and your boss is keeping an eye on you to make sure you don’t take too many trips to the coffee pot and snack machine. How then can you escape the occupational hazards of business life?

Never fear! There is hope. As a result of engineering brilliance, the ergonomic desk chair was invented to provide a healthier work environment. Ergonomic chairs are designed to provide the proper support for your body, as well as distribute weight in a comfortable way that relieves the dangerous pressure on your neck, back, and leg muscles. Because of the important contribution to your health, comfort, and productivity, a good ergonomic desk chair is the foundation of success for an office worker. Continue reading The Foundation of Success