A Complete Listing Of Course Lessons

Section One

Notes on Section One: General Introduction (For everybody)

This section is a general overview of the course, and prepares the user to measure their current working status for later comparisons.

ActivSeating™ Introduction ~ The Back Owner’s Guide to Seated Work

General Introduction ~ ActivSeating™ is a simple and complete solution

Overview ~ Problem of Neck and Low Back Pain

Course Goals & Objectives ~ Five key areas

Make Good Sitting Posture Seating Easty ~ Put the strongest muscles in the best position.

Outcome Measures (follow up data from John) ~ Research outcomes from a Fortune 500 Company.

Pre-Course Test Survey ~ To determine current expertise

What Kind of Work? (Reclining) ~ Reclined tasks

What Kind of Work? (Forward) ~ Forward tasks

Section Two

Notes on Section Two: The Problem With Sitting (For consultants)

This section differentiates the different kinds of sitting needed in the office, and clarifies the very different health risks between work and leisure.

Research studies show that the health risks of diabetes, obesity and heart disease may not apply to office work nearly as much as the very common risk of musculoskeletal problems.  Clear examples are shown how a chair well designed for one kind of work can cause low back pain, as well as neck, shoulder, arm and hand pain when the type of work changes. Good spine posture is critical to resolve long-term trauma, and most ergonomics practice does not readily appreciate how easily good posture is lost in sitting.

Health Risks for Sitting ~ Leisure sitting has been linked to several disease categories

Sitting Has Bad Press! ~ Bloomberg/Huffington Post articles

Is Work Sitting Really a Problem? ~ Research says otherwise

Posture and the Low Back ~ An illustrative chart

Classic Ergonomic seated posture ~ Body is relaxed and torso is reclined, etc.

Work can change posture ~ A video

People get hurt at computers ~ Statistical research

Postural Muscles ~ The activity of deep postural muscles in the spine are linked to health

Deep muscle strength is linked to pain ~ Research papers

Slumping shuts off muscle ~ The deep muscles relax after 5 seconds of forward bend

We don’t feel slump ~ A video

Forearm support helps ~ Four research papers summarized

Thigh-Torso Angle does not show spinal posture ~ The simplest test for good spine posture is some slight movement at the low back

What’s Wrong With This Picture? ~ A look at problematic posture

“Perch” or Declined Sitting ~ The good and the bad

Section Three

Notes on Section Three: The Problem with Standing Work (For consultants)

If seating in general is considered the primary problem, moving to standing workstations ignores the reasons why different seated postures are problematic. Despite sales literature claiming to solve one problem, like low back pain, many of those products can cause additional musculoskeletal trouble when not used correctly. Medical research is cited to show how little standing workstations are used in the long-term, and where standing workstations may increase the risk of heart disease.

Standing—Good And Bad ~ The good and the bad

Work Postures By Effort ~ Work Postures By Effort

People Don’t Want To Stand ~ Three research papers summarized

Health Risks To Standing ~ Three more research papers summarized

Not Just The Lower Back … ~ Low back pain improved

Section Four

Notes on Section Four: The ActivSeating™ Process (For everybody)

This is the How-To section of the course that uses photographs and videos to demonstrate the sequence of the ActivSeating process in detail.  The key instructions show how to find good posture, and then how to sustain it easily. Attention is also drawn to the chair for critical details on chair adjustment. Six different chairs in common use are presented with a demonstration for their proper adjustment. Also included are research outcome measures from a Fortune 500 company.  This section is intended as a stand-alone guide for the end-user, or as a central component for the ergonomics consultant.

 General Process ~ Make work safer, easier and more productive

ActivSeating™ Process Introduction ~ Testing spine, chair, surfaces

Neutral Spine Posture ~ Neutral spine postures are the safest and strongest positions

Losing Neutral Spine Posture ~ Natural curves are lost, and more prone to injury

Spine Reset ~ A video

Chair Height Adjustment Comes First ~ A video

Adjusting The H.M. Aeron Chair ~ Two videos

Adjusting Other Full-Feature Chairs ~ A video

Chair Adjustment ~ Recline Only ~ A video

Chair Height Is Important ~ Research results summarized

Locate Chair Height ~ A video

Locate Work Surface Height ~ Position the surface above elbow

Test the Surface Height ~ A video

Eye Height ~ How to measure

Locate The Visual Targets ~ A video

Eyewear Changes Vision! ~ A video

Locate Handtools ~ A video

Chair Armrests ~ A video

Seat Tilt Sustains Good Posture For Forward Work ~ A video

If The Chair Does Not Tip Forward … ~ A guide

Chair Adjustments Change Spine Posture ~ A video

ActivSeating™ Sequence Review ~ A video

ActivSeating Overview ~ Process needs every element

Take Regular Breaks! ~ Short breaks more effective than design

Retrospective Study (2016) ~ Five-year survey of 1,000 clients

Pre- & Post-Comparison ~ 187 respondents reported frequency and severity of pain before and after consultation

Section Five

Notes on Section Five: Supporting Materials and Methods (For everybody)

This section will prove invaluable for the consultant: detailed observation skills are presented for both the body in the chair and for the chair itself, use of a commercial accelerometer program is introduced to provide objective strength data, and allow the process to work for alternative seated jobs like transportation and motorsports. Common hardware products are shown to modify the chair armrests and work surface height where needed. Alternative seating options are presented with the pros and cons of gymnastic balls, kneeling chairs, and sit-stand options. Independent care strategies for the low back and neck-shoulder-arm are provided, as well as case studies of common client presentations and solutions. 

Observation Skills ~ A checklist

Thigh-Torso Angle (When It Works) ~ A diagram

Thigh-Torso Angle (When It Doesn’t Work) ~ A diagram

Forward Bending At Low Neck ~ Forward Head Posture can cause tightness in the neck and shoulders Backward Bending At Upper Neck ~ A diagram

Slumping Changes How We Breathe ~ Forward bending limits movement of the diaphragm Contact Pressures At The Wrist ~ Wrist pad or desk is the only place to rest

Knowledge Check ~ A checklist

Caster-Floor Agreement ~ A video

Caster-Floor Surface Agreement ~ A checklist

Caster-Floor Incompatibility ~ A checklist

Caster Size ~ A checklist

Small Rubber Caster ~ A checklist

Chair Height Research ~ Conclusions

Height Research Results ~ A Systematic Chair Adjustment Strategy to Permit Optimal Spinal Postures at Seated Work

Consider Lower Chair ~ Best height may be below end range of the of cylinder height

Consider Higher Chair ~ Best height may be above the standard height range

Make Good Sitting Posture Easy ~ Strongest muscles in best position

Raising An Armrest ~ If the armrest pad is too low, additional height may be needed

Elevated Armrest ~ Additional view of a modified armrest height

Lowering an Armrest ~ If the armrest is too tall, a lower armrest pad may be needed

Raising An Armrest ~ If the armrest pad is too low, additional height may be needed

Elevated Armrest ~ Additional view of a modified armrest height

Lowered Armrest ~ Detail of a lowered armrest mount

Modular surfaces ~ Modular surface height changes are simple

Acceptable Surface Height Range ~ Choose the best Surface height

Raising A Desk ~ Put shims under feet of the desk

Lowering A Desk ~ Lowering a fixed height is more complicated

Raising The Floor ~ Where the desk cannot be lowered, consider elevating the floor

Keyboard Tray ~ Arm support is only at the wrist

Keyboard Tray Modification ~ Keyboard tray is modified to allow forearm support

Footrest In Standing? ~ Alternates weight bearing through the legs

Footrest In Sitting? ~ Footrest does not allow postural variation in the torso

Independent Care Strategies ~ Different care is needed from the acute (beginning, severe) to chronic (settled, regular) stages

Acute Low Back Care ~ A checklist

Details, Acute Low Back Care ~ Downloadable PDF

Low Back Care In Chronic stages ~ A video

Neck And Shoulder Pain ~ Some gentle strategies can be helpful

Details: Neck And Shoulder Care ~ Downloadable PDF

Standing ~ A summary of pros & cons

Gymnastic Ball ~ A summary of pros & cons

Kneeling (Baalans) Chair ~ A summary of pros & cons

Mobility Stools ~ A summary of pros & cons

Saddle Seating ~ A summary of pros & cons

Stand With Tall Chair ~ Worst of both worlds!

Pre-Post Knowledge checks ~ A follow-up quiz

Case Studies 

Work Surface Support ~ A case study

Sit/Stand Workstation ~ A case study

Chair Adjustment ~ A case study

Section Six

Notes on Section Six: Closure (For consultants)

This section includes brief summary information and a two knowledge checks of the course information; the first is a test for the end-user and the second is a more comprehensive exam for the consultant.  A certification process is available on request.

Course Test Questions ~ A follow-up quiz

Section Seven

Thank you!