Reimagining kneeling

How do you kneel while you are standing? Figure that out with the this chair

NT Features

An average 9-to-5 job involves sitting on a chair and working in front of a screen. These jobs are demanding which makes people forget to take healthy breaks. In this process, we often forget the need to keep a good posture and develop unhealthy sitting habits. The promised dayto- day aches soon evolve into long-lasting musculoskeletal problems that restrict our activities and adversely impacts our routine.

However, many have analysed the problem, its root cause, and have come up with an innovative solution— kneeling chairs.

While this chair looks radically different in terms of appearance, there is no need to be intimidated. This model attempts to redefine comfort and ensures that its users are at ease. The kneeling chair is a type of chair that requires its user to drop their thighs to an angle of about 60- 70 degrees from vertical (as opposed to 90 degrees when sitting in a normal chair), with some of the body’s weight supported by the shins.

This ‘kneeling’ position eases your hips forward to encourage a more upright posture to better align your back, shoulders and neck. Sitting on a traditional chair idly has many disadvantages as it is unhealthy to our bodies and minds. It is important to note the implications of this lifestyle—it increases the risk of developing type II diabetes and causes unhealthy ageing and poor bone health later in life.

Kneeling chairs aim to eradicate these risks. It promotes ‘active sitting’ as it requires its users to use their core muscles to remain upright.

While some corporate houses are trying to introduce this model to the workspace, its beneficiaries need not be confined to employees. These chairs are gaining popularity among senior citizens and those who work from home as they see it as an investment that will benefit them in the long-term.