A kneeling chair is a type of chair for

sitting Sitting is a List of human positions, basic action and resting position in which the body weight is supported primarily by the bony ischial tuberosities with the buttocks in contact with the ground or a horizontal surface such as a chair seat, in ...

in a

position Position often refers to: * Position (geometry), the spatial location (rather than orientation) of an entity * Position, a job or occupation Position may also refer to: Games and recreation * Position (poker), location relative to the dealer * ...

with the

thigh In human anatomy, the thigh is the area between the hip ( pelvis) and the knee. Anatomically, it is part of the lower limb. The single bone in the thigh is called the femur. This bone is very thick and strong (due to the high proportion of ...

s dropped to an angle of about 60° to 70° from vertical (as opposed to 90° when sitting in a normal chair), with some of the

body Body may refer to: In science * Physical body, an object in physics that represents a large amount, has mass or takes up space * Body (biology), the physical material of an organism * Body plan, the physical features shared by a group of anima ...

's weight supported by the

shin Shin may refer to: Biology * The front part of the human leg below the knee * Shinbone, the tibia, the larger of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates Names * Shin (given name) (Katakana: シン, Hiragana: しん), a Japanese ...

History

In 1979, Hans Christian Mengshoel invented the original kneeling chair of modern times, the Balans chair. Three Norwegian designers, Oddvin Rykken,

Peter Opsvik Peter Opsvik is a Norwegian industrial designer best known for his innovative and ergonomic chairs, and the father of Jazz bass player Eivind Opsvik. Opsvik's furniture can be found under the brand names: Rybo (Garden), Nomi High Chair, Håg (C ...

, and Professor Svein Gusrud developed chairs based on the same principle.

Purpose

The kneeling chair is meant to reduce lower back strain by dividing the burden of one's weight between the shins and the buttocks. People with

coccyx The coccyx ( : coccyges or coccyxes), commonly referred to as the tailbone, is the final segment of the vertebral column in all apes, and analogous structures in certain other mammals such as horses. In tailless primates (e.g. humans and othe ...

tailbone The coccyx ( : coccyges or coccyxes), commonly referred to as the tailbone, is the final segment of the vertebral column in all apes, and analogous structures in certain other mammals such as horses. In tailless primates (e.g. humans and othe ...

pain resulting from significant numbers of hours in a sitting position (e.g., office desk jobs) are common candidates for such chairs. A proper kneeling chair creates the open body angle by lowering the angle of the lower body, keeping the spine in alignment and the sitter properly positioned to task. The benefit of this position is that if one leans inward, the body angle remains 90° or wider. A misconception regarding kneeling chairs is that the body's weight bears on the knees, and thus users with poor knees cannot use the chair. In a proper kneeling chair, most of the weight remains on the buttocks, and some of the weight bears on the shins, not the knees. The primary function of the shin rests (knee rests) is to keep one from falling forward out of the chair. A

saddle chair A saddle chair uses the same principles in its design as an equestrian saddle. It is equipped with a chair base on casters and a gas cylinder for adjusting the correct sitting height. The casters enable moving around and reaching out for objects w ...

provides another way to keep the body from falling forward; this type of seat is generally seen in some sit stand stools, which seek to emulate the

straddle In finance, a straddle strategy involves two transactions in options on the same underlying, with opposite positions. One holds long risk, the other short. As a result, it involves the purchase or sale of particular option derivatives that all ...

riding or saddle position of a horseback rider.

Academic studies

Conclusions from scientific work on the possible benefits of the kneeling position point in different directions. Dr. A. C. Mandal's research from the 1960s to the 1990s concluded that a forward sloping seat did effectively tip the pelvis forward, opening up the angle between torso and thigh, and thereby correctly aligns the spine, indicating a more suitable position for long periods of sitting.Torsten Mandal 2009: "Better furniture types for work and studies reduces bending and pain". Association for Body Conscious Design. http://bodyconsciousdesign.com/uploads/mandal_article.pdf Drury and Francher studied the original Balans kneeling chair in 1985, concluding that overall it was "no better than conventional chairs and could be worse than well-designed conventional office chairs". Lander, et al. conducted another experiment in 1987 comparing the kneeling chair with a conventional chair, finding support for claims of increased blood circulation. A 1989 study on a sample of 20 subjects concluded that the Balans chair promoted greater lumbar curvature than the "straight back chair" during relaxed sitting, typing, and writing, and that it could contribute to treatment of lower back injuries. A 2008 study confirms that "ergonomically designed kneeling chairs set at +20° inclination do maintain standing lumbar curvature to a greater extent than sitting on a standard computer chair".

