What does prevention mean?
The term prevention finds its origin in the Latin language and comes from the word praevenire, which means "to forestall". In today's language, prevention refers to a measure or combination of measures intended to avert an undesirable condition or situation.
In the medical and health policy field, prevention is of great importance. Diseases should be prevented as far as possible or their consequences should be kept as low as possible. So-called primary prevention begins before the onset of the disease and is intended to prevent it from occurring in the first place. This includes, for example, back exercises for targeted muscle building and prevention of back problems.
Secondary prevention is concerned with the early detection of diseases and the containment of their development. This includes, for example, screening in the area of breast and colon cancer, but also prevention measures for young people to prevent addiction.
The importance of prevention
Medical or disease prevention is not only important for every individual, but also has a socio-political significance. Of course, health insurance companies and health insurers have a great interest in ensuring that the insured do not get sick in the first place. Every illness that can be prevented saves money and lengthy treatments. However, prevention is also important in the economic sense, since sick leave or early retirement also burden the national economy. Prevention is therefore in everyone's interest.
Prevention guide
The GKV-Spitzenverband (GKV = statutory health insurance) regularly publishes a current "Guideline on Prevention". This forms the basis for the promotion of measures for the early prevention of disease risks and for strengthening health potentials and resources.
The guideline identifies some so-called primary prevention issues, such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes or diseases of the Muscles and the skeleton, which should be detected or prevented as early as possible. The preventive measures themselves are divided into different fields of action, which means: which risk factors are present and how is it recommended to deal with them. The very first thing mentioned here is physical activity habits. The guideline states that it is undisputed that a lack of physical activity is a health risk factor on the one hand and that physical and sporting activities are central factors for maintaining and restoring physical and mental health on the other.
Exercise prevents
The risk factor of lack of exercise has become greater over time. Technical progress and changes in society mean that fewer and fewer people have to do physical work. Food does not have to be hunted and gathered as it was by our ancestors. Food is conveniently bought in the supermarket. Work is increasingly done at a desk or computer. Even in childhood, people sit too much and for too long in poor posture.
Accordingly, it is important to ensure meaningful and continuous movement during sedentary activities, preferably movement that is natural, intuitive, self-organised and spontaneous. Not every chair or office chair allows for this natural movement. In contrast to most conventional office chairs, however, the Aeris active chairs like Swopper and Muvman or the Swoppster for children, demand and encourage precisely this movement while sitting. It is made possible by the patented 3D technology. Studies show that more than twice as much movement is possible on the Aeris Swopper than on a normal office chair.
This movement meets the goals of the Prevention Guide in many ways, as it strengthens the back and abdominal muscles, which can prevent musculoskeletal disorders or help to prevent existing back problems from worsening. Sitting on the Aeris Swopper also gets the circulation going, which can have a positive effect on performance. All in all, the Aeris active chairs offer a lot of potential when it comes to preventing lack of exercise.
