Years of observing the impact that regular chairs have on the body — including spinal degeneration that causes back, shoulder, and neck pain and even a loss of function — inspired chiropractor David France to develop the Workhorse Saddle Chair. Instead of just treating the symptoms, France wanted to address back pain at the source. He grew up riding and working with horses in South Australia’s Barossa Valley, and realized that every time he sat in a saddle, his body assumed the ideal spinal position easily.

Many of us have jobs or disabilities that necessitate sitting for long periods of time, and alternatives like standing desks or more frequent activity can often feel difficult or impossible to incorporate into our day-to-day lives. France understood that simple design changes were all that was really needed to make a big impact on our health.

“Conventional chairs force our body into a 90-degree angle between our back and our thighs, putting enormous strain on the back and shoulders. Our bodies have evolved with ingenious mechanics to maintain balancing our weight in the most efficient way,” he explains.

“It does it by the stacking of 24 vertebrae separated by shock absorbing discs using a series of three curves. The head sits directly over our pelvis and is held there using minimal force from the muscles on our back, neck and shoulders as well as our front muscles from the abdominals, pectorals, and core muscles. This is the position we assume when standing or walking. And it’s the position our spine takes when riding a horse.”

The chair boasts a unique contoured saddle-shaped seat and comes in seven different models, with features that vary depending on the user’s needs. The Pro and Plus chairs have cross-shaped backs that allow users to straddle their seats, while the Original is left backless to help people develop better balance and a stronger core. The Go is portable, the Rise stands at barstool height, the Slide has a more modern minimalist appearance, and the Base can sit on top of standard chairs to adapt them for better posture.

The Workhorse Saddle Chair comes in seven different color ways, including baltic blue, black, saddle red, mist green, taupe, camel, and a two-tone black and white cowhide. Backing the project on Kickstarter gets supporters early bird deals as low as $69 on the Base model, while the leather Workhorse Pro with back support starts at $399. Once the campaign is complete, you’ll definitely want to keep an eye on the company website for updates on purchasing options.

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Chairs that require “active sitting” might be one way to compromise. Instead of just sinking in and relaxing, we have to work to remain balanced on these chairs, engaging a host of muscles and keeping our spines aligned. In fact, active sitting has been shown to emulate some of the same natural movements we make while standing and walking. Typically designed for utility over looks, chairs that aim to alleviate the ill effects of long-term sitting often take the form of unsteady stools or yoga balls. That’s where the Rodeo Chair by Norwegian industrial design firm Hareide Design comes in.

Designed for use by both children and adults, the Rodeo Chair is an elegant circle of wood that provides a place to perch. Its shape gives it just a little bit of bounce and the ability to roll back and forth. When it’s not in use, it looks more like a sculptural object, blending seamlessly into the decor of the room.

Experts from the University of Stavanger studied the Rodeo in 2015 and 2016 to test its efficacy, finding significant improvements in spinal strength after sitting on a Rodeo chair when compared to standard seating. Since the sitter is in constant motion while using the Rodeo, their core muscles are always being put to work, keeping them from unconsciously hunching over.

“Back injuries are the most common cause of sickness absence, and the single disorder that costs society the most,” say the designers. “The Rodeo Chair is designed by professionals. The goal is to prevent wear and tear and improve back rest. The developer of Rodeo, physiotherapist Frode Skretting, has studied the science behind motion and is a specialist in general physiotherapy.”

In short, “Rodeo Chair simulates life and movement and breaks with a sitting pattern that contributes to a weaker and stiffer body.”

Winner of the 2015 Award for International Design Excellence for its innovation and beautiful aesthetic, the chair blends minimalist Scandinavian design with health-enhancing functionality. Made of special naturally treated plywood, the chair is available for €670 (about $780 USD) and comes in black, walnut, brown oak, light oak, and “book” finish.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xALCBTZwhpk

Seeing the chair in action will show you just how it got its name. It really does require balance and coordination to keep yourself upright, which can only be good for your body in the long run. People who fidget a lot might even prefer sitting in a chair like the Rodeo while working or watching television. Would you swap your ordinary desk chair out for one of these spine-strengthening models?

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Back pain is an equal-opportunity ailment. It can strike people who don’t exercise, it can develop suddenly if you bend the wrong way or trip and jar your back, and it can sideline athletes who are in great shape. Kelly Collier, a biomedical engineer, was inspired to develop braces that correct your posture to help people overcome back pain and change their habits to protect them against future episodes. A competitive swimmer, she knew the effects of debilitating back pain from her sport first-hand. She teamed up with Dr. Gary Chimes, M.D., Ph.D., a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician, to found ActivAided Orthotics.

The company “designs and develops biofunctional gear that optimizes posture and body mechanics,” Collier and Chimes explain. “We live in, and refuse to leave, the sweet spot of human performance, where training, healing and efficiency peak.”

They describe their ActivAided shirt as being “as close to wearable physical therapists that fiber and thread can get—our posture training products are designed to get you out of pain and back to life.” And just like an actual human physical therapist, the shirt gives your body cues to learn to correct itself. It teaches you to be aware of your body’s movements and to retrain and recondition your muscle memory. Think of it as nurturing and nudging rather than forcing a drastic change.

You start by wearing the shirt for a short time and then build up to four to eight hours a day. It can be worn under your regular clothes to be discreet, and you can continue to take part in all your activities. In fact, the creators say it’s best to use it when you’re active and that there’s no point wearing it while you’re sleeping: “ActivAided is intended to teach the body how to protect the back when gravity and daily activities put stress on the spine.” Wear the shirt when you’re doing movements that tend to make your back pain flare up, they say, so you can learn how to correct your posture and alignment to prevent future pain.

Another good time to wear the shirt is after exercise, the ActivAided inventors explain, because “your muscles are fatigued, vulnerable and more likely to fall into poor postural habits. ActivAided prevents that from happening and assists in recuperation.” It’s also helpful if you’ve been sitting or standing for a long time, putting stress on your spine (we’re thinking post-road trip).

The Elite shirt comes with a panel that you heat and then mold at home to fit your lower back (don’t worry—the company gives thorough instructions), and there’s an Rx version that requires a doctor’s prescription when you order. The Rx version has more rigid panels, but the aim is to gradually reduce reliance on those as your posture improves.

It’s really up to you how and when you use the shirt. The wearer has control over the amount of support they receive—elastic straps that wrap around the shirt apply more or less resistance depending on how much they are pulled, and the ActivAided team say you soon feel your body aligning better and becoming more balanced.

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Millions of people spend the entire workday in a seated position. Besides being not-so-great for your health, sitting all day can be uncomfortable as well. The Fuut Desk from Connect Design is a clever little contraption that looks and acts like a hammock for your feet.

The Fuut plays right into our natural desire to prop our feet up while we sit, and it offers adjustable lengths so you can hold your feet at different angles for working or for resting.

While we aren’t sure of the body proper body mechanics for keeping your spine and the rest of your body healthy while sitting, the Fuut looks a great deal more comfortable than the hard footstools most people prop their feet on while sitting at a desk.

The cotton, wood, and rope hammock attaches to the sides of your desk with small clips. The $30 (USD) Fuut comes in six different colors and rolls up into a tiny portable package when not in use.

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