Add a feel-good dopamine splash to your office decor.

What do Strawberries & Cream and an Electric Blue Pantsuit Have In Common?

One single molecule is the common thread that runs between many things we would never (normally) associate with each other. Delicious food. Bright Fuschia pants. A walk through the forest.

The list is long…

This molecule is produced by your brain. And it’s so powerful, you can’t escape its influence. In fact, it’s probably driving your behavior right now.

It’s called dopamine.

You’ve heard of it before, but you probably know it as the pleasure molecule.

When you’re comfortable and life is good, your brain releases chemicals like dopamine and serotonin, which lead to happy feelings. And of course, these chemicals have all kinds of healthy effects on us like improving our digestion, memory and focus, and allowing us to sleep better.

On the flip side, when you’re uncomfortable or unfamiliar with a situation, you can experience negative feelings, such as anxiety or fear.

Now, before you become worried we’re going to get all scientific and gloomy on you, relax! We’ve had enough negativity and doom over the past few years. We’re here to embrace positivity, playfulness, and pleasure.

Blissful Buzz for 2022

Pinterest is predicting this year will be the year of feel-good dopamine blasts. While they’re mainly focused on how we dress – electric blue pantsuits and rainbow dresses – we thought it would be wonderful to show you how WE at LIFEFORM® add dopamine to our world.

Because the trend is all about having fun – we extend that enthusiasm to include our office chairs. Specifically, expressing our personalities through creating a fun, unique chair that includes splashes of color. Or perhaps you’re more about creating a unique pattern that makes you smile every time you catch a glimpse of your chair. Something that sparks a conversation.

With the wide variety of beautiful texture and fabric options, we thought perhaps we could try the addition of a flashy embroidered flower or two-tone leather.

And if you’re looking to extend the experience past the chair, the design for your office could also include mixing bold colors and patterns with neutrals so it’s not too overwhelming. There is a fine line between revelry and regret. Eclectic art pieces and decor in bright colors can be combined with bold lighting, rich wall tones, and colorful accents.

Feeling Good By Doing Good

While color and texture are a few ways to have a Dopamine hit, many of us are happy when we know we’re doing good – for ourselves and the planet. Like using responsibly sourced, local products.

Did you know about our upholstery?

• Our beautiful leather is responsibly sourced through our partnership with Moore & Giles, a family-owned business, headquartered in Virginia since 1933. Their practices meet or exceed standards of government regulations for environmental responsibility
• We use Brisa Ultrafabric, which is odorless, skin-friendly, and allergen-free. These materials are PVC-free and do not contain POPs, formaldehyde, heavy metals, or phthalates
• DreamWeave produces little to no waste during production. Most patterns are made with 100% Post-Consumer Recycled Polyester and are Certified Carbon Neutral. All Dream Weave fabrics are proudly made in the U.S.

No matter how you get your hit of dopamine and all those feel-good emotions, whether you create a beautiful color palette or (and!) you choose responsible products to do it, we believe it’s time to express yourself and your individuality.

Who knew you can improve your health simply by wearing your vibrant electric blue pantsuit and eating your delicious dessert too?

Get Pain Relief With Our Discreet Coccyx-Cut Out (tailbone) Posture Cushions!

Does this sound familiar?

• You need to get up and walk around during the day to relieve pressure in your tailbone area
• You recently had a bad fall backward and you still feel pain and throbbing in your tailbone every time you sit down
• You’ve asked to stand during meetings because sitting is just too painful
• You’re pregnant and have begun to experience tailbone pain when you sit down
• You can’t take long car rides without constantly fidgeting to reduce the discomfort

When you have Coccyx pain, it may feel like you can’t get any relief. It is often a sharp and very specific pain.

Sudden onset of tailbone (coccyx) pain is usually associated with trauma, externally – such as from a fall backward onto the bone, or internally – such as in childbirth. However, onset can also be gradual; commonly related to sustained pressure from sitting or localized force or impact on your muscle. Similar pain can also come from your Sciatic muscle, which is found near your buttock area, very close to your tailbone.

So how can you reduce Coccyx pain?

Sitting in a position where the pelvis is rolled back places more load (i.e. weight) on the sitting bones and Coccyx. With the right support, like a specifically-designed cushion to hold your pelvis in the correct forward position, it takes the pressure off the coccyx and the pain is reduced. When there is less pressure, the area has a chance to heal. And you can get back to focusing on other things – other than the pain and discomfort.

