Posts Tagged ‘ergonomics’

Parker Perch Stool story

May 1, 2023

Because of injuries I sustained in college it has forced me to work standing up or in a perched position. Turns out years later standing/perching at a  computer/workstation  has become a beneficial position for overall health. . It’s better for the spine, joints, and health. 

Motion is lotion.

My story(Accident Photos of me-1987):  https://adjust2it.wordpress.com/2011/02/11/accident-photos-of-me-1987/

Parker Perch Instagram: @ParkerPerchStool

Our bodies are meant to be bipedal. We weren’t built to sit. Gravity is coming down on our bodies at 9.8 Newtons that gets split 50/50 into each leg when standing or perching. 

And being at the standing or Perched position (hip angle 125-135 degrees) you maintain your natural lumbar curve. 

There are plenty of more cost effective perch products out there to do this position but my idea is for something:  more manual (yes, I prefer manual stick shift cars), more mechanical, hot roddy, cool looking, industrial, chunky, steam punky(kindof), and with some inspiration from gym equipment. 

 I hand cut the steel with a grinder and had a car/hotrod friend weld it together for me. I had it professionally polished to keep the raw metal look and then had it clear powder-coated to keep it from rusting. I want to do  painted powder coated versions too. 

I have two seats for the perch. One is a tractor seat for more of a butt holding/leaning experience and the other a miniature saddle seat that I hand built out of wood,metal,foam, etc. 

Ergonomic joke:. Q: What’s the best position? A:  The next position. 

You want to mix it up. You can’t do just one thing all day long in front of the computer or workstation.

I have a  lighter, more portable version I’m prototyping. Again not practical or cost effective compared to other products out there but it will have the cool factor. 

In 2010 I befriended Galen Cranz through Social media. She wrote the book “The Chair”. (Fantastic book). She is a professor at the University of California at Berkeley specializing in the sociology of architecture. https://www.instagram.com/galencranzconsulting/