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In Praise of the Uncomfortable Chair

January 03, 2011 | by Cathy Gasiorowicz

For years, I’d fantasized about owning a Herman Miller Aeron Chair. A brilliantly ergonomic, seriously hip status symbol that quietly says You’ve arrived. And it’s true. Once you settle into that perfect mesh suspension with customizable lumbar support, you become one with your chair.

But according to Pilar Gerasimo, Editor-in-Chief of Experience Life magazine, all that comfort comes with a price–beyond the chair itself. Turns out that prolonged sitting ups your risk of heart disease, diabetes and even premature death.

Recently Pilar visited StoneArch Creative to offer insights, research findings and a slew of action steps on “How to Stay Healthy Under Stress.” (That several StoneArchers were too stressed out to attend was just slightly ironic.)

While not exactly surprising, the stats Pilar presented were still alarming: two-thirds of U.S. adults are overweight or obese, less than a third exercise regularly, and only a fraction eat enough fruit and veggies. Instead of suggesting nationwide life support, she introduced a number of simple, practical ways to manage stress, stay healthy and maintain sanity, even in the midst of complete chaos.

To be honest, though, my mind was stuck on the risks of sitting. Apparently, even a gorgeous BMI, HDL/LDL ratio and blood pressure, plus daily exercise and even platefuls of organic kale can’t protect your heart. As Pilar explained it (and I paraphrase), hours of uninterrupted sitting can cause a host of problems—most notably, the body’s inability to properly process fats, which in turn can lead to metabolic syndrome—a.k.a. the canary in the coronary coal mine.

But then it hit me that, just by chance, this wasn’t going to be my fate! After years of relentless chair envy, I felt grateful for my uncomfortable chair.

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Pilar Gerasimo is Founding Editor and Editor-in-Chief of Experience Life magazine, an award-winning publication that challenges the conventions of hype and superficiality in favor of a whole-person, whole-life perspective. She is also Vice President of Education for Life Time Fitness.