Long Beach, CA – June 17, 2020 – Human Touch®, the U.S. market leader of innovative massage chairs, Perfect Chair® zero gravity recliners, and other wellness solutions, has been honored with eight 2020 Awards for Design Excellence (ADEX). Conducted each year by the Design Journal, the ADEX awards recognizes the superior product design of furnishings marketed and sold throughout the international architecture and design industry, and this year the annual competition received entries from 600 companies. This is the tenth year that Human Touch products have been recognized by the ADEX committee.
“Human Touch continues to impress our committee each year with their innovative and attractive designs,” says John Platter, ADEX CEO & Executive Director. “The ADEX awards are the largest awards program in the design industry, and we’re proud to recognize Human Touch for the tenth year running.”
Human Touch’s ADEX-winning wellness solutions include:
The Human Touch Super Novo massage chair received a Platinum ADEX Award for its captivating unibody construction, delivering a proprietary three-dimensional massage along the entire length of your spine and all the way down to your thighs. The Meditation programs combine a soothing soundtrack with your massage, helping you to focus your breathing and achieve a relaxed state of being while the Yoga Studio programs use deep stretching and pressure to loosen and relieve pain from tight muscles. Top off your massage with your favorite music by connecting to the built-in Altec Lansing Premium Sound System via Bluetooth or play one of Sound Soothe’s eight relaxing nature sounds — you can even control the volume.
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Complementing its advanced massage technology, Super Novo is the first chair of its kind to implement Alexa capability with the help of Virtual Therapist™. Ask Virtual Therapist to give you a massage and feel the smooth glide of the recline sweep you back into a perfect state of relaxation.
The Human Touch Novo XT2 massage chair received a Platinum ADEX Award for its striking design and best-in-class performance, providing a therapeutic massage that can be custom-tailored to fit your lifestyle. The Novo XT2 features a distinctive unibody design, delivering three-dimensional massage along the entire length of the spine and all the way down to the thighs, Altec Lansing Premium Sound System to enjoy your favorite music or one of eight calming built-in sound Soothe nature tracks. The wellness solution also features a full-body stretch, lumbar heat, cloud touch acupressure, zero gravity massage and an extending foot and calf massager. The Novo XT2 massage chair is endorsed by the World Federation of Chiropractic as an optimal way to improve spinal health and relieve overall stress.
The Human Touch Gravis ZG chair received a Platinum ADEX Award for its combination of the therapeutic benefits of zero gravity seating with air massage technology, multi-zone heat and powered positioning for every part of the chair, including the headrest. With crisp, clean lines and innovative design, Gravis delivers both soothing neutral posture pain relief and exceptional control of your seating comfort.
The Human Touch Reflex SOL Foot and Calf Massager also won a Platinum ADEX Award for its combined use of Human Touch’s exclusive CirQlation® and Figure-Eight Technologies® that are designed to emulate those of a professional masseuse. By incorporating reflexology massage, a popular holistic and complementary therapy, the Reflex SOL helps to improve general health and relieves stress and pain in other parts of the body. The calming effects of the Reflex SOL are complimented by under-foot vibration to soothe the feet, while Warm Air Technology provides the ultimate healing comfort.
The Human Touch Perfect Chair PC-610 Omni-Motion Classic zero gravity recliner received a Gold ADEX Award for its stylish design using hand-carved wood and luxuriously crafted leather upholstery. The dual-motor mechanism allows for infinite comfort positions and provides a unique balance of support and seating comfort by placing the body in a zero gravity, virtually weightless position that physicians recommend as the healthiest way to sit.
The Human Touch Reflex SWING Pro Foot, Calf, and Thigh Massager also won a Gold ADEX Award for its perfect bridge of Human Touch’s exclusive CirQlation and Figure-Eight Technologies and its unique adjustable swing arm allowing for an invigorating massage at five comfort positions. The Reflex SWING Pro moves to massage from the lower calves all the way up to the thighs. Add patented Warm Air Technology and underfoot vibration, and you have a massage experience unlike any other.