So what do Coccyx Cushions look like?

Coccyx cushions are designed to look like a large U or a wedge – with an area on the back of the cushion which has been cut out. Because of this “missing” piece of cushion, the pressure is removed. As mentioned above, a coccyx cushion alters the pelvic position to redistribute your body weight further forward on your buttock area and sit bones, which can be particularly helpful.

The best cushions are made with supportive memory foam; a cushion with enough support so it doesn’t collapse when you put your weight on it but soft enough that you can sit comfortably without numbness.

The LIFE-Foam™ temperature and pressure-sensitive memory foam reduces pressure and improves circulation, conforming to your body and returning to its original form when not in use. Our material is also easy-to-clean and breathable for additional comfort.

How can you use our Coccyx support cushions?

We’ve spent years listening to our customers. As a result of your feedback, LIFEFORM® understands the pain and discomfort Coccyx injuries can create. You can’t concentrate on your work, you avoid concerts and sporting events, you can’t sit in the car for long periods of time. It takes a toll on your quality of life.

We are here to help.

We have designed both a portable posture seat cushion (with an optional Coccyx Cut-Out) you can take with you wherever you need to sit. So you can now – comfortably – go to that important hockey game, finally enjoy the next in-person concert or take that family trip you’ve been putting off.

In addition, we’ve engineered a special Coccyx cushion as part of our ergonomic office chairs. These exclusive cut-out cushions allow you to customize your chair and make you as comfortable and ergonomically supported as possible.

If you’re looking for Coccyx (tailbone) relief, look no further than LIFEFORM®.

WANTED: A Unicorn

Finding a chair everyone can agree on is important for a marriage. And your relationship with your interior designer.

That’s what happened to Bob Duncan of the Relax The Back store in Birmingham, AL. Relax the Back is a national chain of stores that offer specialized spinal health and support products. They’ve been the primary U.S. distributor for LIFEFORM Chairs since the mid 1990’s.

A franchise owner since 2016, Bob knows chairs and how to match customers with the right one to meet their needs. So, when Candace Reynolds came in looking for a comfortable – but beautiful – ergonomic office chair, she was in good hands.

This is her story…

Candace and her husband had their home redone in 2015 and she has a beautiful home office. We’re talking work-of-art beautiful. Which makes sense since Candace is an artist. She had worked with an interior designer and at the time, they had found a beautiful chair to fit the space and she loved it. Except there was one major problem.

The chair was very uncomfortable.

Candace says she could do short stints in the chair but when it came to her extensive reading time, having meetings or even paying bills, she couldn’t sit in it comfortably for long periods.

She laughs when she talks about her husband’s opinion.

“Every time he would get in the (old) chair he would say ‘I hate this chair. I hate this chair, it’s so uncomfortable,” she laughs. “I thought ‘I’m going to walk (into the office) one day and he’s going to have just bought some ugly office chair and stuck it in here and we’re gonna have a fight over it. I can already feel it, I can just feel it’s about to happen. So I got busy.”

The COVID Conundrum

She was motivated to buy a new chair, but she had learned her lesson about fit. After her experience with the much-maligned chair, one of her major criteria for buying a new one was that she HAD to sit in it beforehand.

As many of us who have tried to buy goods online in the past year have found out the hard way… #COVID.

Quality, ergonomic office chairs are few and far between in local stores. People forced to work from home have realized the power of a good, comfortable chair. And online, the waiting times for getting one custom-made have been growing steadily.

Quality, ergonomic office chairs are few and far between in local stores. People forced to work from home have realized the power of a good, comfortable chair. And online, the waiting times for getting one custom-made have been growing steadily. During her search at other retailers, Candace was told she had two options: wait almost three months until a chair arrived in her local area store OR she could travel from Birmingham to Nashville, TN, to a big box store warehouse to try out their in-stock chairs.

Thing is, Candace knew exactly what she wanted. Her gorgeous home office is already complete. With simple, classic lines, and white and neutral colors throughout, her chair HAD to fit this space. But she also needed a good quality, adjustable chair that both her AND her husband could be comfortable in.

Almost at her wit’s end, Candace googled “office chairs with good back support” and thankfully, Bob’s Relax the Back store popped up in the results.

She couldn’t believe her luck. After weeks of searching – she says she spent a solid day on the phone calling local retailers – she discovered there was an ergonomic chair store only 2 miles from her house. Enter Bob, her new best friend.

