IWBI™ Enhances Active Workstations with FluidStance’s Balance Boards
FluidStance’s eco-friendly balance boards embrace wellness by encouraging movement throughout the workday and combating the negative impacts of a sedentary lifestyle
FluidStance®, the company behind numerous award-winning eco-friendly and health-promoting balance boards, recently worked with the team at the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) to create a healthier and more active workspace environment for its employees in the company’s New York City headquarters. IWBI, whose mission is to improve human health and wellness through better buildings, stronger organizations and more vibrant communities, manages and continues to evolve the WELL Building Standard (WELL), a performance-based system for measuring, certifying, and monitoring features of buildings that impact the health and wellness of the people who live, work, and learn in them.
With companies looking to re-open their office doors after months of working remotely, health and wellness in the workplace environment is a top priority. WELL focuses on ten categories of building performance: Air, Water, Nourishment, Light, Movement, Thermal Comfort, Sound, Materials, Mind and Community. To prioritize health and safety in a post-COVID world, IWBI also recently released the WELL Health-Safety Rating that looks at factors like operational policies and maintenance protocols with the goal of giving companies as well as their employees and visitors confidence to re-open their doors.
Launched in 2014 after six years of research and development, the WELL Building Standard is the premier standard for buildings, interior spaces and communities seeking to implement, validate and measure features that support and advance human health and wellness. The integration of FluidStance’s balance boards into the workplace for IWBI’s employees further validates the company’s belief that improving people’s health during the workday is vital for the overall wellness of businesses, and FluidStance is honored to have fulfilled the WELL criteria of showcasing active furnishings in the workplace.
“As people start re-entering the office environment, incorporating healthy habits into the workday is extremely important,” Joel Heath, FluidStance founder and CEO, said. “We often chain our bodies down into a sedentary state in the hopes of focus in the workplace. Seeing IWBI’s employees dispel this misconception by incorporating FluidStance’s balance boards into their daily lives to boost their productivity and combat the negative impact of a sedentary lifestyle only fuels our desire for others to follow suit.”
It is no secret that sitting for periods of greater than six hours per day has a negative impact on our health. In fact, sedentary behavior has been linked to numerous negative health outcomes – from obesity and type 2 diabetes to cardiovascular and metabolic risks. Active workstations play a valuable role in addressing sedentary behaviors, and FluidStance’s balance boards focus not only on increasing the amount of time that people spend on physical activity, but also on decreasing the amount of time spent in static or stationary positions.
FluidStance decks—the Level®, the Original, and the Plane® — increase movement by eliciting subtle, constant movement underfoot without disrupting normal workday tasks like typing. These micro movements help to strengthen and stabilize the body, soothe stiff joints, and burn calories. Research by The Mayo Clinic even showed a 15% increase in heart rate and 19.2% increase in energy expenditure when users were on the boards compared to sitting.
FluidStance’s commitment to sustainability also shows through in the creation and distribution of its balance boards. The company minimizes its environmental impact by sourcing its materials locally and utilizing sustainable manufacturing processes. The locally produced balance boards are available for purchase at www.fluidstance.com.
You can learn more about IWBI and the WELL Building Standard at wellcertified.com
About FluidStance
FluidStance, based in Santa Barbara, Calif., aims to set the world in motion and reduce its carbon footprint by offering sustainable products that make it easy for people to keep moving in environments where they are typically static. The company launched its first products – the award winning Original and Level® balance boards – in 2015 but has since expanded its portfolio to include eco-friendly accessories meant to augment a healthier and more active work life. FluidStance also donates 1% of our company’s profits and equity to First Descents, an organization providing life-changing outdoor adventures for young adults overcoming cancer. In addition, FluidStance employees spend 1% of their time volunteering.