The Human Touch Perfect Chair PC-LiVE™ zero gravity recliner received a Silver ADEX Award for combining innovative design with therapeutic benefits. Like all Perfect Chairs from Human Touch, the PC-LiVE combines contemporary architecture with old-world craftsmanship. The physician-recommended, zero gravity seating position offered by Human Touch’s Perfect Chairs is made even more perfect with the PC-LiVE by using 3D EasePoint Technology™, which features a proprietary and patented fluid-cell cushion that distributes pressure evenly across the entire seating surface to deliver the benefits of zero gravity in any seating position.
The Human Touch Reflex5s Foot and Calf Massager also won a Silver ADEX Award for its combination of reflexology, a popular holistic and complementary therapy that benefits and improves general health as well as relieving stress and pain in other parts of the body, two massage motions providing the options for massage on alternating sides or a simultaneous massage on both sides at once, and Human Touch’s state-of-the-art CirQlation and Figure-Eight Technologies. It’s a key ingredient for a balanced life - anywhere you need it!
“With over 40 years in the industry, we always do our best to introduce products that are not only the most technologically-advanced on the market, but that also offer design, function, and comfort,” said David Wood, CEO of Human Touch. “These eight ADEX awards are a great honor for us, and we’re pleased to receive this recognition of our long-term commitment to lifestyle products that not only offer cutting-edge technology, but superior design as well.”
About Human Touch
Human Touch is the leading provider of high-quality, innovative lifestyle products, massage chairs, and experiences that have been delivering indispensable, life-changing benefits to an ever-growing number of consumers for over 40 years. Human Touch has been making people feel better by developing state-of-the-art massage products containing patented massage systems that replicate the hands and techniques used by massage professionals, thereby helping to reduce pain and stress caused by today’s hectic lifestyle. Products are available at fine furniture stores, back care specialty stores, and mass-market retailers across the U.S., through international retailers and distributors in more than 40 countries, and online at www.humantouch.com.
Media Contact:
Emily Wong
Direct Ph: 562-733-7358
Corp. Ph: 562-426-8700
ewong@humantouch.com
www.humantouch.com
With the COVID-19 crisis putting most countries on lockdown, more people are working from home than ever before. For many of us, setting up a home office has been a tricky process. Along with finding a designated place to work, you also have to consider the ergonomics of the space. The goal is to create a home office that’s comfortable to work in without causing back pain or strain.
Investing in an ergonomic office chair is a great place to start. The Human Touch Perfect Chair® is ideal for any home office setting. Our Perfect Chairs may not look like the conventional office chair, but they offer the comfort and ergonomic design needed to work safely and comfortably from home.
Experience the Benefits of Zero Gravity
In the zero gravity position, the legs are elevated above the heart while the shoulders and head are also slightly elevated. It may sound like a strange way to sit or sleep in, but the position was designed by NASA as a way to take pressure off the spine when astronauts are launched into space.
You may find it interesting to know that this is also the position your body naturally takes when in a zero gravity environment, such as floating in a pool of water.
Back Pain Relief
Many of us suffer from lower back pain because we sit at a desk all day or we perform repetitive motions that strain our backs.
The zero gravity position takes pressure off the spine, specifically the lower back. Once that pressure is removed, blood can flow freely to the back to alleviate pain and discomfort.
If you suffer from pinched nerves or muscle tension in your back, a zero gravity chair can also help decompress your spine to alleviate these problems.
Less Stress on the Heart
Along with taking pressure off the spine, zero gravity also takes pressure off the heart, allowing it to work more efficiently and improving circulation. In this position, your heart doesn’t have to work so hard to pump against the power of gravity, so blood can flow more freely.
Better Circulation, Recovery and Pain Relief
Improved circulation will help with recovery from injuries and even muscle growth. Blood carries oxygen and nutrients to your organs and muscles. Muscles that receive more blood get more nutrients and oxygen, helping them grow. Injuries also recover more quickly because they receive the oxygen and nutrients they need to heal.