Once he understood what Candace needed – for her back, her husband’s size and her esthetic – Bob knew the LIFEFORM® Ultimate Executive ergonomic office chair was for her. As one of the most customizable chairs available, he knew it would meet her needs for reading, paying bills, and emailing while her husband could also use it for his meetings.

The WOW Factor

Luckily, Bob had a chair in-store which was exactly what Candace needed to match her office decor perfectly. Our exclusive Ultimate Executive mid-back chair, with beige Brisa fabric, quilting and matching stitching was exactly what she was looking for. When we upgraded the standard black base to chrome, it became exactly what she (and her designer) wanted as well.

“The floor model was perfect. I love the buttery creaminess of this color,” explains Candace. “It would compliment my room but it wasn’t overpowering. And I love the fact that the stitching is the same color as the chair.”

When asked what he loves about LIFEFORM®, Bob simply said:

“At Relax The Back, we sell a lot of chairs to help a variety of people. But when you tell me you’re going to sit for extended periods of time, there is no other chair manufactured in the world that’s better than the LIFEFORM® Ultimate Executive Office Chair.”

“I can fit that (Executive Office) chair like a glove to any person’s body,” Bob continues. “It’s the only chair where the back actually opens and closes. It’s the only chair that’s made with that much supportive memory foam in the seat. And it’s the only chair that has the saddle pommel that helps the pelvis align properly.“

Candace seconds that.

“One of my favorite features (of the chair), is that the arms fold in… so you can get right up to the desk and you can even rest your arms on the arms,” says Candace. “It gives you support as you’re typing on your computer or paying your bills. I just love all the different adjustments.”

Although she loved the functionality and customization of the Executive Office chair, she knew it had to work for both her and her husband. So she texted him to come try it out.

“There is no way I’m taking this chair home and spending this amount of money without you sitting in it,” she wrote him. “We’ve been down this road. I’ve bought every other chair in the house because it looks good and it’s comfortable to ME. And I want it to be comfortable for him. And when he sat in it, he said ‘oh this is the chair’. So we are thrilled with it.”

Unexpected Benefits

“I did not realize I was doing it, but I had moved all of my activities – my reading, my bill paying – into the kitchen area to do them in a padded kitchen chair that fit better,” Candace remarks. “So now I can actually use my office for all that it needs to be used for. I’m able to come into the office and be comfortable. I pay the bills, read, or Zoom, do anything that I need to do on my laptop, I’m able to do it all in one location. Then all of my paraphernalia can stay in the office instead of scattered all over my kitchen.”

“Now I can come to the designated office area in the house – where the laptop is to be used, where the reading is to be accomplished and writing and anything else I need to do. And I can do it in this one beautiful room.”

We’re so happy she can do it in a beautiful ergonomic chair that is comfortable for both her AND her husband… and we checked to make sure her designer liked it too!

Our Makeover Contest Created a Household of Happiness

Our Makeover Contest Created a Household of Happiness

We wanted to follow up with our Home Office Makeover Contest winner, Dave Smith, to see how he’s feeling about his new office space, his LIFEFORM® chair and how (if any) changes it made to how he works from home.

When we ran the contest last spring, our main goal was to help people understand the importance of a good work-from-home space. And, most of all, we wanted to provide the chance for people to HAVE a proper home office set up. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a dedicated space to work from home. COVID was (and still is) a thing and many of us never expected to be working from home as long as we were (and are). At the time, many who were still working from home were feeling various negative effects. These can be emotional but, also importantly, physical. A dedicated space allows you to focus better, mentally gets you into work mode, minimizes distractions, and helps create an emotional work/life difference while physically working from home.

We felt so strongly about how important a proper workspace is, we wanted to help someone who might not be able to purchase new office equipment or someone who didn’t even realize it was possible to be more comfortable. So the idea for our contest was born. Because we wanted to provide the full makeover experience, we chose to partner with 660 News, Bracko Brothers Quality Furniture, which provided a new desk, and Durango Developments who supplied some renovation support with new flooring.

After months of sitting at the kitchen table, on the couch, or at an old (or in Dave’s case, ancient) office chair, we wanted to help people be excited about working from home – and relieve their pain.

So, here’s our conversation with David:

How did you find out about the contest and what made you enter?

