In the 70s and 80s the number of people with back problems was at its peak and during that time people did not associate sitting down on an office chair for extended periods of time as the primary reason behind these cases. Eventual studies have concluded that sitting down on regular chairs for long hours creates stress or pressure on our physical structure, especially the spine because these chairs were not ergonomic.
It has come to light that office staffs that are subjected to regular chairs for more than 3 or 4 hours a day have a 70 % higher probability of developing back issues and poor posture within a decade. These facts are primary reasons behind the sudden boom and interest in ergonomic office chairs. However, what does ‘Ergonomic’ actually mean?
To put it simply it is a component of human engineering or biotechnology which revolves around the design of objects that advocate safe human interaction with the object and these objects include office tables, cabinets, office chairs, keyboards, mouse and many other items that we constantly interact with in a general office environment.
Therefore an ergonomic chair may be deemed as a chair that has been designed to support the physical structure of the human body taking into account elements such as comfort, posture, practicality and overall mental and physical health. The subsequent paragraph will present a clearer perspective on what renders an office chair as an ergonomic office chair.
Ergonomic office chairs in essence offer adequate and better support to the human body structure that is primarily aimed at improving posture and reduce pressure and strain on other areas of the body, however, the ergonomic furniture alone only accomplishes half of this objective as in order to reap all the benefits that an ergonomic office chair has to offer, the users must first learn how to sit correctly. The below notes would assist users of ergonomic chairs to gain the most out of these chairs.
The first and most important aspect is to maintain a distance that is equivalent to an entire arm length from the computer screen with the monitor at eye level. It is also important to sit up straight and at all cost avoid slouching. Apart from that the seated individual should ensure that his or her neck is in a neutral position and relaxed.
Both arms should be parallel to the floor and both feet should be rested flat on the floor. It is not advisable to cross legs as crossing legs would restrict smooth blood circulation from the legs to the upper body. Well design high quality office chairs will allow users to adjust the chair to fit their body structure as most ergonomic chairs are adjustable allowing superior control to the point that the seating may be customised.
When setting up home office furniture and commercial office furniture, it is important to look into the level of adjustability of the chair, the higher the quality of the office chair, the more adjustability it offers.
