How to sit in and adjust your Swopper®
Start Swopping!
First, place Swopper® on the floor with the opening of the base ring facing whatever task is before you. The rubber “buffer” at the bottom of the central column (piston) must always be in contact with the floor.
1. Sit in the middle, or “apex” of the Swopper® seat cushion, as if you were sitting on a gym ball. Visually it will appear as if you are about 3⁄4’s of the way back on the seat. In essence, your spine will appear to vertically line up directly over the piston.
2. Place both feet flat on the ground (legs uncrossed), knees shoulder-width apart.
3. Slightly tilt your hips forward (rotate your pelvis), promoting a small forward curve in your lower back (lumbar area).
Now balance yourself using your hips and legs. By doing so, you will automatically (intuitively) correct your seated position and train a host of small muscles: these are exactly the muscles you need for correctly holding up and supporting your spinal column. Even though you may not always be aware of it, you are constantly moving. By maintaining your balance, you automatically attain the position where you feel the most comfortable. This is your correct sitting position. Take advantage of the natural, fluid, “coupled motion” (vertical and horizontal) your Swopper® provides and “swing” thoroughly from time to time.
How to adjust your Swopper®
Please be aware that these are just recommendations. Change them at any time in order to give you the highest level of comfort and support as you move and perform the task before you. Try different levels of adjustment and take the one that you feel gives you the most comfort and control.
1. First you need to adjust the seat height. Immediately under the bottom edge of the upholstered seat is a handle by means of which the gas spring (piston) release can be operated. Usually it is best to start with the seat at a higher than normal position. While sitting, gently pull up on the lever until the desired,comfortable and appropriate seat height is reached.
Come off the seat and again pull up on the lever to raise the seat again.
2. Now “bounce” up and down. The coil-spring tension (the big colored coil around the piston which controls the vertical movement) can be adjusted by simply turning the collar immediately below the coil-spring. The optimum position typically depends on the user’s weight. Turn or twist the collar clockwise (towards the Minus - sign) for less tension, and counter-clockwise (towards the Plus + sign) for more tension, or a firmer spring (less “bounce”). The optimal adjustment is when an easy up and down movement is possible without the feeling that you are “bottoming-out”. As a general guideline, we recommend the following levels of adjustment:
If your weight is under:135 lbs., choose the softest (lowest) adjustment165 lbs., choose level 1200 lbs., choose level 2230 lbs., choose level 3290 lbs., choose level 4 or higher
Please note:
The maximum weight limit for the Swopper® is 290 lbs!
3. Greater lateral mobility, or easier sideways swinging, can be adjusted by tipping Swopper® on its side and turning the end-cap on the bottom of the column (piston). Less mobility (less swinging) is obtained by turning the end-cap clockwise (towards the Minus - sign) and more freedom of movement (easier swinging) is attained by turning the end-cap counter-clockwise (towards the Plus + sign). At first you may feel more comfortable with less lateral movement, but experienced users of Swopper® often find more lateral movement to be more enjoyable. Either way, let your personal preference be your guide.
Getting used to Swopper®
The secret to successfully using Swopper® is to start slowly. For some people we suggest they start with 1⁄2 hour of continuous use and then increase to a full day over a period of four to six weeks, depending on the current level of fitness. Swopper® helps to alleviate neck, upper-back, low back, hip, and leg pain. But keep in mind, sitting in motion may take some time to get used to. Just like those bad postural habits took some time to “get used to”. We highly recommend that people suffering from these problems use Swopper®. This will give them regular, consistent access to healthy sitting habits.
