I like to think that I live a pretty active life outside of work. However, between the business hours of 8:00 – 5:00, I find that I spend a large portion of my time in front of my computer at my desk. With so much time spent sitting in one place, it’s not uncommon for people to experience back pain.
A friend of mine works from his home quite often. He told me that he had started to experience back pain from the hours he spent sitting in his home office. When he decided it was time for a new office chair, one of his sisters recommended looking into ergonomically-correct seating. He did his research and bought a new ergonomic chair. The last time I saw him, he told me he was very happy with his purchase.
His story got me interested and prompted me to learn more about ergonomics. To be honest, I hadn’t really thought too much about it before! According to the CDC, ergonomics is, “a discipline that involves arranging the environment to fit the person in it.”
So by finding an ergonomic chair, my friend was buying a chair that was built specifically to support his back and reduce pain. I asked him what he looked at when he was shopping for his chair and he gave me a list of features he looked for. Here’s what he took into consideration:
Seat Height.
It’s important that your office chair give you the option to adjust the height. A great rule of thumb for where to set your chair is 16-21 inches for most people. At this height, you should be able to have your feet flat on the floor with your thighs horizontal. Your arms should be even with the height of the desk.
Lumbar Support.
One of the key things to look for in an ergonomic chair is lower back support. Our spines have a natural inward curve. When we sit for long periods at a time without lumbar support, we tend to slouch. This strains structures in the lower spine, as it flattens the curve. When looking at lumbar support, you should be able to adjust the height and depth to fit your body.
Backrest.
Look for a chair that has a backrest between 12 to 19 inches wide. If the backrest is separate from the seat, you should be able to adjust the height and angle. If it is connected to the rest of the chair, the backrest should be adjustable in forward and back angles.
Armrests.
The armrests of an ergonomically-correct office chair should also be adjustable. You want to be able to sit with your arms resting comfortably in a position that allows your shoulders to be relaxed.
Have you purchased an ergonomic office chair before? What features do you think are the most important?
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