OmniMount Blog

Finding the time to support a good cause isn’t always easy, but that didn’t stop Team OmniMount from supporting the American Heart Association with some good-ole fundraising and participation in the Phoenix Heart Walk this year!

Last Saturday, a group of OmniMount employees, family members and friends (both the two-legged and four-legged variety) walked in a 5K to support the American Heart Association’s mission to build healthier lives. The walk followed several months of fundraising among employees, both in the Phoenix, AZ and Eagan, MN offices.

To learn more about the American Heart Association’s mission to build healthier lives visit www.heart.org. You’ll also find tips for reducing your risk of heart disease and stroke. If you have other ideas to build healthier lives, share them here! Plus, check out OmniMount’s Facebook page for more photos from the event.

For years there have been four TV wall mount categories: fixed, tilt, full motion and motorized. There’s a case to be made for the viability of each, but it’s time to get familiar with a new player.

Think about your TV for a second. How often do you find yourself watching the TV from another room or vantage point other than the couch? For instance, cleaning out the kitchen cupboards while watching Hoarders or catching up on the news while ironing your work clothes.

What constitutes a home theater room is evolving. It’s still a place to watch your favorite shows and movies, but it’s also a place to play, socialize and work. This means, in many cases, it’s no longer enough to mount your TV on the wall solely for perfect couch viewing.

So OmniMount is evolving, too, and INTERACTIVE TV mounting with height adjustability is the result. What’s the key benefit? You get the best picture and sound whether laying, sitting or standing. Plus, and this is a big plus, it’s the best solution available for TVs mounted higher on the wall.

There will be a lot of cool TV technology on display at CES 2013, as TVs get larger, lighter and higher definition, and OmniMount will be there too, with the solutions inspired by you. You are exploring where TVs are mounted and how they’re being used. We’re bringing you the categories to make your vision the very best reality.

Come visit us at booth #26121 or check back here in January for show updates.

The time we spend sitting during the day can really add up. The New York Times posted a blog, Get Up. Get Out. Don’t Sit. by Gretchen Reynolds, exploring the link between time spent watching TV and greater health risks. But Sitting Disease, as it’s referred, isn’t defined by TV usage. Sitting in front of the TV is a factor, though, along with time spent sitting in the car, at a desk or at the dinner table.

If you’re worried we’re going to suggest you unplug your TiVo, relax. As with so many things in life, it’s all about creating a healthy balance. Instead of banishing your TV to the closet, try adopting a few simple solutions to break up the time you spend sitting in front of it. And if you’ve ever wondered just how many hours you spend sitting during the day, give Ergotron’s Sitting Time Calculator a try.

1. Get up and stretch during commercial breaks (see, they CAN be beneficial!!).
2. Simultaneously do your laundry. The buzzer to move your clothes is a great reminder to move your body.
3. Turn it into a game. Pick a code word or two and assign each a form of movement. Every time you hear the code word it’s a reminder to stand and stretch or take a bio break.
4. Use your TV for activities that promote movement. Have a dance or sports competition with family or friends.
5. Mount your TV with a product that encourages standing. OmniMount’s PLAY40DS can alternate between sit-stand positions for the best picture and most comfort.

The options are endless. The important thing is to find something that works for you.

Have a great standing suggestion? Share it below or on Twitter using #JustStand. 

I recently started a work-from-home routine where I’m in the office Monday thru Wednesday and home Thursday and Friday. Since October is ergonomics month, I thought it would be a great time to address my personal struggle to achieve home office ergonomics.

In the beginning, I wasn’t even thinking about ergonomics. I was simply looking for a place to sit and work for the day. So I started on one of my straight-backed kitchen chairs, the kind that is a little taller than a normal chair, with my laptop on the kitchen table. My feet couldn’t rest on the floor and my seat was so hard that I could barely sit for an hour comfortably, much less the 8 that I needed to work.

So I moved over to my desk and raised the height of my desktop computer with stacked books, attempting to create my own sit-stand station. But the keyboard was too low when standing and the monitor too high when sitting.

So then I went back to the laptop and tried standing at the kitchen counter, but it was also too low and caused the same problem as the desk. I tried the couch and the floor, and finally, my bed. So as I type this I half sit, half lay. And it’s the closest to a good solution that I’ve found. But even in this position I’m already feeling tension in my neck and upper back.

So I decided to seek out some advice for my ergonomics-less space.

Biggest tip? Sit up straight. Poor posture can cause back pain and damage spinal structures. The best way to correct bad posture is by bringing your tablet, mobile device or laptop up to eye level. A mounting device is a great way to position a monitor at the right height.

Another great suggestion is to use an external keyboard and mouse. It allows you to keep the monitor at eye-level and keyboard in line with your elbow.

And finally, pay attention to your chair. Ideally, your chair should provide adequate lumbar and arm support and slope slightly forward to facilitate proper knee positioning.

More tips can be found in Ergotron’s Comfortable Portable Computing whitepaper.

I’m encouraged that the suggested changes can be pretty easily adopted. I already know that better ergonomics leads to increased comfort, but I’m also looking forward to the increased productivity. So this weekend I intend to follow this advice and establish some better ergonomics at home.

Have you faced a similar home ergonomics challenge? Share your questions or favorite solutions below!

Betsey Banker

That’s what my mom calls me. And she’s borrowing the phrase from my boyfriend. If I’m being honest with myself, it’s pretty much true. You see, I’m a very outdoorsy gal. On the weekends I’m usually off having backcountry bear encounters or getting thrown out of kayaks while cave exploring. But during the week I’ll circle the parking lot five times to find the closest spot and rejoice over having a first floor apartment that doesn’t require stairs. Read more »