Last week, one of my favorite ergonomics blogs posted a really interesting history of ergonomic chairs. The term ergonomics was coined in the 19th century by a Polish biologist, and since then the term–much like ergonomics itself–has changed according to our needs and perceptions.
Applying the term ergonomics to extended episodes of sitting wasn’t common until computer work became much more integrated into the workplace, in the 1980s. Since then, quite a bit of our assumptions and understandings of ergonomics relates to repetitive, and stationary, office work.
In the past few years, there has been a tremendous amount of new types of chairs populating the marketplace. Many modern offices include kneeling chairs, exercise balls, and traditional curved back office chairs.
What kind of chair do you prefer to use?
I like to switch between the bouncy ball and the regular chair, but I also try to stand too.