- Toyota has developed a fancy seat that promises to give you a workout while you sit.
- The seat works by forcing your muscles to repeatedly tense and relax.
The Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro has fancy IsoDynamic performance seats that can be adjusted with a hand pump, but they pale in comparison to a new seat that is under development. So what makes it so special? The promise of exercise just by sitting.
While that’s every couch potato’s dream, Toyota says their specially designed seat has three support posts. One of the posts is shorter than the other two, so the entire seat tilts slightly when used. If that wasn’t odd enough, the “three supports revolve, constantly changing the tilt direction 360 degrees.”
More: 2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro Comes With A Hand Pump To Adjust Its Trick Seats
Toyota says the lean is “barely perceptible” and it takes more than a minute for the seat to complete a cycle. While this doesn’t sound too exciting, the automaker explained “Since humans have innate ‘postural reflexes’ that subconsciously maintain the body’s posture, the pelvis moves naturally while the head remains still. Essentially, your muscles repeatedly tense and relax, even as you remain seated.”
Toyota went on to say the process is a bit like using a balance ball for core training, but you don’t have to do the hard work. However, the company said you’ll likely feel a “little fatigued” after 20 minutes or so of sitting. While most people would prefer to be comfortable, the automaker says the fatigue is a “sign that you are using muscles that normally don’t get much attention” and these are “very important.”
In particular, the seat reportedly engages “inner muscles not just in the pelvic region but all over the body.” This promises to “boost muscle coordination” and give you a workout without “arduous training.”
On top of that, since the seat is always moving, it’s hard to stay in a fixed position. The company says this could help to reduce back pain.
