The Symbiotic Chair

The New Chair revolutionising the way we sit today.

Office Chairs for Bad Backs.

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It’s not the chair, it’s the person.*

F M Alexander

Having to sit down all day without much movement causes a whole host of musculoskeletal problems. We need office chairs for bad backs.

Symbiotic Chair Review– Office Chairs for bad backs. *F M Alexander said this when all he knew of were the wooden dining chairs he used to practice his unique and life-changing technique. The Symbiotic Chair is the latest development in ergonomic chairs and had not been invented yet! In those days, back in the 1890s, he was right. To a certain extent, he still is. We cannot rely on high tech equipment to replace our own basic use. We must learn to use ourselves well. In the face of hours in front of a computer, working away, tapping at the keyboard, as if our lives depended on it. They do.

Static sitting means you are seated in nearly the same posture for prolonged periods of time, such as when we are at work. … Conversely, the Symbiotic Chair promotes active sitting. Active sitting means you are allowed to stay seated while making small, fluid movements and adjustments throughout the day.

So, who says a little bit of support is a bad idea? Only the most naive of practitioners will back up F M Alexander these days. Especially as ergonomics have come so far since the 1890s. We do need specialised office chairs for bad backs.

Early Ergonomics

The latest designs have actually been a long time coming. Herman Miller seems to have set the pace back in the 1970s with his Aeron Chair. Most people will agree that it is not ideal. It falls too far back when you lean and doesn’t so much as support you as swallow you. These chairs have been ubiquitous throughout the city for decades. Things do eventually move on. The other real problem is that they have so many settings its more like a Rubik’s cube than a chair. In all fairness he made a very good start in bringing chairs up to date, reflecting our need for chairs to have greater function. Supporting the body and not just designing a chair with a strong aesthetic. We are now much better informed about ergonomics and the needs of the body. Nowadays stress free simplicity is all the rage. Less is more.

What should a chair do?

Let you sit down and get on with your work. Yes. However, as we know back pain does not let you sit down and get on with your work. It is well-known that having to sit down all day without much movement causes a whole host of musculoskeletal problems. As an Alexander Teacher, I see the result of this stationary way of life every day and it is by getting all the parts to move again that peoples back pain improves. We really need office chairs for bad backs. It should also be the best chair for lower back and hip pain since these are common ailments. The chair has to keep you moving whilst sitting and working. Is this possible?

The swiss ball or exercise ball.

In this great struggle, some somatic practitioners started to use exercise balls to sit on. The instability of the ball forces the sitter to sit actively, muscles are now engaged, and what was a passive activity, sitting, is now an active one. We are now sitting. Actively. However, this is not a permanent solution. The ball is not designed for sitting and will not encourage the best circulation and will not offer much support. Nb: it doesn’t have a proper back. It cannot be the proper office chair for bad backs.

The Symbiotic Chair

Cue the birth of the symbiotic chair which encourages movement whilst offering more support than most chairs. The seat has been set above a bed of specially designed springs that support the pelvis whilst allowing gentle movement. Designed with ergonomic obsession, it really is a chair for now and the future. Engineered to perfection it is a chair which encourages active and passive sitting. It is essential to rest from your active sitting so a chair does need to cover both options. The unique quality of the Symbiotic chair is all in the seat design. It is not fixed as you must not be. Movement, even subtle movement, throughout the working day, will, to a large extent, overcome some of the circulation and muscle fatigue associated with an otherwise entirely sedentary working day.

As mentioned earlier ergonomic chairs can be too complicated. This prevents the benefit the chair could otherwise have because the chair can’t really be set up correctly. Even when it is, it’s never long before someone comes along and adjusts it or swaps it and so on. With the Symbiotic chair adjustments are simple. Seat depth and back height. That’s it. And what’s more, that’s all you need. Nb: It is also possible to adjust wobble but not advisable. It is the perfect office chair for bad backs.

Active and Passive sitting-never static sitting*

It is important to understand the difference between active and passive sitting as it is integral to the way we sit. And sitting is what it is all about. If you have had Alexander lessons you will know that we practise a form of active sitting. Upright sitting towards the front of the chair with no back support. In this way, we practice active sitting and consciously try to generate a lengthening spine. We all should do this for around ten minutes every hour. However, unless we are experienced with the Alexander Technique it is not a good idea to push yourself to stay upright in a chair for too long. Tension will set in. Then it will be static sitting. We become fixed muscles tighten and we lose circulation, blood flow. Muscles start to atrophy. Better to push your pelvis back into the seat and maintaining length, soak up the support of your chair. Passive sitting. Move your chair closer to the desk and keyboard. It is a good idea to think of lengthening up in the front. Always maintain a lengthened spine. This simple idea will be revolutionary and could be the difference between nasty muscular problems or a pain free working life.

*Ergonomics Health

Office Chairs for Bad Backs

As an Alexander Teacher for many years now I have come across a lot of different products that offer a whole range of benefits to the body. Very few products reflect the values that we espouse in the Alexander Technique. Even fewer chairs are anywhere near assisting in the process of maintaining a healthy musculoskeletal and I simply refuse to endorse any product that will not enhance the user experience in a way that I would encourage in my Alexander Technique practice. The Symbiotic chair has been designed by someone who has experience of the principals of the Alexander Technique and also has a great passion for ergonomics and chair design. Early ergonomic chairs were ugly and quite unwieldy. The Symbiotic Chair mixes unique functioning with an unrivalled design aesthetic. Something that did not seem possible just a few years ago. I highly recommend you buy this chair. It could revolutionise your working life. It is the perfect office chair for bad backs.

So if you are about to buy a new chair think carefully. The Symbiotic chair is the best on the market and comes highly recommended. Office chairs for bad backs have never been so effective as this. This chair is also the best chair for lower back and hip pain. Check out the special offer here…

Happy sitting.