These days, sitting for prolonged periods is the norm. We spend a significant portion of our lives sitting at home or working, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, during which most people have been working from home.
When doing regular duties, most people overlook the importance of proper seating habits. We believe it is unimportant. However, this is not the case.
It's possible that you do not recognize the significant health risks associated with extended sitting and why this is a matter of concern for those of us who spend 30+ hours each week sitting at our work desks.
Poor seating habits can have a harmful influence on the body right away. It can put a strain on your spine at first, leading to chronic pain in the backbone.
It can also lead to difficulty of blood flow in your body, resulting in disorders such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and problems such as cervical spondylosis. These health concerns have recently become more widely recognized by health professionals; they are the primary reason behind the recent increase in demand for ergonomic office chairs. Maybe you should choose an ergonomic chair for your back pain.
What does it mean to be 'ergonomic'?
Ergonomics, sometimes known as human engineering or bioengineering, is a science. The discipline examines how to create items that facilitate and protect human interaction.
A chair, specifically, is ergonomic when seat height, seat depth, and lumbar support can all be adjusted.
This means that the chair's height should be adjustable so that your legs are parallel to the floor, and the seat pan should be adjustable so that you can sit comfortably.
Proper lumbar support gives your lower back the support it needs, allowing your spine to be in the best position for good posture.
What are The Elements of an Ergonomic Chair?
Unlike a typical chair, the ergonomic chair has specific characteristics that qualify it for the term "ergonomic."
1. Seat height adjustment
A chair's seat height should be adjustable to be called ergonomic. It should have elements that allow it to lengthen or shorten depending on the size of the person's body.
The seat's height should be set in such a way that your knees are above your hips, and your feet are resting comfortably on the floor. If a chair meets these criteria, it can be classified as ergonomic.
2. Seat Slide/Seat pan depth adjustment
This function allows you to modify the depth of your seat to a specification of a quarter-inch between the border of your seat and the back of your knees so that both of your legs can support normal blood flow.
Deep vein thrombosis is a condition caused by a lack of equal blood flow in your legs and can be avoided with such a specification.
3. Backrest height adjustment
This feature allows you to modify the height of your chair's backrest.
You may adjust it in different directions to provide your back with the best possible support. This feature will relax and lessen the strain on your back, resulting in a healthy spine free of future ailments.
4. Back angle adjustment
This function allows you to modify the angle or position of your chair's back. It is recommended that you change your back angles as often as possible throughout the day or leave the back angle unlocked so that the angles change automatically as you move.
Back angle adjustment prevents you from sitting in the same position for an extended period, putting pressure on your spine.
5. Adjustable armrests
The armrests' height and width should be adjustable to provide a pivot where you can rest your arms while typing. This will provide you with a more pleasant typing experience and save you time from having to stretch due to prolonged typing.
6. High-quality castors
One or two castors support your entire body weight when entering or exiting the chair. Unfortunately, fake or low-cost castors are quickly broken. In contrast, high-quality castors will last and provide the most exemplary support for your body weight when exiting or entering the chair.
7. Back tilt tension knobs.
These knobs allow you to regulate the amount of pressure required to roll back in your chair. As a result, it provides you with the necessary pressure and strength to move back as you work.
8. Headrest adjustment
While a headrest is not a mandatory feature of an ergonomic chair, it should be adjustable if one is available. The purpose of having an adjustable headrest is to keep your neck from becoming stiff as you work.
9. Swivel
Any typical or ergonomic chair should easily rotate so the user can reach different desk areas without straining.
10. Materials Used
Comfortable materials are generally used to make an ergonomic chair. The user's back should not sweat as a result of the material. However, the budget does determine the materials used; high-end ergonomic chairs will be made of leather or velvet, while lower-end chairs will be constructed of comparatively lower-quality material.
Advantages of an Ergonomic Chair
There are several advantages to using an ergonomic chair compared to a typical chair.
● Physical Well-Being
While you may make a conscious effort to align your torso, neck, arms, and legs in any chair, the truth is that most individuals will revert to their terrible sitting habits over time. When workplace stress begins to take its toll, it's easy to lose sight of the progress you have made toward adopting a healthy posture.
Pain in the lower back and neck discomfort are two of the most common body pains experienced by people who spend a lot of time sitting in chairs. This is mainly because traditional chairs are not designed to let people sit for a prolonged time while maintaining proper posture.
Unlike traditional seats, which require you to correct your posture entirely on your own, ergonomic chairs are designed to promote alignment while minimizing stress and tension throughout the body.
So, rather than worrying about keeping all of your joints at perfect angles, an ergonomic chair does the heavy lifting for you and guarantees that you don't end up with a slouched back or a craned neck.
● Emotional health
Many patients with back pain are also dealing with a nasty feedback loop known as "the pain cycle," Their discomfort causes psychological stress, which stops them from engaging in physical exercise, intensifying the pain and causing additional stress. In the worst-case scenario, back discomfort can lead to sadness and anxiety, leading to even greater back pain.
With this in mind, it's critical for anyone who spends 10+ hours a day sitting to do what they can to break this cycle on both the physical and emotional levels: beneficial activities include exercise, meditation, and eating a balanced diet.
It's still possible to curtail the benefits of these good habits by sitting too much. Still, you can ensure that sitting for long periods does not result in bodily or emotional deterioration with an ergonomic chair.
● Suitable for all body types
Because body types differ so considerably, it's critical that a chair can suit your body measurements. That's why ergonomic chairs include anywhere from four to eight points of adjustment—no matter how big you are, how long your torso is, or how natural your spine arch is, an ergonomic chair can be modified to fit your needs.
Adjust the seat, armrest, and lumbar support so that your neck, shoulders, elbows, waist, and knees are all at correct angles, and you'll be on your way to a healthier sitting position in no time.
Is an Ergonomic Chair a good investment?
Ergonomic office chairs are usually more expensive than regular office chairs. But, consider it an investment in your or your employees' health and productivity, rather than a cost.
Eventually, the benefits of investing in an ergonomic chair will be reflected in your work.
By making your employees' workplaces safer and more comfortable, you're increasing their engagement and offering a more flexible environment that can be tailored to each employee.
Furthermore, ergonomic chairs are usually high quality and will last you long, withstanding years of use.
Plus, the cost of an ergonomic office chair ranges from $200 to $2,000, so you can always invest in the price that falls within your budget.
Conclusion
Working in a healthy workplace is beneficial to health, productivity, and fulfillment.
An ergonomic office chair is often the first step into the world of ergonomics because people spend so much time in it. It keeps people going through the day and lessens, if not eliminates, back pain.
We hope that this information will help you decide about opting for an ergonomic chair.