Zero gravity is also an effective way to alleviate pain. Along with taking pressure off painful areas, improved circulation reduces or even eliminates pain.
In fact, a 2014 study from Portland Research Group highlighted the effectiveness of zero gravity and Human Touch’s Perfect Chairs on pain.
- * 41% of people taking pain medication before their chair purchase took less pain medication after purchasing a Perfect Chair.
- * 17% stopped taking pain medication entirely.
- * 74% of owners said they would recommend Perfect Chair to other people.
Relaxed Muscles
Working from home can be stressful, even if your home office is in your living room.
The zero gravity position helps take pressure off muscles, allowing them to relax and alleviating tension. When the body is in a total state of relaxation, you also enjoy a deeper, more restful sleep.
A Versatile Home Office Asset
Perfect Chairs are just as versatile as they are comfortable.
With our Laptop Desk accessory, you can instantly transform your chair into the perfect home office chair. Our PC-LiVE™ chair, part of our Perfect Chair collection, is designed to distribute your weight evenly across the entire seat to eliminate uncomfortable and painful pressure points. This makes it easier to comfortably work from your chair, even for extended periods of time.
With zero gravity, maximum adjustability and the finest craftsmanship, Perfect Chairs make it easy and comfortable to work from home.
Even after you return to our office, your Perfect Chair will be there to greet you after work and help you relax after a long day.
Meet Alexandra Williams, Founder of Holistic Hyperbarics and Human Touch Wellness Council member.
Long Beach, CA – May 28, 2019 – Human Touch®, the U.S. market leader of innovative massage chairs, Perfect Chair® recliners, and other wellness solutions, has been honored with five 2019 Awards for Design Excellence (ADEX). Conducted each year by the Design Journal, the ADEX awards recognizes the superior product design of furnishings marketed and sold throughout the international architecture and design industry, and this year the annual competition received entries from 600 companies. This is the ninth year that Human Touch products have been recognized by the ADEX committee.
“Human Touch continues to impress our committee each year with their innovative and attractive designs,” says John Platter, ADEX CEO & Executive Director. “The ADEX awards are the largest awards program in the design industry, and we’re proud to recognize Human Touch for the ninth year running.”
Human Touch’s ADEX-winning wellness solutions include:
• The Human Touch Super Novo massage chair received a Platinum ADEX Award for its captivating unibody construction, delivering a proprietary three-dimensional massage along the entire length of your spine and all the way down to your thighs. The Meditation programs combine a soothing soundtrack with your massage, helping you to focus your breathing and achieve a relaxed state of being while the Yoga Studio programs use deep stretching and pressure to loosen and relieve pain from tight muscles. Top off your massage with your favorite music by connecting to the built-in Altec Lansing Premium Sound System via Bluetooth, or play one of Sound Soothe’s eight relaxing nature sounds — you can even control the volume. Complementing its advanced massage technology, Super Novo is the first chair of its kind to implement Alexa capability with the help of Virtual Therapist™. Ask Virtual Therapist to give you a massage and feel the smooth glide of the recline sweep you back into a perfect state of relaxation.
• The Human Touch Novo XT2 massage chair received a Platinum ADEX Award for its striking design and best-in-class performance, providing a therapeutic massage that can be custom-tailored to fit your lifestyle. The Novo XT2 features a distinctive unibody design, delivering three-dimensional massage along the entire length of the spine and all the way down to the thighs, Altec Lansing Premium Sound System to enjoy your favorite music or one of eight calming built-in sound Soothe nature tracks. The wellness solution also features a full-body stretch, lumbar heat, cloud touch acupressure, zero-gravity massage and an extending foot and calf massager. The Novo XT2 massage chair is endorsed by the World Federation of Chiropractic as an optimal way to improve spinal health and relieve overall stress.
• The Human Touch Gravis ZG chair received a Platinum ADEX Award for its combination of the therapeutic benefits of zero-gravity seating with air massage technology, multi-zone heat and powered positioning for every part of the chair, including the headrest. With crisp, clean lines and innovative design, Gravis delivers both soothing neutral posture pain relief and exceptional control of your seating comfort.