Dave: “I came across it on Instagram. I’ll be honest, I wanted the [LIFEFORM] chair. The other stuff (the desk from Bracko Brothers and the flooring from Durango Developments) is a bonus. I’ve got an office chair that’s about 20 years old, it’s OK but not anything special. Our backup is a chair I had when I was 10 years old, so it’s about 40 years old now.”

Are you sharing your new office with the rest of the family?

Dave: “My wife and I run (volunteer) a local Little League, so we spend a lot of time on the computer. Every evening we’re online dealing with coaches and the players’ families. I have a larger desk, with all of my stuff, so no one really uses it except me. My wife loves the new (Bracko Brothers) desk and she shares it with our son.

It actually turned out to be awesome because shortly after winning, my son got put into quarantine again… He’s in high school and he spent most of the year doing school at home. It’s great that we can share the two desks. I won’t let him claim the new chair, he tried.”

Pull Quote: “I was so happy…. Just like very happy.” [When he won.]

Were you having issues with back pain or did you just want a comfortable ergonomic office chair?

Dave: “I have a bad back. I have baseball injuries and I still play, even at 50. I don’t know my age when I’m on the field. And I’m actually coaching Little League three or four nights a week. I twisted some vertebrae in my back a few years ago.

I get really stiff in the lower back and in the hips, and I wouldn’t say it was my chair that was causing it but sitting in that position eight to twelve hours a day makes it worse. I was also looking more for comfort; my old chair wasn’t exactly comfortable. So it is a bonus to have a better chair.”

Do you find a difference now, with the LIFEFORM chair?

Dave: “Huge, yes actually. It’s so comfortable. I still get a stiff back when I sit for too long. But it’s nice because it’s got all the angles and movement and you get more flexibility. My old chair was set in one position. 

I’m on the computer all day. And when I have spare time I’m usually on the computer – looking up things – like chair contests!”

What was your experience with LIFEFORM after the contest?

Dave: “LIFEFORM was just amazing, a definite 10. Not only the quality of the product but their service; it’s really enjoyable dealing with them. It wasn’t stuffy or formal, they were very relaxed but you could see they were enjoying their business. They were quick and super friendly. As soon as the contest was over, they wanted to arrange an appointment to come down (to my home). 

They made sure they upgraded me on everything they could. They talked us into going with the higher-end stitching and it was like, “Well this is awesome! I don’t want to use all your money, I’m happy to just have the chair.” Chris was really good, he said, “No, let’s get everything on it for you.”

I want to mention Melissa who was really really great throughout the whole project. She was just awesome and made the whole experience really exciting and fun. She tried to keep everybody on track. Through the pandemic, there were delays and schedules to arrange.”

Pull Quote: The LIFEFORM team is very excited about their product, which was nice. Chris was really good. You could see he has a passion for what he’s doing. 

LIFEFORM: Would you enter another contest?

Dave: “Yes, Absolutely. It was great, I started off just wanting the chair but it turned out the flooring (from Durango Developments) is awesome. My wife hates carpet so this was great. 

It was the chair that motivated me but it really turned out the desk was equally as important, especially with my son being home. My wife’s extremely happy because she also has a place for her computer now.”

How has your new home office setup changed the way you work?

Dave: “We’re all much more productive now. Having the new flooring, with the new desk and the chair makes our bonus room look much nicer and more functional. It has definitely helped us be more organized and a little more comfortable.

It’s been, as everyone says, a difficult year when you’re stuck in the house. And especially for my son, he really has had, it’s his first year of high school, and we’ve really had challenges with him in terms of motivation which we’ve never had before. I think this being home has affected him emotionally.

The desk coming was so exciting for him. We took him to Bracko Brothers and had him help select the desk, which is why he’s now claimed it as his own.

Now seeing him having the desk – he ordered a desk pad for his mouse and computer – so he’s really motivated to come home and get on with his work.”

So, for Dave and his family, what started out as just wanted to win a comfortable chair really did create a win-win-win situation for every member of their family!

We’re so happy we were able to make them more comfortable, productive and – maybe a little addicted to contests!

How can we help you become more productive & motivated? 

The Best Gift to give for 2021

Looking for the best Christmas gifts for 2021? What about the hard-to-buy-for people on your Nice List? How do you find the best UNIQUE Christmas gifts this year? Look no further than LIFEFORM® Chairs to provide you with some inspiration for beautiful gifts to put under the tree this Holiday season. We’ve included some great stocking stuffers on our list too!

