Ergonomic chairs

I have been carefully looking at affordable ergonomic task chair options as I am in desperate need of a replacement for my current “office” chair. This is also going to coincide with a new mattress or bed, so I will no doubt add some observations about those over the next few days.

For anyone unsure of what I am talking about, a task chair is one designed for a certain task (typically working at a desk and using a PC/laptop) and the ergonomic element relates to the design being sympathetic with the human body (skeletal structure, muscles etc).

All things being equal, I would buy either a chair that is only available in Canada, but which has memory foam cushioning, a chair by ergo human (that costs about £450, UK) or the Herman Miller Aeron, which is generally regarded as “the dady” and that has a price tag to suit.

Unfortunately, my budget does not extend to either the price ranges or import costs of these chairs. Even so, I have managed to find a company who source from a local manufacturer and who can give me a fully functional (although bland looking) ergonomic chair for $199 + VAT (15% tax).

The chair looks like most basic office chairs with a padded (but waterfall style seat) and backrest. The big difference is in the adjustable attributes which number 9 separate areas of personalisation. These range from seat slide, tilt and height to inflatable lumbar support and adjustable armrests.

In short the chair looks pretty grim, but as I will be sat on it and not looking at it, the level of user personalisation (plus its cheap unbranded price) puts it at the top of my list.

I will make a decision over the course of the next few days and will no doubt offer some first hand observations if I buy it.

Diabetic shoes

Continuing the orthopedic shoes posts…..

In addition to regular “well designed” shoes, comfort fit shoes, and orthopedic insoles, another shoe type often referred to is the diabetic shoe.

Sores and scratches on the feet can be particularly troublesome for some diabetes sufferers and they can lead to very serious problems if they remain untreated, so the best way to avoid such difficulties is by wearing the right kind of shoes.

Diabetic shoes simply use all of the different “good design and manufacture” practices available. This means that they should provide a shoe that is comfortable, avoids pressure points and abrasions to the foot, and prevents the kinds of foot damage that can be problematic to those with diabetes.

The qualities of diabetic shoes vary, but typically include all of the following:

Plenty of room for the toes to move and wiggle.

No projecting internal seams that can rub or wear against the foot.

Lots of padding and cushioning at the sole and against the shoe’s upper.

Good ventilation and breath-ability properties.

Multiple fastening points (i.e. 2, 3 or 4 fastenings) so that the shoe can be made secure without strangling the foot. Hook and loop fasteners are common.

Good and well padded heel support.

A flexible sole that encourages foot flexing during walking.

An insole structure that is accommodating of the foot with good arch support.

A number of companies specialise in this kind of shoe and good diabetic shoes should be able to take separate insoles which allow the exact (perfect) fit to be achieved.

Most diabetic and orthopedic shoes look just like most other regular shoes. Naturally, cheap and low quality manufacture and materials are not suitable and neither are high heels.

Shoe buying tips

Following on from the last post on shoe insoles, here are some shoe buying tips/facts to be aware of.

You should think about, consider and request information concerning each of these items if you try-on or intend buying some good shoes.

Fit

Many people actually have different sized feet, so if this applies to you try on shoes separately (in alternative sizes) for each foot. If you feel that you would be best advised to take a different size for each foot, see if it is possible to order a “none matching” pair of shoes through the manufacturer. Many good quality internet sites, stores and manufacturers will allow this.


Shoes should be available in width as well as length sizes. All good quality orthopedic shoes will have separate size scales for this breadth measurement and you should try the same length size in different width sizes.


Style

Bad shoe selection generally results from allowing style to rule over comfort.

Do not buy shoes with excessively high heals, tight narrow straps, hard insoles or un-breath-able materials.

Options

Go for shoes with plenty of foot depth. This allows the addition a removable insole. This insole can be customised to you and will add comfort and longevity to the shoes.

Do not be afraid to try shoes on and, if they are for regular wear, sport or walking, keep them on for several minutes. Your feet need time to adjust to them. Try loosening them tightening them and walking around in them. Then imagine how they would be feeling after 8 hours of wear.

Finally, do not buy a pair of shoes unless you are confident that they are the right fit. Badly fitting shoes can not only affect your feet, but also your legs and back.

Shoe insoles

Anyone can and should get and try out a number of different shoe insoles. Insoles are critical to the performance and comfort of a shoe and they come in an array of different types and materials.

The oldest types of shoe insole were made from leather or cork and they provided a basic shaping to the contour of the foot, but little else.

Over recent years, more advanced materials have been used for this purpose and they include memory foam, latex and gel.

All of these materials have seen numerous applications in the orthopedic product market and particularly in beds, bedding and mattresses.

Memory foam insoles are made from the same visco elastic memory foam that is widely promoted for mattresses and if offers the same properties. This means that it can shape and mould itself to the unique shape of every foot. This is particularly significant because very few people have identical, but laterally reversed. feet.

Most people will have one foot smaller than the other and there may be some shape differences too. An insole made from memory foam will cater for these differences and balance the feet out.

If you buy a memory foam insole you need to get the highest density (i.e. kg per square metre, or pound per square inch) as possible. Low density foams may feel soft and padded initially, but they will soon fail to recover there original profile and will become hard and of little use.

