Adjusting Your Ergonomic Office Chairs

The purpose of ergonomic office chairs is to help the people who use them reduce the cumulative effects of sitting down for prolonged periods on the body, particularly on the back, shoulders and neck. Sitting for more than twenty minutes at a time is actually more harmful to the body than standing up because it makes the pressure of supporting the entire body distributed unevenly on the spine. It eventually leads to varying degrees of pain along the spinal area, to lessened flexibility of the body, among other problems.

However, no matter how expensive or how good the design of the ergonomic office chairs being used is, the purpose for which they are being used will not be achieved if the people using them have not adjusted them correctly according to the shape and contours of their body. Here are a few pointers to keep in mind when adjusting ergonomic office chairs.

1.For the lower back. Slumping or slouching is the common cause of pain occurring in the lower back area. When a person slumps or slouches, the act increases the pressure on the lower back. So, when sitting on ergonomic office chairs, you should make sure that your rear is pressed against the back of the chair. The back of the chair should also be cushioned in such a way that it makes your lower back curve forward, which will then prevent you from slouching or slumping.

2.For the arms. Support for the arms is needed because it lessens the strain that sitting down puts on the neck, the shoulders and the upper back. Moreover, lack of support for the arms can also lead to the development of carpal tunnel syndrome. To address this, the armrests of the ergonomic office chairs must be adjusted so that the arms are lifted for a little bit to help ease the tension of your shoulders and neck.

3.For the elbows. Just like with the arms, proper support for the elbows is necessary to minimize the strain on the neck and shoulders, to prevent upper back pain and to lessen the possibility of developing carpal tunnel syndrome. The adjustments that you would need to make to your ergonomic office chairs involve making sure that they are just the right height so your hands can be placed comfortably on your workspace while maintaining your elbows at a 90-degree angle.

4.For the thighs. When sitting on ergonomic office chairs, your thighs should be resting comfortably on the seat pan. They should not be strained tightly downward or raised at an angle upward because they will add to the strain being put on your lower back. Raise the ergonomic office chairs you are using accordingly so that your feet are on the floor without pulling or pushing at your thighs. If your feet are dangling, use an adjustable footrest. Many ergonomic office chairs have their own footrest.

5.For the calf. When sitting on ergonomic office chairs, your calves should be resting comfortably against the front of your chair. The chair should be just deep enough to make this so. If the chair is too deep, then it should be adjusted by tilting the back a little or by placing a pillow, or better yet, a lumbar support cushion, on the seat.

Make sure that you use your ergonomic office chairs properly and adjust them to your body accordingly to make the most use of them.