Healthier alternatives to a piano bench?

$700 (regular over $1000).... for a chair????

I got a nice square metal bar stool with a nice cushioned top for about $15.00 at the thrift shop, and cut down the legs.  Seriously you need to look around thrift shops for something that will meet you needs. I don't think you will actually be happy with that expensive contraption.  It's likely to give you a sore butt in a few hours.

Thanks groovy!

May I ask: With Swooper was it possible to plant your feet stable on the ground and use pedals without issues? Was it just that your back wasn't compatible with Swooper (in the loose setting) that made you gave it up?

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30125923/
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00243923/
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S19031011/

Not exactly on topic, but just some inexpensive piano bench alternatives.

There is no magic chair or magic bench, despite a very good one (confortable and orthopedic) and right position be really very importante.

http://www.healingartsstudios.com/pianoergonomics.html

Well, even if you could levitate seated, you would still be subject to problems about be long periods in same position.

You can sit for a long time, if you have proper recess/breaks and resting after ever a couple few hours. To walk a bit helps after be 2 hours on a desk/piano. 
Exercises, some bodybuilding, helps you get stronger muscles and so helps you keep strong enough for such tasks. No need to be a atletic or things like that, just 2 times a week with moderation, and you can work more areas you use more or are more prone to problems, like exercise you back, abdomen, shoulders and arms. Many exercices you can do in your home.

Stretching it's very importante too, for hands,arms, forearms, and also for your back and legs. Stretching before and after start at the ofice, but without force too much. And there are basic stretching you can do in very short time, ever after a hour seated.

Some tips:

Global Postural Re-education (GPR) and pilates are good ways to try to preserve posture health or treat problems related. The first help you educate the body to the right positions and get used to. The second tries to work streching and get the key muscles stronger in order to try to correct your body posture.

I don't know you, but just in case, don't late to see a good doctor if you have hemorrhoids.  In the beginning the treatments have very good results.

There are many things that could be made in this area, as prevention to help keep people healtier, with very low investments, and that would save billions for many countries. But few countries, few companies, do such, and as result many people get injurried on back arms and hands.

um, sorry to waste the space with this reply.  i came into the thread in the middle and didn't see the explanation in the first post.  i was going to delete my post, but thought it may have some other information you might not be aware of.  so down below this note is the original message i typed out.

there is a balance cushion:
http://tinyurl.com/pm3ecvm
you can put this on a chair that is lower, and still reach the pedals.

hello kamil, i am a personal trainer, and in our training, we use the swiss ball
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exercise_ball
there are different sizes, and you can pump them up to be very solid.  you want to get one that allows your upper legs to be 90 degrees or slightly above.  basically, you are looking at needing to strengthen your core muscles.  here are pictures and a pretty good explanation:
https://www.acefitness.org/blog/3562/mu...f-the-core

all the muscles are connected, so you would also want to strengthen your upper body so you don't slouch or cave in, and your back, so you can support your body's weight in a good upright position (good posture).  at first it will be hard to do, because the muscles are used to staying in one position.  sitting on the ball makes them work, in really small ways, but eventually your back will strengthen.  it takes time.  you may not be comfortable at first.  you shouldn't sit in one position for long periods of time...the muscles get used to that position (sitting), and when you stand, they are all tight, because while you sit, the muscles are shortened (the cause of most lower back pain is tight hamstrings).  there are whole sets of strengthening exercises you can do with the swiss ball.  while you are sitting, you can roll your hips forward/backward/in a circular motion; and you can hop up and down.  you can balance on the ball as well...usually in the prone position.  i have friends who can move around with the ball beneath them by rolling it (they would be sort of kneeling on the ball with their hands in front).

suffice it to say, whatever chair you get, it isn't too much the chair being the problem, so much as it is staying in the sitting position for long periods of time.
feel free to ask if you have any further questions.  [Beto-Music has the right idea, two replies up!]

Hey misc, can anyone recommend a good office chair for 10-12+ hours of use? I want to buy a good quality chair and so far, I have run through some of the cheap $150-$200 chairs

It doesn't so much matter what you sit on as how you sit on it.
If you know how to sit (upright) what you you will want is something that is stable - doesn't move around. Even too much cushioning makes you unstable and causes you to clench in order to try to be still.
Try standing on a cushioned floor for a while and you may see what I mean.
Arm-chairs are different of course. They are designed to support you, a bit like a bed is. Sitting in an arm-chair is a whole different business. But you can't play the piano from an arm chair.
My preference (at the piano) is a hard wooden bench.
If you're serious about all of this stuff don't waste your money on ridiculous 'designer' or so-called 'ergonomic' chairs. Spend it on Alexander Technique lessons. Or if you don't want to do that (yet) get a copy of 'Towards Perfect Posture' by Brian Door. That will give you an introduction.

Cheers, Ian.

I'm not sure that this is a "healthier alternative" for you, but I use the following for playing keyboards and for playing guitar and I love it.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail...h-backrest

Kenny

Herman Miller Aeron Chair - size C.

I am sitting on my schlagwerk bass cajon(without the snares)because you can lean a bit backwards,or on a sitting ball.......
not the conventional ways......

I ditto the conventional wood top bench.  Also, an out of the box approach can be something like this:

Find a finished board - like a dining room table leaf.  Cut it to the length you desire.  Then get a couple of fairly hefty 3-way speaker cabinets and place the board on top of them.  you can choose to have the speakers oriented anyway you like ... forward facing or reward or to the side, for example.  Now you have a hefty speaker system without the sound blaring in your face.  An approximate final height should be about 19" or 48+cm.  Don't be afraid to "step out of the box".

Lanny