• The Human Touch Perfect Chair® PC-LiVE™ zero-gravity recliner also won a Platinum ADEX Award for combining innovative design with therapeutic benefits. Like all Perfect Chairs from Human Touch, the PC-LiVE combines contemporary architecture with old-world craftsmanship. The physician-recommended, zero-gravity seating position offered by Human Touch’s Perfect Chairs is made even more perfect with the PC-LiVE by using 3D EasePoint Technology™, which features a proprietary and patented fluid-cell cushion that distributes pressure evenly across the entire seating surface to deliver the benefits of zero-gravity in any seating position.
• The Human Touch Perfect Chair® PC-610 Omni-Motion Classic zero-gravity recliner received a Gold ADEX Award for its stylish design using hand-carved wood and luxuriously crafted leather upholstery. The dual-motor mechanism allows for infinite comfort positions and provides a unique balance of support and seating comfort by placing the body in a zero-gravity, virtually weightless position that physicians recommend as the healthiest way to sit.
“We’ve celebrated our 40th year in the industry by introducing products that are not only the most technologically-advanced on the market, but that also offer design, function, and comfort,” said David Wood, CEO of Human Touch. “These five ADEX awards are a great honor for us, and we’re pleased to receive this recognition of our long-term commitment to lifestyle products that not only offer cutting-edge technology, but superior design as well.”
About Human Touch
Human Touch is the leading provider of high-quality, innovative lifestyle products, massage chairs, and experiences that have been delivering indispensable, life-changing benefits to an ever-growing number of consumers for almost 40 years. Human Touch has been making people feel better by developing state-of-the-art massage products containing patented massage systems that replicate the hands and techniques used by massage professionals, thereby helping to reduce pain and stress caused by today’s hectic lifestyle. Products are available at fine furniture stores, back care specialty stores, and mass-market retailers across the U.S., through international retailers and distributors in more than 40 countries, and online at www.humantouch.com.
Media Contact:
Emily Wong
Direct Ph: 562-733-7358
Corp. Ph: 800-355-2762
We’re pleased to announce that Human Touch has received an exclusive endorsement by the World Federation of Chiropractic (WFC) for its massage chairs as a valid supplement to back-care therapies. The WFC is a global not-for-profit organization that empowers, promotes, and unites chiropractors and the chiropractic profession. It is comprised of national associations of chiropractors in 88 countries, representing them and the chiropractic profession in the international community. The WFC has been a non-governmental organization or NGO, in official relations with the World Health Organization (WHO) since 1997, and collaborates with many federations representing other healthcare professions.
After thoroughly investigating Human Touch products, the WFC has concluded that Human Touch massage chairs and Zero-Gravity Perfect Chair® Recliners can serve as an important tool for back pain sufferers by alleviating and preventing spinal stress, which is a leading cause of back pain and related disability. According to the WFC, over 80% of Americans will be disabled by back pain at some point during their lives, and persistent/chronic back pain is the single most disabling condition for working-age Americans.
“Human Touch products are superior in technology, quality, and ability to prevent or alleviate spinal stress, therefore the WFC endorses Human Touch’s products in the treatment and care of back pain and spinal disorders,” said the WFC’s Secretary-General, Richard Brown. “The WFC will continue to recommend to patients who suffer from back pain to combine chiropractic care with a Human Touch massage chair or Perfect Chair recliner in order to achieve their overall wellness goals.”
Among the Human Touch products available, the Perfect Chair zero-gravity recliners and the Ascent Series Novo XT are particularly ideal for assisting in back pain, spinal alignment, and posture.
The Perfect Chair’s body-frame ergonomics are inspired by the neutral body posture chaise position developed by NASA to support astronauts during their ascent into orbit. This virtually weightless position provides relaxation and minimum muscle tension and is the doctor-recommended position in which the spine, hips, and knee joints are on or close to the balanced midpoint of the muscles.
