Step Into Stress Relief With SmartCells


The Summer season may contribute to lower productivity, but it certainly isn’t the only killer of productivity on the job.

A study conducted by the American Psychological Association found that 51 percent of employees said they were less productive at work because of stress. Furthermore, it is estimated that stress costs the US economy more than $300 billion a year in absenteeism, turnover, diminished productivity and medical, legal and insurance costs.

To combat stress in the workplace, many forward-thinking companies are investing in health and wellness programs as well as ergonomically optimizing work stations to reduce pain and stress while increasing productivity.

One such ergonomic option many companies are leaning towards is the use of the standing desk. Although this is a great way to increase health and productivity while decreasing stress, standing for extended periods of time can also be detrimental to employee health.

In fact, prolonged standing in work environments has been proven to make employees more susceptible to musculo-skeletal pain and fatigue.

One solution to reduce the negative effects of prolonged standing is to invest in quality anti-fatigue mats or flooring for your workforce. But, with so many different anti-fatigue options to choose from, how do you find the right one?

We have been tackling this issue in our 9-part series titled: Essential Questions You Must Ask Before Purchasing an Anti-Fatigue Mat.

In our June Newsletter, we drew correlations between beach days and anti-fatigue mats while discussing the optimal balance of shock attenuation and resilience. This month we will explore the sixth essential question in our series:

Does the surface get softer as it is compressed?

When we first start talking with potential clients we have found that there is a common popular notion that if a hard surface is bad for standing, then a soft surface is good for standing. If that was the case, why not just put mattresses down for standing workers? The fact of the matter is, is that this notion couldn’t be further from the truth.

To further play into this false notion, many anti-fatigue products are constructed from overly soft, squishy materials such as foam or gel, with claims of being the “thickest”, “plushest”, “most buoyant” anti-fatigue surface.

Regardless of the variations in construction, from domed foam geometries to draped top-covers with various surface textures, there is one challenge shared by all foam-based products: foam gets harder as it is compressed. And gel. Well, gel just squishes out of the way.

So, if the objective is simply to provide a softer surface, why do it with a material that gets harder or squishes out of the way when used for standing or walking?

The solution to this question is the SmartCells cushioning technology. The unique cushioning technology consists of a rubber surface layer integrated with an underlying array of cylindrical rubber cells that soften in response to surface pressure to provide maximum fatigue relief. The SmartCells act like springs that cushion as weight is applied and then rebound when the weight shifts, which returns energy, providing unparalleled responsiveness that helps reduce standing fatigue.

SmartCells Cushioning Technology: It’s not how the mat feels, it’s how YOU feel.