References

{{Reflist, 30em, refs= {{cite web, url=http://www.norskindustri.no/moebel-interioer/balans-a-design-revolution-article6265-192.html , website=The Federation of Norwegian Industries , title=Balans: A Design Revolution , url-status=dead , archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130321161042/http://www.norskindustri.no/moebel-interioer/balans-a-design-revolution-article6265-192.html , archivedate=2013-03-21 Article about the original Balans chair. {{cite web, url=http://www.purecontemporary.com/Article/peter-opsvik , title=Peter Opsvik , author=Diane Burley , date=n.d. , publisher=Pure Contemporary.com , accessdate=18 March 2011 , url-status=dead , archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724081409/http://www.purecontemporary.com/Article/peter-opsvik , archivedate=24 July 2011 {{cite web , url = http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-13487770.html , title = Kein Tod, kein Leben , date = 3 June 1991 , publisher = Der Spiegel , language = German , trans-title=No Death, No Life , accessdate = 18 March 2011 {{cite web , url = http://www.snl.no/.nbl_biografi/Peter_Opsvik/utdypning , title = Peter Opsvik , author = Sigrid Rømcke Thue , date = n.d. , work = Store norske leksikon , language = Norwegian , publisher = Institusjonen Fritt Ord , accessdate = 18 March 2011 {{ cite book, url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Kf0ubyntMZ0C&lpg=PA269&dq=%22Hard%20facts%20about%20soft%20machines%22%20Mandal&pg=PA269#v=onepage , title = Hard Facts About Soft Machines: The Ergonomics Of Seating , isbn = 9780850668025 , accessdate = 2012-10-17 , last1 = Lueder , first1 = Rani , last2 = Noro , first2 = Kageyu , date = 23 November 1994 {{ cite book, url = https://books.google.com/books?id=nwfvSbuyBdMC&lpg=PA129&dq=kneeling%20Mandal&pg=PA129#v=onepage , title = Bodyspace: Anthropometry, Ergonomics and the Design of Work , edition = Third , author = Stephen Pheasant, Christine M. Haslegrave , date = 18 July 2005 , isbn = 9780415285209 , accessdate = 2012-10-17 {{cite web , url = http://www.acmandal.com , title = Study Report: Balanced Sitting Posture on Forward Sloping Seat , author = Dr. A. C. Mandal {{Cite journal , pmid = 15676532 , year = 1985 , last1 = Drury , first1 = C. G. , last2 = Francher , first2 = M. , title = Evaluation of a forward-sloping chair , volume = 16 , issue = 1 , pages = 41–47 , journal = Applied Ergonomics , doi = 10.1016/0003-6870(85)90145-0 {{Cite journal , doi = 10.1097/00007632-198704000-00014 , pmid = 2954222 , year = 1987 , last1 = Lander , first1 = C. , last2 = Korbon , first2 = G. A. , last3 = Degood , first3 = D. E. , last4 = Rowlingson , first4 = J. C. , title = The Balans chair and its semi-kneeling position: an ergonomic comparison with the conventional sitting position , volume = 12 , issue = 3 , pages = 269–272 , journal = Spine , s2cid = 26945564 {{Cite journal , pmid = 2813518 , year = 1989 , last1 = Bennett , first1 = D. L. , last2 = Gillis , first2 = D. K. , last3 = Portney , first3 = L. G. , last4 = Romanow , first4 = M. , last5 = Sanchez , first5 = A. S. , title = Comparison of integrated electromyographic activity and lumbar curvature during standing and during sitting in three chairs , volume = 69 , issue = 11 , pages = 902–913 , journal = Physical Therapy , doi = 10.1093/ptj/69.11.902 {{Cite journal , pmid = 18810008 , year = 2008 , last1 = Bettany-Saltikov , first1 = J. , last2 = Warren , first2 = J. , last3 = Jobson , first3 = M. , title = Ergonomically designed kneeling chairs are they worth it? : Comparison of sagittal lumbar curvature in two different seating postures , volume = 140 , pages = 103–106 , journal = Studies in Health Technology and Informatics Chairs Human positions Ergonomics Kneeling Norwegian inventions