Shifty by Design

Sitting still or standing still all day, every day isn’t great for us—it’s nearly as bad (maybe worse) as only performing one kind of movement all day, every day. So I’ll propose an idea that’s sure to be unpopular: getting rid of desk chairs.

Before you run to the garage to get your pitchforks and torches, let’s talk about this a little. We need to be able to sit down; I did say just a couple sentences ago that standing still is bad, too. But comfy chairs aren’t the answer. (Uncomfortable chairs might be the answer, but that’s not quite what I was thinking of.)

One of the smartest things I’ve read in a long time granted permission to watch as much TV as you like, as long as you don’t sit on any of your furniture. If you’re on the floor, you’ll be changing your position, shifting around and constantly trying to get comfortable: frequent movement and posture changes.

For most Western computer operators like myself working at fairly traditional companies, sitting on the floor probably isn’t going to go over well. (Maybe at Google—maybe they’ve got this already?) But a raised platform with a footprint that’s a bit bigger than a desk chair could create the same effect and have a much more acceptable appearance. One could sit on it using any number of positions found in different countries and cultures, as well as the Western tradition.

There could be several heights or an adjustable height mechanism, naturally, and it could be used with normal height and standing desks. It would have a simple, cushioned surface on top: not too austere, but not too plush. Just enough to keep you shifting in your seat and prompting you to stand up once in a while and move around a little.

And it could have storage underneath the seat! Storage! Nothing more American than that.