A 37-year-old British man unable to walk because of a serious spinal cord injury has stood up and ‘walked’ with the aid of robotics.

The man who is wheelchair-bound was mobilised by the robotic system, known as the REX in less than four minutes.

He also completed a prescribed set of exercises. He was taking part in a trial of a new robotic medical device called REX designed for wheelchair users and people with mobility impairments such as paralysis.

The trial, called RAPPER II is a multicentre International 100 patient study, approved by the NHS National Institute of Health Research, designed to measure the time taken for wheelchair users to:
• mobilise in a REX
• complete a set of prescribed exercises

The clinical trial will also look at whether people with different levels of spinal injury, can be safely treated with REX.

What is REX?
REX is the world’s first hands free robotic walking and exercising device for use by wheelchair users (spinal cord injury, MS, Stroke, Muscular Dystrophy), designed by two Scottish engineers.

Wheelchair users are at risk of developing numerous medical complications from extended periods of sitting. So by enabling them to spend more time standing, walking and exercising, REX may offer significant health benefits.

Where are the clinical trials of REX taking place
The UK will lead the trials and other countries will follow. The first trial site is the specialist neuro-rehabilitation centre called PhysioFunction, near Northampton. Rex Bionics, the company developing this technology expects to add further sites, in the UK as well as overseas.

Who can take part in the clinical trial?
The physiotherapists at PhysioFunction will be able to treat volunteers (who have a spinal injury), free of charge, from all over the UK and overseas, provided they meet the inclusion criteria for the trial.
Volunteers who would like to be considered for participation in the trial should contact the dedicated email address rex@physiofunction.co.uk or call UK 0800 043 0327

How long do you sit? Carnegie University researchers Dr Michelle Mellis and Dr Zoe Rutherford, look ahead to the forthcoming ‘On your Feet Britain’ campaign and offer their expert advice on how to become more active in the workplace.

Have you ever calculated how many hours you spend sitting, both at work and at home? The outcome can be somewhat shocking, with the average desk-based worker now accumulating an average of 9 hours of sitting per day. The workplace has evolved to be so technologically efficient, which ultimately means as employees we are adopting sedentary behaviours. We just don’t need to get up and move around like we did before the digital era, plus we can almost convince ourselves that spending more time in front of our computers makes us more productive. The reality however is the opposite, and excessive sitting at work could have a negative impact on our job and our health.

Our own sitting time calculations have revealed some worrying information, ranging up to 14 hours sitting on a bad day for Michelle. This is despite achieving the recommended daily physical activity of 30 minutes which is really only scratching the surface. Our focus therefore needs to be on the other waking hours and seeing how can we sit for less? If you are interested, you can calculate your own sitting hours and the associated risk at www.getbritainstanding.org/

At a recent conference – the inaugural Active Working Summit – we were busy networking with fellow academics, researchers and industrial partners in an effort to promote the importance of “active working”. We were lucky enough to be given a height-adjustable desk each and it has provided us with a first-hand opportunity to support our vision to #SitLessStandMore.

In January 2015, the public health guidelines were updated and for the first time they now include a recommendation to reduce prolonged sitting. The guidance is to build up to two hours of standing per day, and then progress this to four hours per day. We can’t underestimate the power that light physical activity (standing and general movement around the office) could have on breaking up our sedentary lifestyles. It is important even for those that are achieving the physical activity recommendations of 150 minutes moderate intensity exercise per week as it does not appear to offset the risks associated with prolonged sitting. We will be covering more about this in a future blog post so watch this space.

On Wednesday 24 April 2015, a national campaign is hosting “On Your Feet Britain”, a day dedicated to getting people out of their chairs and becoming more active in the workplace. This campaign is led by the British Heart Foundation and Get GB Standing and will hopefully become an annual event. General activity suggestions many of you will be familiar with include:

• taking the stairs as often as possible and avoiding the lift
• getting off the bus one stop early or parking the car further away from the office to increase walking time are all excellent ways to move more.
• Take small-group walking meetings – this is a pleasant way to have discussions with your colleagues and get some activity such as a few laps of the Acre.
• Do a standing meeting – these have been reported to be more productive so they will be over quicker! Remember our time is precious.
• Walk to a photocopier/printer at the opposite end of the corridor or on the next floor.
• Remove the kettle from your office and walk to the staff room instead.
• Do stretching exercises at your desk to mobilise – these small movements count as light physical activity.
• Drink water so you get up to get refills or to go to the loo!
• Move the rubbish bin to the opposite side of the office so you have to get up
• Walk over to colleagues rather than sending an email or phoning them.
• Stand up and pace when on the phone.
• Set a reminder on your computer or phone to stand and move around every 30 minutes – alternate between sitting and standing
• Take active breaks – walk around the office or go outside for 5 minutes.
• Leave your desk for lunch – many of us are culprits of working over lunch but it’s important to take a break to boost productivity in the afternoon.
• Going out to get lunch or drinks for the team – this will always go down well!

Selfridges’ tradition of beginning the year with unexpected, thought-provoking concepts continues with the launch of Bright Old Things. However, in a twist on its annual Bright Young Things scheme, which usually focuses on the introduction of gifted young new talent, the store is spotlighting a group of exciting mature creators and artists.

Mature creators and artists who are currently spotlighted in Selfridges amazing window displays!

With the ages of the participating artists, designers, musicians and entrepreneurs ranging from late-forties to mid-eighties, Selfridges acknowledges that ‘old’ is as subjective as it is irrelevant. Hand-picked talents, some who will be instantly recognisable, and some entirely new names, have been chosen to take part on the basis that they have undergone a ‘retirement renaissance’, a complete career change or an inspiring step into the unknown. The compelling line-up includes an ex-chartered accountant who became an artist in his sixties, an architect-turned-topiarist, and a product designer who has become a YouTube sensation with his vlog ‘Earth News For Space.’

Each participant will be given a dedicated Oxford Street window with which to give the million people who pass by them every week an intimate insight into their creative visions. Special events spotlighting their work will take place throughout the scheme, including a soon-to-be-announced special programme for London Collections: Men, whilst products from selected Bright Old Things will be sold in-store and online.

Linda Hewson, Selfridges Creative Director, comments:
“One of the things we pride ourselves on is telling great stories. How better to start the year than by celebrating fourteen of them? As a centenary-old department store which has been successfully reinventing itself over and over again, it made so much sense for us to shine a light on the wealth of talent and experience harnessed by bright older creatives. These people can definitely teach us all a thing or two about growing old whilst staying young at heart and relevant”.

Offering deeper insight still into the lives and legacies of the Bright Old Things, Selfridges has invited Todd Selby to capture each of these fascinating subjects in their homes and creative spaces.

From retailer-turned-designer Nick Wooster, one of the world’s most photographed men in his fifties, to Molly Parkin – one time Fashion Editor at The Sunday Times and now a talented painter at 82 – by way of Bruno Wizard, 64, “the most famous punk you’ve never heard of”… Bright Old Things is a joyful reminder that it’s never too late to try something new.

Since 2011, Selfridges’ annual Bright Young Things initiative has established itself as an exciting showcase which includes alumni such as fashion talents Simone Rocha and Astrid Andersen, set designers Rhea Thierstein and Anna Lomax, and ‘haute coiffure’ designer Charlie le Mindu.