Sitting is the smoking of our generation, according to a Harvard Study — both involves butts and are bad for your health.
iPod creator JP Labrosse — the founder and CEO of stealth startup Stir — created a solution to the health problems that can occur from sitting for long periods of time. His team of Apple and Disney alums created the Stir Kinetic Desk, which familiarizes itself with where you are and how long you've been there before adapting to fit you best — switching between a standing desk 51 inches high and a sitting desk 25 inches off the ground.
"A lot of people spend a third of their lives at a desk," Labrosse told FoxNews.com. "Bringing movement into your everyday life can become seamless with this new product."
The Stir Kinetic Desk adjusts to your movement and records data on your health stats. The automated desk has a touch screen on its surface that lets you select a sitting position or a standing position simply by tapping it twice. The button on the front of the desk allows you to put it in active mode, to learn your movements; the Stir learns when to ask you to transition between standing or sitting position, by moving an inch or so higher and back. You answer by tapping the screen to either get it in gear or ignore the suggestion. The benefit is that you're reminded to transition the desk into the position you desire.
"We've asked thousands of people who have desks that have the option to change from sitting to standing position. About 30 percent used them actively and replied that they would like to use it more," Labrosse told FoxNews.com.
According to a study published in the "Journal of Physical Activity and Health" in 2012, using a standing desk may be a great way to increase physical activity in children. That study was conducted to positively affect the adolescent obesity epidemic in young adults in America. Results showed — unsurprisingly — that students with standing position desks burned more calories.
People have tried other ways to strengthen their core muscles while working desk jobs, sitting on exercise balls instead of chairs, for example, or opting to switch permanently to a standing desk. Tech blogger Gina Trapani wrote about making that transition recently for her site, Smarterware.
"I lost 3 to 5 pounds in the first couple of weeks from standing alone," she wrote. There is a downside to all this innovation: Excessive standing (as well as sitting) are both known causes of spider veins, Trapani said. She also noted that a standing work day may make getting to the gym later in the day more difficult. Not even Labrosse thinks standing at your desk is a replacement for a regular workout routine.
The other downside is the cost: At $ 3,890, the Stir Kinetic Desk is to ordinary desks what caviar is to catfish.
But for that money, the Stir has other high tech nods as well: It incorporates Wi-Fi and Bluetooth in its Kinetic Desk essentials in order to allow users to connect with other fitness tools and apps in the future, such as Fitbit.
The Stir Kinetic Desk will ship at some point early next year. It will come in four colors: kelly green, crimson, ultramarine and charcoal — each with a matching power cord.
No comments:
Post a Comment