Ergonomic Desk Chairs

In part 2 of this series we discussed how to have good sitting posture in relation to workstation ergonomics. Today, in part 3, we will discuss tips on how to further improve your sitting position on ergonomic desk chairs to derive the optimum productivity, minimum physical discomfort and maximum spine health.

When at work, you need to adjust the height of your chair to your workstation, pushing it close to the work desk. It is preferable to have ergonomic desk chairs that come with armrests for resting them and relaxing tired muscles. A very common mistake that people make when moving in a swivel chair is that they tend to twist at the waist which could cause injury to it. Instead you should turn with your entire body.

In addition, when you need to stand up from a sitting position, shift your body to the front of portion of your seat before standing up. Use the armrest if necessary. When standing up, take note to straighten your legs and never lock your knees. Do not bend forward at your waist as this could cause undue pressure on the lower back portion of your spine. When standing, try to do some light stretching exercises which are beneficial to spine health.

Besides having the best ergonomic chair to help you with your sitting posture, you will also need to make certain minor sacrifices with regards to your sitting habits. For instance, when you experience lower back pain, often this is due to your lumbar region not being sufficiently supported, thereby exerting undue pressure upon the spinal discs. Apart from that, it is also possible that your dangling feet is not placed flat on the floor and your thigh muscles are pulling back at the spine. A few adjustments can be made to this situation.

Adjusting the height of the chair is the first change you can make. Getting ergonomic desk chairs with backrest helps to tilt the back slightly forward is another. Alternatively, you can purchase separately a lumbar support pillow to be placed at the lower back area of the chair, thereby ensuring that your spine curves in tandem with the shape of the support.

What actually causes tired neck, tensed shoulders and pain in the higher back is probably the fact that your head is overtly tilted forward or backwards, and also the arms are not supported. It is easy to remedy these situations. Get ergonomic desk chairs with adjustable headrests or high backrests, and don’t forget to get them with armrests too. And finally, if you feel pain in your buttocks, you have exerted too much pressure on it. You should sit deeper into the chair seat pan instead, or rather, simply stand up, stretch, take a break.

For more information to help you find the best ergonomic chair, check out this series of Ergonomic Desk Chairs Workstation Ergonomics for Spine Health.