When considering home ergonomics it basically comes down to your chair and your table. There are many options for each, so I’ve decided to dedicate this email to chairs and my next email will cover tables and workstations. Chairs are kind of like pillows. I don’t like to carry pillows in my office because there is no “perfect pillow” or “perfect chair” that is going to work for everyone. With that in mind, my first piece of advice is, if you are making a sizable investment into a chair, make sure there is a decent return policy.
Lets start be figuring out what makes a chair ergonomic? The image below shows many components of what makes a chair ergonomic and supportive for your neck, back, hips, and legs.
The most budget-friendly option to improve your back support is to simply buy a chair support to add to your current chair. Obusforme sells lots of different chair supports that you can buy from major retailers like Shopper’s Drug Mart, Wal-Mart, Amazon, and Wellwise. Both Staples and Wayfair sell a simple mesh-style support for $49. Amazon was sold out when I checked last.
Sitting Tip #1: Make sure your chair height allows for your feet to rest comfortably on the floor. Your chair is too high if your heels cannot touch the floor.
I have found that Staples offers a good range of desk chairs. The basic ergonomic components you should look for are: adjustable seat height, back tilt, seat tilt, and adjustable armrest height. You will notice the chair in the picture has 3 adjusting handles. That’s a good indicator that all of the basic criteria are included with that chair. Two or three times a year, Staples has a great chair sale in which most chairs are 50% off. I don’t know when the next one will be, but I’ll send out an email if I learn about it.
Sitting Tip #2: Science has shown that it is healthier for your spine to get up every 20 minutes for a quick 20 second stretch, compared to sitting for multiple hours and then going for a 30 minute walk. Stand Up! The Work Break Timer is one of many apps with which you can schedule reminders to get up from your chair and take a stretch break. I highly recommend you download one of these apps and set the reminders for every 20 minutes, because if you are like me, you can easily work for an hour or two before you realize how much time has gone by.
If your back and hips get tight and sore when you sit, you may want to try a kneeling chair. Some kneeling chairs are stationary and some can have a rocking motion.
Don’t forget it’s important to have a foot rest as well to relax your leg muscles and improve blood circulation in your legs. The newest trend is a rounded foot rest. The nice thing about these is that you can flip them over to have a different feeling and encourage active sitting.
You can also use them as a back support during sitting or a foot/knee support while resting.
Another new trend in ergonomic chairs is the reclining option with foot and head rest. These are good if you are working on a laptop or a tablet, but be prepared to spend more money.
And just for fun, Ergoquest seems to have the market for the new-age “zero-gravity” workstations. These luxury workstations will set you back $5,000-$10,000. Looks a little complicated to me. LOL
I hope this information helps you with choosing appropriate support for your back while you are sitting to do your daily work. Of course, if we can avoid sitting all together, that would be optimal. Next week I’ll show you some options for ergonomic sit-stand desks/workstations at home.
In good health,
Dr. Rob
