This Seat Cushion Could Save Your Life
“Sitting has become the smoking of our generation,” Nilofer Merchant said in her 2013 TED talk. Physical inactivity is the second leading cause of death in the country and fourth in the world thanks to its strong links to obesity, Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease and more. As we sit here behind our computers, slouched in our office chairs, that’s damn scary. Luckily some savvy engineers have come through with Darma, which is available for pre-order now as part of their already successful Kickstarter campaign. If sitting is the smoking, Darma is the nicotine patch — only way smarter.
Darma is a seat cushion that learns all kinds of things about your sitting habits and then coaches you to help improve your physical and mental health. Darma speaks through the accompanying desktop, Android and iPhone apps to make sure you’re sitting smart. If it notices you’re sitting too long, for example, it’ll remind you to stand up and take a break. If it notices you’re slouching, it’ll encourage you to sit up straight (just like mom!). If it senses that you could use a stretch, it’ll guide you through tailored stretches that you easily can do in your office.
The posture coaching alone would be great, but this thing detects your heart pumping and your lungs breathing, which is how it knows all these things it needs to know. All that through your butt, guys. If Darma senses you’re stressed out, it’ll suggest a quick meditation to clear your mind.
We’re ready to sit smarter, how bout you all?!
If you haven’t already, now get off your butt and do something before we all die. Then come back and tell us what you did in the comments!
