Are you sitting down? Shame on you! Well, OK not really because we can't shame anyone for anything anymore, however just take a second and Google the phrase Your Chair is Killing You. See, that doesn't look good does it? That's a lot of links, many based on the 2014 book of the same name; here's a quick interview with the author, who happens to be the inventor of the treadmill desk.
I've been interested in exactly how bad sitting is for my health since I started spending the bulk of my weeks in front of a computer. Ten years ago research was fairly alarm-inducing, placing the dangers of sitting somewhere between blindfolded BASE jumping and a five-pack-a-day cigarette habit. Fast forward to today and there seems to be recognition that it's not the sitting per se that is bad for you, it's that a lot of sitting is correlated with other bad behaviors (TV I'm looking at you! Wait, is that ironic?) such as lack of exercise.
So what's an office-bound person to do, aside from the obvious exercise and nutrition advice? Break it up, alternating sitting with standing with walking. And this brings us to the third sentence of the third paragraph of what is supposed to be – and now is! – a product review. Fluidstance makes bespoke balance boards for us keyboard warriors, with a fit and finish that begs to be used and will make you want to upgrade your office furniture. I tested the middle Level model for the past six weeks, and I can confirm that it does indeed get me off my Herman Miller Aeron more often. A big part of the reason is that it's fun. Step up and start wobbling. Fluidstance found a nice balance (no pun intended… or was there?) between movement and stability, so you'll never feel out of control. The wider your feet, the more interesting it is, and you can quickly progress to spinning in circles.
I've broken a Swopper by slouching, amassed a collection of inflatable exercise balls that became footstools, and generally managed to pervert the function of all manner of chair-alternatives over the years. Not so with the Fluidstance, a key benefit of which is it's basically impossible to misuse. The Fluidstance is a great companion to a sit-stand desk like our favorite the Ergotron Workfit. At the end of the day, it's self-discipline that will drive you to get up and move, but the Fluidstance definitely makes it easier and more fun.