MacFormat UK – June 2019

72 | MACFORMAT | JUNE 2019 macformat.com @macformat

he term ‘smart’ has many

meanings. We’ve come to think

of it recently as the big catch-all

term for networking-packed

gadgets, but ignoring the old definitions –

specifically the one where it’s a synonym for

‘clever’ – wouldn’t be, er, smart. Revitalising

your home office setup is the perfect opportunity

to change your working life, make your home a

whole lot smarter, and even improve your health.

There’s a lot of negativity floating around

about sitting. You may have heard almost

propaganda-esque phrases of late – ‘sitting

is the new smoking’ being a widespread one.

That’s a wild exaggeration, taken apart at length

in an article recently published in the American

Journal of Public Health. The two things are not

comparable at all.

So sitting at your desk isn’t going to

absolutely ravage your health but, saying that,

there are still numerous side effects that come

from sitting for prolonged amounts of time –

although that doesn’t have to be the case. There

are ways to kit out your desk environment with

smarter tools that positively promote body

health, and we’re not even talking about spending

your day perched on a ludicrous exercise ball.

Stay seated

The Backapp 2.0 chair (from £549, backapp.eu/

en) might look like torture, but its saddle seat is

T

angled downwards to put your hips in the right

place, and the fact that it forces you to engage

your balance while you sit means you get a core

workout as your day goes on. Scientific research

apparently suggests it burns 19% more energy

than a standard office chair; over a week of

work, that’s a significant number.

If you’re looking to shave off a few more

calories than that, the DeskCycle 2 (£159,

deskcycle.com) sits under your desk allowing

you to pedal against its magnetic resistance as

you go about your business – though we doubt

it’s compatible with using the Backapp chair,

somehow. For a little bit of both, something

along the lines of the LifeSpan Unity Bike Desk

(£595, lifespanfitness.com) combines an

integrated cycle with a height-adjustable and

apparently very sturdy desk positioned at a high

angle, so you’ll have little to no excuse to slack

on your exercise.

Let’s face it though, the likes of the Backapp

are a little gimmicky, and a big investment to

make if you’re not sure you’re going to use them.

A proper chair with good ergonomics might not

burn the calories, but it’s a must if you care

about the state of your spine. The winner in our

home office kit test this issue (see page 75) hits

all the right marks, with a slew of adjustability

options including the essential adjustable lumbar

support, and the DIN EN 1335 and BIFMA

accreditations that mean it meets the expected

Overhaul your working health

with a new outlook on home

office equipment

APPLE HOME Working health

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