The Perfect Chair’s sleek and elegant design in addition to its zero-gravity engineering make it a great way to relieve the soreness, tension, and fatigue caused by the constant load-bearing. The Perfect Chair comes in a variety of different styles and colors.
Learn more about all of our Human Touch Perfect Chairs here.
The Human Touch Novo XT features a striking design and best-in-class performance, and provides a therapeutic massage that can be custom-tailored to fit your lifestyle so that you can be and feel your best. The Novo XT captivates with its Unibody design, which enhances the style of any room. Its distinctive L-Track massage system also covers 60% more of your back than conventional massage chairs, delivering three-dimensional massage along the entire length of your spine and all the way down to your glutes and thighs. Create your own custom massage experience with five intensity settings, and three deep-tissue massage programs designed to soothe, stretch, and rejuvenate your entire body.
Learn more about the Human Touch Novo XT here.
“We’d like to thank the World Federation of Chiropractic for this recognition,” said David Wood, Chief Executive Officer of Human Touch. “To have an endorsement coming from such a well-known and respected organization is a testament of our commitment to providing top of the line wellness solutions to those who seek and need it most. It is our mission to continue educating and enhancing the lives of people through our innovative massage and healing solutions.”
In its ongoing commitment to enhancing the wellness of consumers everywhere, Human Touch also offers a Wellness Council. Through the Wellness Council, Human Touch has brought together influential individuals with a variety of wellness experiences and expertise to educate people about how to achieve a healthier and happier life by integrating massage, relaxation, sound posture, and balance into their daily routine. To learn more about the Wellness Council or to get daily, expert prescriptions on achieving a healthier lifestyle, click here.
I have Osteoarthritis in my spine, hips, knees, and ankles. I have had a spinal fusion (ACDF) of C3-C7 in my cervical spine. I am in constant pain in my neck, upper and lower back. I also have pain and muscle spasms in my shoulders and between my shoulder blades. Also, pain in my knees and ankles from the degeneration from osteoarthritis. Very few things decrease that pain. Norco and muscle relaxers help when it’s at its worst, but I don’t take either regularly. I just choose to deal with chronic pain.
I bought an $11,000 adjustable Tempur-Pedic bed and pillow. This bed took 50% of my pain away when laying in it, which is the best I’ve had since the chronic pain started.
Until...I decided to take the plunge and buy the Perfect Chair PC-LiVE. This chair is now my go-to for pain relief! It takes 75% of my pain away, more than even the medication! When I’m sitting in the chair, my pain melts away. As soon as I get up, it returns, but anyone with chronic pain will know that getting relief for even a temporary period of time, IS WORTH ITS WEIGHT IN GOLD!
With my old recliner I had a neck pillow, lumbar support pillow, a sciatic pillow to sit on, and a heating pad and I was still in pain. With the Perfect Chair, the neck support pillow takes the place of my other neck pillow, the lumbar support works better than the half dome pillow I had, the fluid-filled seat doesn’t need a sciatic pillow, and the jade heat stones work better than the heating pad. Also, the memory foam seating is like sitting on a cloud. It really is a chair that covers EVERY pain issue!
The zero gravity position is awesome. I can fall asleep in that position with no medication, which says a lot. The other great thing about this chair is that the position I sit in to watch TV or read is just as comfortable. I honestly wonder if it’s magic.
I have no complaints about this chair. Not even the price. The leather is premium and in my opinion, nothing is better than sitting in a chair with that amazing smell of high quality leather surrounding you. It is very easy to use, and I appreciate the 5-year full-coverage warranty! Is it an expensive chair? Yes. Is it worth it and more? YES!
I honestly thought that my Tempur-Pedic bed was the best out there to help with my pain, and it is awesome and worth the money, but this chair exceeds it. If I had to choose one, I would pick this chair. I’m blessed to have the best of both worlds with the dream bed and the dream chair. I foresee a lot less pain medication in my future!
If I could kiss the creator of this chair, I would.
