Photo By: Lucy Call, original photo on Houzz Written By: Karen Egly-Thompson, Houzz Much has been publicized in recent years about how poorly designed office chairs can encourage bad posture that leads to neck and back problems. While ergonomically designed desk chairs may help support us at work, how can we keep ourselves healthy when we’re trying to relax at home? The answer may rest with your feet. Photo by ROMABIO / Interior & Exterior Mineral Based Paints - original photo on Houzz Ergonomics   deals with designing and arranging things so that people can use them easily and safely. In interior design it’s a term that has been grounded more in commercial design, with much attention devoted to efficient and supportive desk chairs and workstations. While office applications have prospered in the ergonomic limelight, less focus has been paid to residential design, especially seating. span i  among different family members. We come in all shapes and sizes, so it’s unlikely that the scale of a major seating piece, such as a sofa, is appropriately sized for everyone in the home — or is adjustable in height like an office chair.

Ever see a petite woman engulfed in an overstuffed sofa with her legs dangling off the edge of the cushion? It not only looks goofy, it’s not healthy. While a dedicated sofa for each family member is likely out of the question, other seating pieces can provide a better fit. span span Humanics Ergonmics Photo by Peterssen/Keller Architecture - Original photo on Houzz Leaning backward, on the other hand, can take pressure off the spine and help relax the muscles. Lueder adds that elevating the legs helps make it easier to lean back, and at the same time brings the legs up closer to the heart, which can relieve leg edema and foot swelling and lower the heart rate. These issues, Lueder points out, are more relevant to people in their mid-40s or older. However, she adds, “raising the legs up  without  at the same time leaning back can  hurt  the back. That is because bringing the legs up closer to the torso increases the loads on the spine by flattening the lumbar curve of the lower back.

There is also a bit of flattening of the lower back when the legs straighten from the traditional sitting position.” So, leaning backward while raising the legs is the most beneficial position for the back. Here are three great ways to put your feet up: Lounge Chair and Ottoman Appropriately named, the lounge chair encourages  lounging ! Paired with an ottoman, it allows users to put their feet up and easily adjust the ottoman forward or backward a bit to accommodate their height. The lounge chair and ottoman setup offers spatial flexibility that single pieces, such as recliners, cannot. The downside is that although most lounge chair backs have a reclining angle that is comfortable for most people, it’s typically stationary. Lounge chairs also tend to be on the larger side, and paired with an ottoman can command a lot of square footage. Photo by Weil Friedman Architects - Original photo on Houzz However, if your home is on the smaller side and you don’t have much room, a well-designed armchair and stool will do.

I like the Alvar Aalto 406 armchair and stool shown here.  pool lounge chairs with umbrellasDesigned in 1939, t his classic chair was affectionately nicknamed the Pension Chair, because it transports its sitter to a blissful state of “retirement.” low deck chairs nzIn comparison to a solid seat material, the w ebbed cotton seating allows more movement for the sitter’s back and adjusts to flexing or moving. office chair rental houstonThis alleviates pressure on the spine and encourages more active rather than passive sitting.office chair wheels ikea “Recliner” to most people conjures images similar to Martin Crane’s duct-tape-clad orange and gold textured piece on  Frasier . ladder back chairs on ebay

However, not all recliners sport the big side footrest lever or fit into what many feel is the “unsightly” category. dining chairs sale brisbaneThey’re also a great alternative to a lounge chair and ottoman if you don’t have the space for the pair when the chair isn’t in use. Recliners have a leg up over lounge chairs and ottomans in that they offer head support and have an adjustable back that varies somewhere between 120 and 170 degrees when fully opened. They are also available in some trendy designs. Photo by Allen Construction - Original photo on Houzz Designers Jeffrey Bernett and Nicholas Dodziuk created the recliner seen here. Bernett’s prior experience designing ergonomic in-flight seating for Northwest Airlines informed his design of the residential Flight Recliner. When upright, it is a comfortable, streamlined club chair. To recline, it uses a mechanism that takes only a modest seated thrust to activate it,  fully expanding it to cradle the entire body from head to toe.

This recliner, designed in 1966 by Milo Baughman, opens with just a slight seated push and accommodates three stages of comfort — from upright to feet up to full recline. Photo by Rikki Snyder - Original photo on Houzz A chaise longue is a simpler approach to reclined seating, being a singular piece with no internal mechanisms. Although this chaise form gently follows the S-shaped curve of the spine, not all pieces are ergonomically focused. Lueder cautions using the word “ergonomic” to describe a particular design without more information about how the sitter actually uses the piece. For example, the primary problem with reclining seats is  when our tasks require us to lean forward.  “That’s why good ergonomists don’t call chairs ‘ergonomic’ unless it’s referencing the users who are sitting in it,” she says. As long as the piece is being used  appropriately , there’s no reason a person shouldn’t be able to use a laptop while sitting in a lounge chair, for example.

Photo by Cynthia Lynn Photography - Original photo on Houzz Ergonomists aren’t typically hired for individual residential projects, but often they can provide particularly useful and cost-effective input in special situations, such as when the clients have specific chronic health disorders or disabilities. Larger multifamily residential projects, Lueder notes, may benefit from a qualified ergonomist’s expertise in areas such as standards compliance and the health and safety implications associated with how design solutions might affect different types of users. For example, qualified ergonomists should recognize potential hazards to children of different ages. They should also identify potential issues that might require expensive retrofitting after the construction is completed. Lueder adds that potential candidates should have an advanced degree in ergonomics or a related profession and be a  Certified Professional Ergonomist . Dress Up Chairs With Decorative Throw Pillows