Because it's fun! Using your body for work or play feels good. surfMouse allows the whole body to work as a team. Other desk exercise accessories are unrelated to what you are doing on the computer, and many people find this awkward and unrewarding. surfMouse allows your legs to do what they were meant to do - take you where you are going! Not to mention it has proven health benefits, can improve the speed at which you work, prevent repetitive stress injuries, and more. See below.

There is a learning curve to surfMouse. It is very much like riding a bike, and may not feel natural right away. But most people are surprised at how much easier it feels after even 10 minutes of use. Moreover, mastery of surfMouse incorporates sturdy and capable core muscles that have evolved for millions of years to have nuance and accuracy. Your body was built for this. We believe that, if you are up to a moderate challenge, you will find the surfMouse learning process incredibly satisfying.

The surfMouse is incredibly efficient, and with practice, can allow for a more efficient work/play set up than a traditional computer mouse. The device itself is designed to respond and move as quickly as a traditional mouse. Every standard mouse function can be performed just as quickly with a surfMouse, including moving the pointer, clicking any of the three buttons (left/middle/right), dragging and dropping, and using the scroll wheel. Once a user becomes proficient with it, the surfMouse will actually increase productivity and speed. The time wasted shifting and re-orienting a hand between the keyboard and mouse adds up to be significant time lost. Both hands can be on the keyboard while concurrently using the surfMouse, which dismisses this wasted time altogether. And for folks who drink coffee or eat snacks as they work, the possibilities of efficiency are only increased...

Balance boards have many specific therapeutic purposes, including injury prevention, rehabilitation, and balance training. But the benefits of standing and burning calories has been shown to be beneficial to over all health. This article by the Orthopedic Hospital sites many studies and articles which show that standing while working can help the following: Burn calories Give a boost of energy Improve posture Reduce back pain Keep circulation going Boost mood and focus Using a balance board (also known as a wobble board) specifically activates important core muscles as outlined by a study found in the National Library of Medicine. Along with other health benefits including improving ankle stability and improvements in balance. More over, repeat use of a standard computer mouse can have negative health affects. The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety points out many potential hazards of continual use of a standard mouse, including the "Formulation of painful nodules, and in the later stages, ganglion cysts, around the joints and along the tendons" Though there aren't any specific studies on surfMouse yet, the enhanced benefits are easy to feel. Actively moving and clicking on the board activates the core and leg muscles to a greater and more diverse degree. The hip muscles stretch to accommodate purposeful, 360 degree movement.

Simply plug the surfMouse into a USB port on your computer (or use an adapter), and then stand on surfMouse, and voila! It's your new mouse. It works on any PC, Linux, or Mac computer. This short video is the easiest way to start. The surfMouse won't activate until you stand on it (and thereby press all four buttons down). Try to center the balls of your feet and your heels equally to the center for the easiest use. Its OK if your feet/shoes hang off the sides a little bit. Getting on it is not as hard as it may look. Put your hands on your desk of keyboard for extra stabilization if you need, then simply put one foot on one side and lean all the way down, and then put the other foot on the other side. Keep your hands on your desk or keyboard, you don't need to be a hero! Let your hands help. Once you are on it, you will see the mouse move based on how you are leaning. (If you can't find the pointer, look for it on the corners of the screen). Practice going up and down, left and right. It may be a little difficult at first, but will be pretty intuitive to learn. Your body is built to be able to make these movements. Again, it is highly recommended to keep a hand resting on the desk or keyboard for extra stabilization. Now it's time to start clicking and scrolling. See the specific instructions below.

