Didn't they teach you Home Ergonomics in school?

Most of us who make the daily trek to the office are aware of ergonomic office furniture that will help get us through the day comfortably and safely. But what about the furniture in your home? It might look and feel comfy to sit and relax on, but is it being kind to your back?

Making a home ergonomic may sound complicated (and expensive) but it doesn't have to be. Ergonomics is simply how we use furniture, tools and equipment in relation to our immediate environment in a way that reduces physical discomfort and the risk of injury. A soft sofa or a fluffy, oversized chair may appear to be comfortable and inviting. However, if it encourages you to slouch, it can have a lasting, negative effect on your body, especially your back. You can ensure that your living room and dining room are ergonomic by following a few basic principles.

When shopping for a couch, look for one that allows you to sit at ease, with feet flat on the ground, thighs parallel to the floor, head centered over the shoulders and back fully supported. This would also apply to any type of chair you are considering purchasing, including dining room chairs, side chairs, arms chairs and recliners. When choosing the perfect recliner, make sure that when sitting upright, your lower spine is fully supported by the backrest and that it cradles your shoulders and neck. If you do find a recliner that you just must have, but it isn't an ideal fit, you can select one with a matching ottoman. This will take the pressure off the backs of your legs, one of the first places to experience discomfort when not sitting properly.

If, when using your sofa, you are in the habit of lying down, ensure that your back, neck and shoulders are being properly cushioned. Before purchasing end tables, take into account whether or not your couch has arms. If it does, are the arms high or low? If they are high, you will want end tables of a comparable height, so that you can easily place items on the end table without having to twist uncomfortably. The same goes for coffee tables: they should stand at a height in conjunction to the couch's seating area when you are sitting, so that you can easily reach anything on the coffee table without effort or strain. This will also apply to an accent table being bought specifically to stand beside an armchair; you want the table to be high enough or the arms to low enough to avoid having to overreach when putting something down on the table top.

In the dining room, similar ergonomic principles can make mealtimes more comfortable and enjoyable. Dining chairs should be bought with the dining table in mind. The seat height of the chair should be anywhere from 10 to 12 inches below the dining table edge. For example, if the height of your dining table is 30 inches, the seat height of your dining chairs should range from 18 to 20 inches high, depending on the size and height of the person sitting in the chair on a regular basis.

Before purchasing a dining room table, take into account how many people will be using it and then buy one that will be large enough to easily accommodate everyone. A person generally needs a minimum of 24 inches of personal space to feel comfortable, but an additional 6 inches will provide extra elbow room. Allotting the maximum amount of personal space will also facilitate each person's ability to reach for things effortlessly, reducing the risk of muscle strain.

At Cymax Stores, customers can choose from a wide range of reliable furniture manufacturers for a comfortable and personalized online shopping experience. Taking time to choose ergonomic furniture for your living room and dining room will be worth it when you come home after a busy day to the perfect place to relax and unwind.

Elvis Lives! (In the Suburbs)

On Saturday morning, I am woken up by Elvis and bagpipes. I lean over to see if my alarm clock is stuck between radio stations, soon realizing that I hadn’t set an alarm. It is Saturday. Saturday equals sleep for me.

Perplexed, I get out of bed and peek through my curtains. And there he is, in all his glory: Elvis – clad in a white bedazzled, studded shirt with the collar flipped up, and matching white bellbottom pants with a belt that you could see from space. Yes indeed, Elvis is alive and he is crooning, “You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog” at my window.

The bagpipes are about twenty feet away from Elvis (not far enough). I am having flashbacks of my childhood: my mother drilling our Scottish heritage into my head by means of endless recordings of her favorite pipers and my father trying to instill in me what “real” music should sound like by playing LPs of Elvis, playing along with his guitar. I watch the pipers, and in my head, I go through the motions of Scottish country dancing – ugh. I turn my focus back to Elvis, and I swear one of my legs starts to wiggle, but it may just be pre-caffeine jitters.

I have never thought to imagine the King of Rock ‘n Roll and a band of twelve pipers go head-to-head for the spotlight on a suburban street in May. Nor what they are here for in the first place. I just moved to the suburbs after living in the city my entire life. In the city, Elvis might make an appearance, but only in the form of an over-confident, slightly inebriated fan, after closing time at the karaoke bar. But pipers? Not so much. I’m at a loss, so I walk into my den, where my community calendar is pinned up on a corkboard on the back panel of my workstation hutch. I flip through the calendar as I rub the sleep out of my eyes.

The May Day Parade! Upon realizing this, I am perhaps a little over zealous, but I have never really lived in a community before – the only parades I’ve gone to are more like protests than anything else. Wrapping my duvet cover around my shoulders, and with slippers on my feet, I visit the coffee maker for my essential caffeine kick (which did help my leg stop swaying) and then head for the deck.

One of the beauties of living in suburbia is that I have a rooftop deck – not a tiny Juliette balcony that looks out to a concrete alley between city blocks that I can only fit on if I lean up against the wall. No, this deck is huge and amazing and now that I can fit more than a body on my deck, I have completely spoiled both this deck and myself with stunning, quality patio furniture. But what feels like the greatest thing about this deck today is that it has a perfect view of the entire parade.

The parade lasts for a good hour and a half. Elvis and the piping band are followed by heaps of different community groups – from kids’ sports teams and school bands to War Veterans and vintage cars to Boy Scouts and Girl Guides. When all that is left is a few lonesome streamers and candy wrappers, I get up from my porch swing, head inside to my couch to catch up on the sleep that Elvis interrupted, with a smile on my face and an old song in my head.