-Sheri Zwaanstra
Human Touch®, the U.S. market leader of innovative massage chairs, Perfect Chair® recliners, and other wellness solutions, has been honored with five 2018 Awards for Design Excellence (ADEX). Conducted each year by the Design Journal, the ADEX awards recognizes the superior product design of furnishings marketed and sold throughout the international architecture and design industry, and this year the annual competition received entries from 600 companies. This is the eighth year that Human Touch products have been recognized by the ADEX committee.
“Human Touch continues to impress our committee each year with their innovative and attractive designs,” says John Platter, ADEX Executive Director. “The ADEX awards are the largest awards program in the design industry, and we’re proud to recognize Human Touch for the eighth year running.”
Human Touch’s ADEX-winning wellness solutions include:
* The Human Touch Novo XT massage chair received a Platinum ADEX Award for its distinctive unibody design, which follows a unique L-track that massages the entire back, from the top of the shoulders all the way down to the glutes. The space-saving wellness solution requires only 2” of wall clearance, and features a full-body stretch, Bluetooth speakers, lumbar heat, cloud touch acupressure, zero-gravity massage and an extending foot-and-calf massager. The Novo XT massage chair is endorsed by the World Federation of Chiropractic as an optimal way to improve spinal health and relieve overall stress.
* The Human Touch Perfect Chair® PC-LiVE™ zero-gravity recliner also won a Platinum ADEX Award for combining innovative design with therapeutic benefits. Like all Perfect Chairs from Human Touch, the PC-LiVE combines contemporary architecture with old-world craftsmanship. The physician-recommended, zero-gravity seating position offered by Human Touch’s Perfect Chairs is made even more perfect with the PC-LiVE by using 3D EasePoint Technology™, which features a proprietary and patented fluid-cell cushion that distributes pressure evenly across the entire seating surface to deliver the benefits of zero-gravity in any seating position.
* The Human Touch Perfect Chair® PC-610 Omni-Motion Classic zero-gravity recliner received a Gold ADEX Award for its stylish design using hand-carved wood and luxuriously crafted leather upholstery. The dual-motor mechanism allows for infinite comfort positions and provides a unique balance of support and seating comfort by placing the body in a zero-gravity, virtually weightless position that physicians recommend as the healthiest way to sit.
* The Human Touch Reflex SOL Foot and Calf Massager won a Gold ADEX Award for its combined use of Human Touch’s exclusive CirQlation® and Figure-Eight Technologies® that are designed to emulate those of a professional masseuse. By incorporating reflexology massage, a popular holistic and complementary therapy, the Reflex SOL helps to improve general health and relieves stress and pain in other parts of the body. The calming effects of the Reflex SOL are complimented by under-foot vibration to soothe the feet, while WarmAir Technology provides the ultimate healing comfort.
* The iJOY® Massage Anywhere by Human Touch earned a Gold ADEX Award as a powerful, portable solution that provides the perfect massage anytime (and anywhere). The iJOY Massage Anywhere uses a rechargeable battery to provide two full hours of portable massage, and offers the same powerful FlexGlide® orbital massage found in the iJOY line of massage chairs.
“Here at Human Touch, we are committed to educating and providing our consumers with lifestyle products that fit their needs,” said David Wood, CEO of Human Touch. “In doing so, we complement design, function and comfort without compromising any of these elements. We are honored to receive each of our five awards and look forward to receiving continued ADEX recognition in the coming years with future products.”
About Human Touch
Human Touch is the leading provider of high-quality, innovative lifestyle products, massage chairs, and experiences that have been delivering indispensable, life-changing benefits to an ever-growing number of consumers for almost 40 years. Human Touch has been making people feel better by developing state-of-the-art massage products containing patented massage systems that replicate the hands and techniques used by massage professionals, thereby helping to reduce pain and stress caused by today’s hectic lifestyle. Products are available at fine furniture stores, back care specialty stores, and mass-market retailers across the U.S., through international retailers and distributors in more than 40 countries, and online at www.humantouch.com.