The surfMouse is designed to work almost like a surfboard with buttons. Standing on it activates it. This short video might be the easiest way to see. Leaning makes the mouse pointer move. Lean left and the pointer moves left, lean forward and the pointer moves up, etc. When balanced, the pointer stays still. Clicking works the same as a regular mouse, only in the opposite direction. There are four buttons on surfMouse, one under each heel, and one under each ball (right behind the toes) of the foot. Lifting either a ball or a heel is the same as pressing the corresponding button on the mouse. Putting the heel or ball back down is the same as releasing the button. Either heel operates as a left click, the left toe operates as a middle click, and the right toe is the right click. Dragging and dropping works the same as a regular mouse, only in reverse. Lift a heel to start dragging, lean to reach your target destination, and put the heel back down to stop dragging. Double and triple clicking can be achieved with any combination of one or both heels. Using the scroll wheel is fun. You rotate back and forth on the surfMouse, while leaning slightly forward or back. Leaning forward scrolls the wheel up, and leaning back scrolls the wheel down. The faster you twist back and forth, the faster you scroll. And that's it! It takes a little bit of practice, but it is very intuitive and doesn't take much to memorize.

The short answer is, where ever is comfortable. If your feet don't cover the buttons entirely that's fine, a lot of people like to have their feet towards the edges of the board. The balls of your feet and your heels should be equal distance from the center. This means your toes should be further up on the board than you may initially realize, and many will find their toes hang off of the board a little bit. This is also fine, go ahead and hang ten. The board will still work if the balls and heels of your feet aren't balanced, but it will become tiring much more quickly this way.

The simple answer is yes, but it is not recommended. The board itself will operate just fine, but your body may find it uncomfortable. The surfMouse is optimized to be used while standing, but it will still function while the user is sitting. This will, of course, negate the health benefits associated with standing and utilizing the core muscles, and may cause some muscles to cramp after usage. But, it will still have the benefits of avoiding the repetitive stress on the hands from using a traditional mouse, along with the efficiency benefits of freeing the hands up for other things. Tip: To avoid accidental clicks while sitting, try to keep your knees above your feet, and the balls of your feet and heels an equal distance from the middle of the board. You can also re-calibrate the board so that it's neutral position is more comfortable while sitting (see below). The default calibration is to be flat for standing users.

Most settings for the surfMouse can be found in the same place as the mouse settings for your particular operating system. Here the speed of the mouse, or the double click speed, and other adjustments can be made. Orientation: To re-calibrate the orientation of the surfMouse, use your hands to press the top 2 buttons (towards the USB cable) until they start clicking. Use a level or smart phone to orient the neutral position of the surfMouse the way you want (usually perfectly flat). The clicking will speed up and during this time it will take an average of how you have the board oriented as neutral. Once it's stops clicking it is done. Note: the direction the surfMouse is pointing does not matter, only how it is tilted. It does not need to point towards your computer. Middle Click: The toe buttons have three settings and can be adjusted as well (The heels are always left clicks, this avoids fatigue). Here are the various options, starting with the default: Left Toe = middle button | Right Toe = Right Button (default) Left Toe = Right Button | Right Toe = Middle Button Left Toe = Right Button | Right Toe = Right Button (good for Mac users) To switch toe settings, first make sure you are not standing on the board. Then hold down the two heel buttons (opposite side of where the cord is) with your hands and wait for a series of clicks. Once it starts clicking release the two buttons and wait for it to stop. Once it has stopped, select the toe button you would like to be the middle click by pressing it. If you would like both toes to function as right clicks (good for Mac users) press the left heel. Click Sound: Similarly, the clicking sound can be turned off and on by holding down the two heel buttons, releasing when the clicks start, and once the clicking has stopped, pressing the right heel. This will toggle if the internal clicking sound is on or off during normal use. (Note, it will always click when changing settings)

This is a symptom of having your feet not aligned with the middle of the board. It often is accompanied with over-worked calves. Try to align your feet by putting the balls of your feet (just behind the toes) the same distance from the middle as your heels. Your feet will stick out more to the front than to the back. It's OK if your toes hang off the board a little bit. And don't forget to activate your core.

While most people's calves will get a little sore when they first start using surfMouse, it shouldn't be a grueling experience. Overly sore calves usually come from having incorrect foot placement. It is often accompanied with difficulty lifting a toe without lifting the heel in the opposite corner. Try to align your feet by putting the balls of your feet (just behind the toes) the same distance from the middle as your heels. Your feet will stick out more to the front than to the back. It's OK if your toes hang off the board a little bit. And don't forget to activate your core.

Simply unplug the USB cable and plug it back in. This will reset and correct the surfMouse. And don't forget to activate your core.