Yoga Chair
My long-term goal for this project is to develop an assist for yoga, and other fitness classes, that will allow participants to engage more fully in the course by feeling more secure and accessing poses that would otherwise be inaccessible. Participation in fitness classes is key to maintaining physical and mental health for many people.
Longer Description
In the spring of 2017, we attended a yoga class for older adults with Mari (a pseudonym). She mentioned that a fear of not being able to get up limited some people's participation in a floor portion of class and that doing the floor work would be useful for strengthening.
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In the summer of 2017, we met with Mari to assess whether the larger version of the Up/Down chair would be helpful. She went beyond this single use and re-envisioned the device as a larger, more versatile yoga block. Something people could sit on, lean on for balance, use as a support if they can't reach the floor, etc.
This design needs to be sturdy but is not limited by size. While the first design was a collapsible PVC stool with a cloth seat, the current design is made of cardboard.