Get ahead of the festive season (and the post office backlog!). Order before November 3rd to be sure that Santa gets it under the tree!

Here are a few reasons why LIFEFORM® should be on your list of must-have Christmas gifts in 2021:

Customization. Give a unique and beautiful gift of wellness this Holiday Season. A LIFEFORM® chair can be customized to fit their life – and work – style, personality and give them support where they need it. So they can go from the office to the office party without missing a Fa La La La.

Monogramming. How do you let your loved ones know you were specifically thinking of them when you purchased their gift? (No regifting here, we promise). Show them how much you care by creating a beautiful conversation piece, unique to them, by monogramming their LIFEFORM® office chair.

Accessories. What’s smaller than a bread box but still packs an ergonomic punch? Try our Executive Footrest to create that comfortable rocking movement right down to their fuzzy holiday socks. While it might not be the sexiest thing under the tree, we think personal well-being is magical.

Looking to explore smaller gifts to fit in your stocking or under the tree?

Browse the Moore & Giles leather goods. We offer a beautiful selection of premium leather goods from our partners at Moore & Giles. Stylish and beautiful, these products are a sure way to get on the Nice list.

Upgrade your chair casters. Increase the design bling for your loved one by buying them colour coordinated chair casters to match their office chair and their decor.

Leather moisturizing kit. Maintain your leather upholstery. Although leather looks better with age, we can help you keep it feeling like you bought it yesterday. Look after your investment with the leather moisturizing kit.

Don’t forget. For delivery before Dec 25th, 2021 order before November 3rd to get your gift in time for the Big Day.

Create your own luxury: a personalized, built-for-you office chair

Designing a custom-made office chair – meticulously hand-crafted to your exacting specifications – should be beautiful and feel like it was created just for you (because it was). Like a made-to-measure suit, simply imagining it’s welcoming comfort inspires you. Sitting in it brings you joy and gives you amazing support.

An office chair that expresses your personality perfectly, in your favorite color and in a style that suits you and your space, might not exist outside of your imagination. But let’s face it, we spend too much time sitting at work (which might now mean your new home office), to settle for that less-than-ideal chair.

Stop hunting through endless catalogs and disappointing websites, trying to find what you want. If you’re dreaming of sophisticated butter-soft leather, quilted seat comfort, and superior lumbar back support, we have what you need to help create your perfect office chair.

At LIFEFORM®, it’s all about you. That’s why we’re dedicated to making a custom chair that is not only designed by you, but it fits you perfectly. The process is obviously very different than walking into a shop and picking out a chair on the storeroom floor, but don’t be intimidated.

We support you in the creative process: you bring your wish list and inspiration and we’ll bring our expertise and innovation to realize the chair of your dreams.

First thing to consider

Before you begin to think about the physical office chair you want to design, there are several essential steps to consider so you get the most out of this project – and you don’t waste time or money.

• Look at the space where you want the chair to go and decide if you want/need to change anything. Are you repurposing the space or just remodeling? What does the office chair need to work with – a desk, credenza or maybe built-ins? Even floor rugs can play an important rule in the custom design of a chair.
• Measure your room. Determine what size of space you have and what will fit. You don’t want to overcrowd the room. Your new office chair will be a finely-crafted expression of your personality; you want to show it off, not hide it in a space full of stuff.

A good starting point for determining the size of your new chair is the overall size and critical dimensions of the other existing pieces of furniture in the space.

• The chair style and fabric you choose will be determined by your budget and lifestyle. For more of a luxurious experience, we have premium upholstery options. Depending on the work you will be performing, chair size, features and price will also change.

Does it need to be pet and child-friendly? Will scratches to your leather be traumatic or will they add to the character of the piece? Just in case, we also offer innovative fabrics for durability and ease-of-care.

• What other considerations do you need to think about? Do you have any neck discomfort or back pain? LIFEFORM® has many designs with various ergonomic options, in a range of prices. We can help you assess the style and design of your chosen chair to make sure the ergonomic adjustments you need are available on that model.
• What’s your timeframe? As an investment, you want to have this one-of-a-kind, personalized chair for a long time. And you want to love it every time you sit in it. So, take the time to reflect on your needs and review your design decisions with no pressure. Be prepared to put something on huld until you come up with a design you like, or you may kick yourself later for ruining your chair. Just remember that depending on your level of customization, final construction may take several weeks.

