Sedentary Health

by Nick Karavias

Much has been written about the ills of sitting and its effect on the human body.
From metabolic effects to the forward head tilting posture it seems that the ergonomic community has finally come to grips with the understanding the seated posture is a problem.  I can’t agree more! Yet the current solutions are less than effective.

Companies and individuals around the world spend enormous amounts of money on “Ergonomic Solutions” thinking that they are making science-based decisions about their health and wellbeing. Yet does “Ergonomics” have a firm science-based foundation?

Ergonomics does not have a firm basis in science”, says Sydney University professor Chris Maher. I tend to agree with the professor and through my experience there have been many so called ergonomic specialists, that I have had to follow on a claim, that through the recommendations they have made clearly don’t have any understanding or knowledge of the human body and how it functions from a biomechanical sense and a neurological sense.

Firstly, when we talk about health can we not refer to it as a noun…as in, I went to the store to buy some health. It is not a noun but a verb, it is the process of Healing. This is an ongoing process and is directly and significantly influenced by our posture.
And this is where the story should begin.

It is said with some accuracy that Standing is the most efficient posture. and it makes sense that this is correct as in the first twelve months of existence, in the gravity environment of earth,  our brains orchestrate and instruct the development of the spinal curvatures to be able to cope and exist in this gravity dominated environment called the earth.
Humans are Geotropic.

Gravity is the main constant force that our body is subjected too day in and day out! There is no getting away from this.  And the back/spine is the gravity weight-bearing core structure.

During the first year of development the brain directs the spinal cartilage and musculature to erect and maintain curvatures to create a spring effect in the spine. The purpose of this spring is to support and maintain the inherent motility of the brain tissue to keep the brain free and motion-full allows for a process that very few, if not anyone, in the ergonomic community know about and that process is Primary Respiration.

Primary Respiration is not diaphragmatic breathing. Primary respiration is a name given to the inherent pulsing of the brain tissue that facilitates CSF (cerebral spinal fluid) flow which is critical to Health and Wellbeing of the human condition. This is the core of any ergonomic consideration when advising corporations or individuals about the workstation environment.

This is our core mission and the guiding thought at Bionomic Seating.

“the office chair remains the second most important piece of equipment in the office environment, the first is the occupant.”
- Dr JJ Herbert D.C.

To learn more go here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVfFkQY3qjk&t=3s