6 Benefits of Having an Ergonomic Work Chair
Even if you’re an active person in your personal life, those with office jobs may find themselves sitting down for long periods of time each day. In fact, statistics show that office workers tend to sit down at their desk for an average of 5 hours and 41 minutes per day! If you’re using the wrong kind of chair, this could be wreaking havoc on your back and contributing to potential health problems.
To help you combat potential health issues while working at the office or from a work from home setup, we’re exploring the benefits of having an ergonomic work chair. These chairs may help you avoid back pain, improve posture, and potentially even increase your daily productivity.
What Is an Ergonomic Work Chair?
Having an ergonomic work chair can make a noticeable change in your daily work experience. What is an ergonomic chair, though?
The term ergonomics refers to the study of human beings in their working environment. It’s an area of study that looks at how tasks or objects like zero gravity chairs and home office chairs can be designed or arranged to optimally compliment natural human movement and interaction.
As an example, a zero gravity chair is an ergonomic recliner chair with lumbar support that can help maintain your spine’s natural curvature. A more traditional ergonomic work chair will adjust to meet your specific body positioning needs for working at your desk. This means having feet flat on the floor, supporting your spine properly, and having any arm rests at the optimal height.
Now that you’ve gotten an understanding of what an ergonomic work chair is, let’s take a look at their benefits.
Ergonomic Chair Benefits at Work
As you learned, having an ergonomic work chair means it adjusts to meet your body’s optimal needs while sitting at a desk. Whether you’re using a traditional office chair or adding a non-traditional ergonomic work chair like a zero gravity chair in a home office setup, considering the ergonomics of your seating could make a huge difference.
Some of benefits of an ergonomic work chair are:
- Neck and back pain relief
- Reducing pressure on the hips
- Improving posture
- Adjustability of traditional ergonomic work chairs
- Increasing blood circulation
- Increasing productivity at work
Using an Ergonomic Chair for Back Pain and Neck Pain
Lower back pain is one of the most common health problems experienced by an estimated 80% of all adults at some point in their lifetime. For those without an ergonomic work chair, neck and back pain relief can be a consistent need as traditional chairs don’t adjust to meet your body’s needs.
An ergonomic chair benefits the body and helps prevent pain from sitting too long at work by supporting the natural curvature of your spine and adjusting so that you aren’t subconsciously hunching over or looking up to see your screen. While these actions may not seem like they’d be large issues, they can actually have a long-term impact against your body.
Ergonomic work chairs also provide comfort and support, allowing the body to relax more deeply while you work. This can help avoid muscle tension as important pain points are supported.
Ergonomic Work Chairs Reduce Pressure on the Hips
When you’re sitting in your office chair, your hips are the epicenter of focused pressure on your body. This is a contributing factor to why lower back pain is one of the most common workplace health conditions experienced by office workers.
An ergonomic chair benefits hip pressure by providing enough seat depth to support the hips fully. If you’re using a non-traditional ergonomic work chair like a zero gravity chair in your home office, their design may also help. In zero gravity position, these recliners elevate the legs above the heart level, reducing pressure on the lower back and pelvic areas.
Improving Posture in an Ergonomic Work Chair
One of the key elements of ergonomic chair benefits is how they improve posture and help correct bad sitting habits you may be unknowingly practicing. In a traditional chair, you may have to sit too far up in your chair (or too far back, which is just as bad) resulting in your feet and knees not aligning properly. You may also be at an inappropriate height for your screen level, causing you to subconsciously lean forward while working at your desk.
Any misalignment of the body forces it to work hard to support yourself as you work and can contribute to back pain, muscle fatigue, and reduce productivity. Using an ergonomic work chair helps support your spine’s natural curvature, keeping you upright and allowing your muscles to rest in optimal position while sitting during the workday.
Ergonomic Work Chairs are Adjustable
If you’re currently using a work chair that is locked into a singular position, chances are that position isn’t optimal for your needs. What makes an ergonomic chair, well, ergonomic, is its ability to be adjusted to your specifications. This typically comes in the ability to adjust things like seat height, seat depth, back recline and armrests which all come together to fit your ideal sitting conditions.
Pro Tip: To help your ergonomic chair benefit your body the most, follow standard ergonomic office guidelines!
Ergonomic Chair Benefits for Circulation
It’s no secret that sitting too long can contribute to negative health conditions. Studies have shown that sitting for even an hour without moving can increase risk of heart attack, stroke, obesity, poor circulation, and back pain.
In addition to learning beneficial exercises to do at work that can help you stay loose, having an ergonomic work chair can help improve poor blood circulation, as well. If you’ve ever noticed the feeling of pins and needles while sitting at your desk or had your legs fall asleep, that’s a good sign you’re not using an ergonomic chair! The proper body positioning helps blood flow throughout the body more efficiently and prevents slowing blood circulation to your legs.
How an Ergonomic Work Chair Improved Productivity
Last up in our exploration of the benefits of having an ergonomic work chair is how it may improve productivity. You may not think of your office chair affecting your ability to work efficiently, but studies have shown they can, in fact, have a direct correlation. In fact, it’s even been estimated that the leading cause of workplace absenteeism is repeated muscle strain disorders, amounting to a productivity loss of billions of dollars per year!
Put plainly, when you feel good,, you work better. Not only can having an ergonomic work chair help keep your health up, but it could also improve your mood, too!
We hope this guide has helped you better understand the benefits of having an ergonomic work chair at the office or in your home office setup. Taking care of your mind and body while working may help boost your overall well being and productivity. Whether it’s a traditional ergonomic office chair or you choose a zero gravity chair to round out an ergonomic workspace at home, you’ll feel the difference and be glad you made the change.
For more information on the health benefits of zero gravity chairs for all ages and lifestyles, check out these guides:
