Ergonomics and movement. The proposals for a productive and comfortable Home Office without suffering postural problems

News Infurma03/12/2020
Ergonomics and movement. The proposals for a productive and comfortable Home Office without suffering postural problems
Ergonomics and movement. The proposals for a productive and comfortable Home Office without suffering postural problems

According to a study conducted by Actiu, the leading Spanish brand in furniture for work and contract spaces, 55% of respondents said they had suffered or knew someone with problems and discomfort linked to using unsuitable furniture due to having worked remotely of late

Remote working has become the norm for millions of people around the world. What initially forced workers around the world to come up with a makeshift workspace at home using the furniture they already had, has become common practice, whether full-time or combined with office work, which is now here to stay.

And, in this respect, choosing the right furniture has become of the utmost importance to ensure the health, comfort, well-being and productivity of remote workers. Working from home can have negative consequences on health, brought about by using unsuitable furniture and equipment.

Among these ailments are musculoskeletal injuries caused by bad posture or poor space distribution, visual and mental fatigue, tingling in the legs, dizziness, contractures, lumbago, tendinitis, etc. According to a study conducted by Actiu, the leading Spanish brand in furniture for work and contract spaces,55% of respondents say they have had or know someone with problems and discomfort linked to using unsuitable furniture due to having worked remotely of late.

Rosa Porcar, Director of Innovation of the Biomechanics Institute of Valencia (IBV)

According to the Director of Innovation of the Biomechanics Institute of Valencia (IBV), Rosa Porcar, in the White Paper on Remote Working “the rise in remote working will be an excellent opportunity to increase the culture of prevention, making us all more aware and informed about how our environment affects our health and productivity”.

The key issue in the configuration of Home Offices is choosing certified chairs and desks, but other factors such as lighting, ventilation, ambient conditions, active breaks and task alternation must also be borne in mind.

Ergonomics and movement are priorities when choosing furniture for a remote workspace. A height-adjustable desk such as Talent enables switching between working standing up and sitting down, while an ergonomic chair is the key to maintaining correct posture throughout the day. Other great choices are advanced performance office chairs such as TNK Flex or a comfortable soft seating range such as Noom, which has soft lines and stands out due to how comfortable it is.

Soledat Berbegal, Consultant and Brand Reputation Director at Actiu

We are aware that movement fosters creativity and improves productivity. Muscles are activated, fatigue, effort and tension are reduced and efficiency is increased, always with the aim of keeping the body and mind healthy.We are committed to promoting the culture of ergonomics by bringing the best professional equipment into the home. These products are the result of 50 years’ experience and have been tested in offices all around the world”, states Soledat Berbegal, Consultant and Brand Reputation Director at Actiu.

Marcelo Alegre, of Alegre Design, designer of the three collections

Home workspaces do not have to be restricted to a single space. For this reason, the furniture must be flexible and adaptable. And that is precisely what collections such as Talent, TNK Flex and Noom achieve. Talent stands out for its mobility, while TNK provides the home with a professional solution, whereas Noom guarantees ergonomics, blending into a domestic environment, thanks to its materials and finishes. These pieces, due to how versatile they are, fit into any space in the home. Furthermore, they are functional and comfortable for tasks that require continuous concentration or for more sporadic work”, states Marcelo Alegre, of Alegre Design, designer of the three collections.

TNK Flex Chair, a second skin that anticipates the user's movement

A good work chair should be ergonomic, adjustable, offer good lumbar support, have a sufficiently wide seat and armrests as well as being a swivel chair. TNK Flex desk chair is in a category of its own by applying an innovative system that intuitively anticipates the user's needs. It adapts to the shape and movements of the human body, adjusting the backrest and seat as if it were a second skin.

This seat uses technology similar to that used in truck cabs: a suspended seat that makes the user feel weightless. The contact zone is equipped with air chambers in the seat foam, which boosts compression and decompression, so that the seat welcomes, absorbs and adapts its shape to the user's specific needs, creating a feeling of balance and well-being.

The seat is rounded off with a backrest that automatically adapts to the user's movements without the user having to activate any type of mechanism. A fully adaptable backrest (in height, tilt, torsion) that interprets the user's movements and anticipates them, providing them with total freedom of movement in their day-to-day work, maintaining correct posture and maximum efficiency at all times. The TNK Flex won the German Design Award and has a certificate certifying 24/7 intensive use.

Talent, the desk that helps you move

The Talent desk offers maximum versatility. It is foldable, height-adjustable and mobile, it can be easily stored and it enables switching between working sitting down and standing up, facilitating mobility and, in turn, improving health. It also has wheels and can be used as a whiteboard for sketches, notes and presentations. Its quality and safety is backed up by the German GS certification.

Talent combines ease of use and a height adjustment system with no need for electricity. An easily accessible button activates a gas piston that adjusts both the ascent and descent of the work surface, in a very subtle and smooth movement, in which the user chooses the level of elevation.

Talent brings a unique innovation to the market, due to its technical qualities, and creates a new paradigm for versatile spaces.

Noom, a friendly design that combines craftsmanship and 3D technology

Noom is a new range with a friendly design, that is extremely versatile while improving comfort. It combines handcrafted upholstery with pattern-making and 3D seams technologies. Thus, it generates new sensations from a soft seating range that will fit in organically in any workspace.

The creation process came about from experimenting with folded fabrics to create a new geometry. Also, technologies from the automotive industry were used to produce a sophisticated 3D upholstery.

Thanks to a wide range of structures, upholstery, leather and Noom seams, it is comfortable and has an ergonomic seat for different tasks and spaces. It is an ideal solution to equip any Home Office. Whether as a work chair or to create a space for reading, making phone calls or simply to disconnect for a while during the working day.

Noom's design has been recognised with a European Product Design Bronze Award in the Office Equipment category.

Source: Actiu
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