Still have questions?

Get inspired by visiting our website to begin your design brainstorming. Define your personalization options: these allow you to create a chair unique to you through everything from choice and culour of fabric to piping and embroidery.

Then decide on what your individual customizations will be: depending on if and where you need ergonomic support. You may need the added support of a headrest or padded armrests to relieve pain. A Core Flex seat helps alleviate tension on pressure points and improves circulation.

Take a look at some of the styles in our gallery to see what makes sense for you and your lifestyle. As a guide, our High-Back (model 2390) and Mid-Back (model 2490) offer the most customization options.

LIFEFORM® Top 5 physical issues you might run into sitting all day

What are some physical issues you might experience when you sit all day and how do you solve them?

Even if you love your job, sitting for eight-plus hours a day, five days a week, is bound to wreak havoc with your body. Add the fact that many of us are now working from home – at the kitchen table, on the floor, on the couch. We definitely miss our comfortable ergonomic office chairs.

Not surprisingly, living the “desk jockey” life can be highly detrimental to our health and wellness.

Work-related musculoskeletal problems – from muscle strains to carpal tunnel syndrome – make up a large percentage (a number commonly used is 32%) of all worker injury and illness cases. Many of the people suffering these injuries do more physical jobs. But those of us who sit at a computer all day, staring at screens while typing away are also at risk.

There is good news though. Doing simple stretches, changing a few lifestyle habits and making ergonomic adjustments to your work environment can significantly reduce your discomfort.

And the benefits go beyond the physical. According to an Ontario government ergonomics website, “applying ergonomics principles to the workplace can reduce fatalities, injuries and health disorders, as well as improve productivity and quality of work.” Studies have found that creating ergonomic workstations not only reduced musculoskeletal and vision problems, but also boosted employees’ happiness and job satisfaction.

Of course, if you’re experiencing pain, consult your doctor to deal with any underlying problems or concerns before they become chronic. Here are the top five daily discomforts our modern desk-bound life brings. And a few strategies to apply for lessening their effect.

#1: Lower Back Pain

Whether it’s an occasional twinge or an ongoing soreness, back pain can keep you preoccupied from doing your best work. Sitting unsupported in an uncomfortable office chair, for hours at a time can lead to lower back pain. Slumping or slouching means your spine is out of alignment, which puts a strain on the ligaments and muscles in your back.

Rock it out

Abdominal exercises (like crunches) several times a week strengthen your core. To loosen your back muscles:

• Rock your pelvis back and forth while seated.
  • Tilt your hips up and round your back, and then tilt your hips back.

For longer-term:

• You should sit back in your chair to help you create the proper “S” curve in your spine.
  • If you’re sitting on a hard chair or the floor, a lumbar cushion also helps take the pressure off your tailbone.
• Your feet should also be resting flat on the floor or on a footrest, with your thighs parallel to the ground. Support the weight of your legs to reduce the strain on your back. This also reduces tension on your lower body pressure points.

#2: Wrist Strain

Activities like typing on your keyboard or using your mouse can eventually lead to serious repetitive strain injuries (RSI). The cause? A combination of overuse and the improper positioning of your wrists.

Whenever you operate a keyboard or mouse, the tendons in your wrists go back and forth, creating friction. That causes fatigue, and the tendons may become inflamed. Poor posture can also decrease the blood flow to your hands, causing soreness, a tingling sensation or numbness.

Give yourself a hand

Exercises can improve the health of your hands.

• Pull gently on each finger individually.
• Open and close your fists.
• Press the base of your hands up against the wall in front of you or on your desk and hold for five seconds.

For longer-term:

There are ergonomic equipment options which can reduce the strain on your wrists, making you more comfortable for longer periods of time.

• An ergonomic keyboard allows your hand to be more natural and makes typing more comfortable.
• The same goes for an ergonomic mouse; it will fit your hand better when scrolling and clicking.
• A chair with adjustable armrests (standard on all LIFEFORM^®  Chairs) and also memory foam arm pads support your forearms, reducing strain.

#3: Neck and Shoulder Pain

We tend to take neck and shoulder movement for granted. Until they’re injured – and then every single action and twist hurts. These aches and pains may come from bad posture while sitting, causing you to thrust your neck and shoulders forward. Being in this position for hours at a time, day-after-day can gradually cause the bones in the neck and upper back to change from their natural position to this abnormal forward position.