Media Contact:
Megan Harvey
Direct Ph: 562-733-7317
Direct Fax: 562-424-7846
Corp. Ph: 562-426-8700
mharvey@humantouch.com
www.humantouch.com
How does Olympian and World Champion Triathlete, Andy Potts, keep his competitive edge? A strict training regimen that just won’t quit.
Learn just what it takes to become a champion from the Ironman legend himself. It certainly isn’t easy, but his training and recovery schedule has helped him to achieve over 28 Ironman 70.3 first place titles since he took home his first Ironman 70.3 World Champion title in 2007.
Learn more about Andy Potts, and how Human Touch products help him to bring his best each and every day, in this press release.
Photo By: Lucy Call, original photo on Houzz
Written By: Karen Egly-Thompson, Houzz Contributor
Much has been publicized in recent years about
how poorly designed office chairs can encourage bad posture that leads to neck and back problems.
While ergonomically designed desk chairs may help support us at work, how can we keep ourselves healthy when we’re trying to relax at home? The answer may rest with your feet.
Ergonomics deals with designing and arranging things so that people can use them easily and safely. In interior design it’s a term that has been grounded more in commercial design, with much attention devoted to efficient and supportive desk chairs and workstations. While office applications have prospered in the ergonomic limelight, less focus has been paid to residential design, especially seating.
Sitting in a comfy chair and putting one’s feet up has long been a way of relaxing after a hard workday. Unlike with an adjustable work chair, one of the challenges with seating at home is that it’s typically shared among different family members. We come in all shapes and sizes, so it’s unlikely that the scale of a major seating piece, such as a sofa, is appropriately sized for everyone in the home — or is adjustable in height like an office chair. Ever see a petite woman engulfed in an overstuffed sofa with her legs dangling off the edge of the cushion? It not only looks goofy, it’s not healthy. While a dedicated sofa for each family member is likely out of the question, other seating pieces can provide a better fit.
One of the tenets of good ergonomic design is foot support; a lack of it, as evidenced by dangling legs, puts stress on pressure points behind the knees and backs of the legs. Sitting forward to compensate then leaves the back unsupported and encourages slouching.
“We often don’t realize how much harm we do to ourselves while sitting in slumped forward postures,” says ergonomics expert Rani Lueder of Humanics Ergonmics in Austin, Texas. “We think we are comfortable hunching forward, because our muscles relax as we shift the loads to our ligaments.” Lueder adds that in the past, ligaments were thought of as being kind of like ropes, with minimal nerve feedback and circulation. However, in the past decade, research has shown that ligaments provide information to our brain to let us know how we are sitting. When we strain our ligaments, we lose the ability to send feedback to our brain, and this makes us more likely to injure ourselves.
Leaning backward, on the other hand, can take pressure off the spine and help relax the muscles. Lueder adds that elevating the legs helps make it easier to lean back, and at the same time brings the legs up closer to the heart, which can relieve leg edema and foot swelling and lower the heart rate.
These issues, Lueder points out, are more relevant to people in their mid-40s or older. However, she adds, “raising the legs up without at the same time leaning back can hurt the back. That is because bringing the legs up closer to the torso increases the loads on the spine by flattening the lumbar curve of the lower back. There is also a bit of flattening of the lower back when the legs straighten from the traditional sitting position.” So, leaning backward while raising the legs is the most beneficial position for the back.
Here are three great ways to put your feet up:
Lounge Chair and Ottoman
Appropriately named, the lounge chair encourages lounging! Paired with an ottoman, it allows users to put their feet up and easily adjust the ottoman forward or backward a bit to accommodate their height. The lounge chair and ottoman setup offers spatial flexibility that single pieces, such as recliners, cannot. The downside is that although most lounge chair backs have a reclining angle that is comfortable for most people, it’s typically stationary. Lounge chairs also tend to be on the larger side, and paired with an ottoman can command a lot of square footage.
However, if your home is on the smaller side and you don’t have much room, a well-designed armchair and stool will do. I like the Alvar Aalto 406 armchair and stool shown here. Designed in 1939, this classic chair was affectionately nicknamed the Pension Chair, because it transports its sitter to a blissful state of “retirement.” In comparison to a solid seat material, the webbed cotton seating allows more movement for the sitter’s back and adjusts to flexing or moving. This alleviates pressure on the spine and encourages more active rather than passive sitting.
