Removing ergonomics questions

Question

I recently posted a question about choice of chair. I have subsequently deleted it after checking around meta and coming across this answer:

I actually think it would be a bad idea to let the site move further towards general health or ergonomics.

The fact that these questions aren't welcome on any other site shouldn't really matter, we aren't the trashcan of other SE-sites and get to define our own scope.

I suggest that the site also closes other questions in the same area. Although these questions are of reasonable quality and have decent answers, it only serves as a bad example to people like myself. I could justifiably argue that my question is still valid while questions like this are one the site.

Suggestions are:

• Choosing a chair for good posture
• Is it a good idea to use an exercise ball as a chair?
• How do I determine what size exercise ball I should use as a desk chair?

Answer 1

Agreed; the title is Fitness & Nutrition and choice of chair has no real connection to either topic.

I continue to staunchly advocate Nutrition as a core (and highly technical) element of Fitness, but there's no way I want the site to creep down the slippery slope of "general health and wellness advice".

Answer 2

I also agree. The only time "exercise ball" questions should warrant questions here is when it is about using it to exercise.

In fairness to the question you posted and deleted, I voted to close those other ergonomics related questions as well. It's just a vote mind you.

Answer 3

It seems to me that removing chair and ball questions depends on the site’s definition of fitness. If the site recognizes:

• Health-Related Physical Fitness
• Physiological Fitness
• Metabolic Fitness

to be part of its definition of fitness, then yes, questions of how one sits and how long one sits at a time without muscle movement have significant effects on one’s fitness.

An exercise ball question that was closed could have been as valuable (if not more valuable) to users who sit at their computer than many of the gym and exercise questions as recent research is showing that exercise does not overcome the disadvantages of prolonged sitting.

According the British Journal of Sports Medicine, “prolonged bouts of sitting time and lack of whole-body muscular movement are strongly associated with obesity, abnormal glucose metabolism, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and cancer, as well as total mortality independent of moderate to vigorous-intensity physical activity.”

Questions about exercise balls used as a chair and ergonomic chairs are also valuable to one’s musculo-skeletal fitness including posture and flexibility.

However, if the site defines fitness as limited to skill-related physical fitness, then no, chairs and balls as desk chairs would not involve skill or meet that definition of fitness.