Stretch it out

To relieve tension in your neck and shoulders simultaneously:

• Face forward
• Tilt your right ear down towards the right shoulder, leaving your left arm hanging straight down to increase the stretch.
• Hold for 20 to 60 seconds.

For longer-term:

• Investing in a chair with a built-in headrest, which helps support your neck.
• Fully adjustable (in both width and height, depending on your size) armrests allow your elbows to form a 90-degree angle to help take tension off the shoulders.
• Position your computer monitor in front of you, not angled to the side.
• Use a headset if you use the phone a lot. Never cradle the phone between your ear and shoulder.

#4: Eye Strain

Staring at your computer for hours at a time can cause digital eye fatigue; people tend to blink less often. Having a computer monitor that’s too far away or too close also creates issues.  Symptoms range from soreness and heavy eyelids to burning and itching eyes, as well as blurred vision and headaches.

Take a break

Do eye exercises throughout the day to improve the flexibility of your eyesight and improve your focus.

• Look at something in the distance, or out a window, for 20 seconds to give your eyes a break.
• Better yet, move around or grab a drink of water —anything that gives your eyes a break from the screen.

For longer-term:

• The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) recommends your computer monitor is 20 to 40 inches away from you (an easy way to judge? Keep your monitor approximately an arm’s length away).
• The top of the computer monitor should be roughly at eye level.
• You can also place a filter over your monitor to reduce glare, which contributes to eye strain.
• If you wear glasses for computer work, do a ballpark measurement of the space between your eyes and the computer monitor (remember 20 to 40 inches is optimal). Then check with your optometrist to make sure you have the right prescription for that distance.

#5: Tight Hips

Sitting for hours at a time – and then only moving from your desk at work to your couch at home – shortens your hip flexors, a group of muscles located at the front of your hips, causing pain. Tight hip flexors, quadriceps and hamstrings all trigger lower back soreness.

Release tight muscles

Try stretching throughout the day. An easy standing “lunge” is a nice stretch to do a couple of times a day…

• Stand behind your desk chair or kitchen chair.
• Hold onto the back of the chair and take a normal step forward with your left leg.
• Tuck your tailbone under (clench your butt muscles) while also engaging your abdominal muscles. You should feel the stretch in your right hip.
• Hold for a few breaths. Repeat on the opposite side.

For longer-term:

• Stand up from your desk at regular intervals (every 20 to 30 minutes is best) to give your muscles a break and increase circulation.
• An ergonomic chair with a split seat allows you to move your legs while seated to increase circulation
• Schedule breaks or try using a free app, such as Stand Up! or Break Reminder to remind you to get up at certain intervals over the course of the day.

Alleviating pain and discomfort starts with understanding what’s causing it and how we can keep moving to avoid having it in the first place. Whether it’s trying these exercises, using better equipment or investing in the right ergonomic office chair (or a combination of all three), you can feel good at work—or at least make your body more comfortable – to remain focused and productive.

A one-of-a-kind gift that will be appreciated for years to come

Struggling to find the gift that’s just right for that special person? The one that they’ll come to love and actually use, that won’t be relegated to the back of the closet or a drawer?

With most of us spending a significant amount of time in front of our computers, a LIFEFORM® custom ergonomic chair for the home office is the perfect present–one your loved one will enjoy for many years. Your gift will not only be a beautiful addition to the home office, but it will provide exceptional comfort and help to prevent back, neck and arm injuries from sitting in poorly designed standard office chairs.

Make your gift even more special

Each LIFEFORM® chair is made by hand and takes two to three weeks to produce. Give that special someone something he or she can then customize by choosing:

• Fabrics and Leather
• Wood or Silver packages
• Contrast Piping
• Contrast Stitching
• Two Tone and Embossed Leather

(Personalize your LIFEFORM Chair)  – http://lifeformchairs.com/design-centre/

A LIFEFORM chair can be even more personalized by adding a monogram. Look at our Monogram Guide http://lifeformchairs.com/monogram-guide/ to see what’s available. Or choose your own logo or design.

Individually handcrafted

Each chair is handcrafted with an emphasis on:

• Ergonomics
• Comfort
• Longevity
• Beauty

View the options and upgrades available with our most popular chairs here

http://lifeformchairs.com/executive-chairs/

From all of us at LIFEFORM®, we wish you and yours Happy Holidays and all the best in 2017!