Recliner
“Recliner” to most people conjures images similar to Martin Crane’s duct-tape-clad orange and gold textured piece on Frasier. However, not all recliners sport the big side footrest lever or fit into what many feel is the “unsightly” category. They’re also a great alternative to a lounge chair and ottoman if you don’t have the space for the pair when the chair isn’t in use.
Recliners have a leg up over lounge chairs and ottomans in that they offer head support and have an adjustable back that varies somewhere between 120 and 170 degrees when fully opened. They are also available in some trendy designs.
Designers Jeffrey Bernett and Nicholas Dodziuk created the recliner seen here. Bernett’s prior experience designing ergonomic in-flight seating for Northwest Airlines informed his design of the residential Flight Recliner. When upright, it is a comfortable, streamlined club chair. To recline, it uses a mechanism that takes only a modest seated thrust to activate it, fully expanding it to cradle the entire body from head to toe.
This recliner, designed in 1966 by Milo Baughman, opens with just a slight seated push and accommodates three stages of comfort — from upright to feet up to full recline.
Chaise Longue
A chaise longue is a simpler approach to reclined seating, being a singular piece with no internal mechanisms. Although this chaise form gently follows the S-shaped curve of the spine, not all pieces are ergonomically focused.
Lueder cautions using the word “ergonomic” to describe a particular design without more information about how the sitter actually uses the piece. For example, the primary problem with reclining seats is when our tasks require us to lean forward. “That’s why good ergonomists don’t call chairs ‘ergonomic’ unless it’s referencing the users who are sitting in it,” she says. As long as the piece is being used appropriately, there’s no reason a person shouldn’t be able to use a laptop while sitting in a lounge chair, for example.
Ergonomists aren’t typically hired for individual residential projects, but often they can provide particularly useful and cost-effective input in special situations, such as when the clients have specific chronic health disorders or disabilities.
Larger multifamily residential projects, Lueder notes, may benefit from a qualified ergonomist’s expertise in areas such as standards compliance and the health and safety implications associated with how design solutions might affect different types of users. For example, qualified ergonomists should recognize potential hazards to children of different ages. They should also identify potential issues that might require expensive retrofitting after the construction is completed. Lueder adds that potential candidates should have an advanced degree in ergonomics or a related profession and be a Certified Professional Ergonomist.
More from Houzz:
Dress Up Chairs With Decorative Throw Pillows
Get Advice on Adding Ergonomic Furniture to Your Interior Design
Next Up: How to Design a Comfortable, Ergonomic Home Office
Looking for more ways to relieve back pain? Try our Human Touch Perfect Chair Recliners. 
PC-610 Perfect Chair Omni-Motion Classic
These Zero-Gravity Recliners, such as the PC-610 Perfect Chair Omni-Motion Classic recliner, allow the body to sit in neutral-posture position, which is the physician-recommended way to sit. This angle raises your legs above your heart, encouraging optimal blood flow, and also takes the pressure off the lower back to decompress the spine and release tension.
Earlier this year, Human Touch was able to help Jim Tavare to recover after a devastating car accident by offering him a Perfect Chair PC-610 Omni-Motion Classic recliner. The actor, who played Tom the Innkeeper in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, had been in a head-on collision that left him in an Intensive Care Unit, suffering with a broken neck, a punctured lung, 15 broken ribs, fractures in both breastbones and multiple breaks in his right leg. You can read more about his accident, and how Human Touch got involved, by clicking here.
We recently checked in with Jim and his wife, Laura, who updated us on his progress. His physiotherapy has been going well, and he currently works with his therapist 4 times per week. After months of being immobile, he is now walking again and feeling much happier to be able to get around. Although he still suffers from residual pain, Laura shared that the PC-610 has been a huge help on his road to recovery. Here is a video message that Jim created, sharing more about how the PC-610 has impacted him over the past few months.