Latex insoles offer the same kind of padding and supporting solution as memory foam, but they have been around for a longer period of time. Natural latex is superior to the cheaper synthetic variety.

Gel insoles are increasingly common and they come in a variety of types.

Some gels are in a liquid form and will squash and compress easily, whilst others are set and offer a less “fluid like” movement.

Some gel insoles have a profile that takes account of the arch of the foot and some offer what is described as a massaging sensation. It is also possible to buy gel foot cushions that can be positioned under a certain part of the foot, or to buy heel cups or heel pads. You can even find special toe separators that ensure that one toe does not roll over another.

For more information on insoles, special shoes and the like, see the page linked below: http://www.ggfootcare.co.uk/store/content_cat/15. It covers shoe inserts and information about them.

Improving sleep

There are numerous ways to get to sleep and these can involve herbal remedies, sleeping tablets and aromatherapy. However, getting good sleep is no just about being asleep, but rather about the mind “and body” getting rest that rejuvenates and recharges.

The key to getting the best solution to this challenge is in finding the best surface on which to sleep and there are plenty of alternatives.

In previous posts we have looked at different mattress types ranging from conventional spring based systems to the more recent emergence of memory and Latex construction foams. But there may be an opportunity to change and improve a bed’s sleeping surface without replacing either the bed or the mattress.

Mattress toppers

 
A mattress topper is an additional layer of cushioning material that is laid (or fitted) on top of an existing mattress. The topper can act to add an additional degree of softness, or it can take advantage of the body moulding properties of a material like visco elastic memory foam.

Most mattress toppers vary in thickness from 2 to 4 inches with the thicker toppers being superior.

The topper will usually have corner fasteners that allow it to be tied to the mattress and most manufacturers produce their mattress toppers in sizes that duplicate standard bed/mattress formats.


The most popular topper material is memory foam and this allows a regular mattress to be converted into the equivalent of a composite spring and foam mattress with firmness and support combined with profiling around critical areas like the lower back and shoulders.

One point to bear in mind is that no mattress topper will compensate for a failing mattress. If the mattress is “dead”, then a new topper alone will not improve your sleep.
However, a good firm mattress working in combination with a Latex or memory foam topper can be a good solution to improving poor sleeping.

Mattress toppers are also available in natural wool, standard foam, duck and goose feathers/down and a mix of materials. You should always look for a good quality of ticking and side stitching as these will usually be indicative of the topper’s overall quality.

Collagen supplements

One of the building blocks of bone is collagen which our bodies produce in varying quantities and types e.g. type I, type II etc. However the rate and types of natural collagen that we produce diminish as we get older.

Collagen has long been recognised as important to the body and there are claims that it can keep joints flexible and manoeuvrable, remove joint aches and even relieve or eradicate joint pain.

For these reasons there are a number of products available that can either, encourage the body to increase its production of collagen, or supplement the body directly with extra collagen.

Most of the medications that increase the production of collagen (naturally) require a prescription by a doctor, however there are some we known (and less well known) branded collagen supplements that you can take daily. These supplements are taken orally and it is claimed that, over a comparatively short period of time, they will ease a number of “aging” problems.

A further claimed benefit of these collagen substitutes is that they can also improve the appearance and feel of the skin and other soft tissues of the body.

Like many similar rejuvenating products, hard evidence is hard to find, but there is an increasing consensus of opinion that these collagen supplements do have a value in terms of bone and joint health.

If you want to find out more, here (http://www.howtodothings.com/health-and-fitness/a4460-how-to-choose-collagen-supplements.html) is a page with general information about collagen supplements, and here (http://www.silverwellbeing.com/protocol-collagen-tablets.php) is a page that covers one of the leading brands of collagen tablet. This brand is often sold on TV and is probably the cheapest collagen supplement tablet around.

Mattress options

I have included several posts extolling the virtues of memory foam and Latex foam in respect of mattress construction, but what I have probably not done sufficiently is point out that most good mattresses are often of a composite construction.

This means that they use a number of different materials and support approaches to try and get the best of all worlds.

With cheap economy mattress products this can be a bad thing, however if you are prepared to spend money on a mattress, the composite products can be very good.

Here are the main bed or mattress construction types that you are likely to encounter:

Open coil

This construction sees springs that run in rows and are interconnected. Some systems use a continual spring system which has a single wire from which all of the springs are produced. This is regarded as the cheapest and least technologically advanced spring or coil system.

Pocket sprung

This construction sees every individual spring enclosed in its own fabric pocket and working independently of the other springs. This system is regarded as the most advanced of spring based systems.

N.B. The higher the spring count (i.e. the more and smaller the coils), the better the mattress will be.

Memory foam

This material reacts to weight and heat and shapes itself around the human body in highly supportive way. It has superior orthopedic properties.

Latex foam

Is similar to memory foam, but with more of a bounce and an immediate return to its regular profile once it is vacated by a sleeper.

Composite mattress

This kind of mattress usually sees a pocket sprung mattress construction as a base, but one with 3 of 4 inches of memory foam or Latex foam added as a contouring top layer. This allows the structure and firmness of a conventional mattress to benefit from the shaping and contouring of visco elastic memory foam.

These mattresses offer the best performance and come in many grades and qualities that can, at the top end, run into thousands of dollars (pounds Stirling).