ABSTRACT
The structures of the body have not changed significantly throughout millenia since humans were nomads and hunter/gatherers; the body was designed for movement, and for variation between movement and rest. The evolution of technology has been guided by technocratic thinking rather than the attention to the physiological requirements for variation and movement. One of today's paradoxes is that ergonomics guidelines for computer work artificially introduce what was once a natural feature of work movement. As a result, movement and variation is reduced even further. If technology inhibits movement, it must be encouraged in other ways. The chair must promote movement or, rather, encourage the natural movements of the body and provide support. Movement should not require conscious effort, or levers or wheels. A traditional view of working chairs and sitting is that movement connotes discomfort. The research has ignored both the body's reactions to sitting and movement and to specific considerations associated with different chair concepts.
