In the time of a pandemic, most of us are working from home where we don’t have suitable furniture. That is the main reason why we might suffer back pain or have a hard time focusing on work. As folks that primarily work from home, we can be found doing our jobs from the couch, kitchen table, or our tiny home office. Surprisingly, or not, we’ve found that the back pain increases when we work from our home office, which means that we’ve got a bit of a problem and we’re pretty sure it’s the chair. You might need to think about investing in a high-quality office chair if you are working from home.
Dynamo Ergo
A good chair provides proper lumbar and pelvic support which results in your back muscles being less stressed. Unfortunately, many chairs do not offer adequate support, and that combined with long durations of sitting down at work, explains why people who sit all day have about as much lower back pain as people who spend most of their time in a standing position.
Research confirms that slouching and similar seated postures can cause backaches, headaches, fatigue, and poor concentration. A healthy posture–when the spine is properly aligned–promotes greater overall comfort, including improved concentration and endurance through long hours of seated task work.
Since office chairs take up such a big part in our lives, it’s more than important to choose ones that provide us with the ultimate comfort.
Increase Productivity
You wake up every morning fresh and full of energy, ready to get things done but after sitting for a few hours in your uncomfortable chair, all you’re getting is nagging back pain. The constant moving to find a comfortable position to sit in can affect your concentration and make your mind wander. An ergonomic task chair that literally molds after your body will make you feel as if you’re sitting in a relaxing meadow and not in the middle of an office. Soon you’ll stop noticing your chair, and instead, focus on the really important stuff. This is also backed by research based on 40 studies of office workers, published in the Journal of Safety Research in 2008, which showed that a workplace equipped with office task chairs for everyone experiences an average 17% increase in productivity. Absenteeism also dropped significantly due to workers having less musculoskeletal problems that required to take a sick leave.
Improve Posture and Aid Back Pain
Slouching over your desk for 8 hours a day can really take its toll on your back. Sitting like that for extended periods of time puts enormous tension on the muscles and ligaments in the back as they become overstretched which then results in serious back problems. With a good task chair, you won’t need to think much about your back’s position. Immediately upon sitting down in it, your body will subconsciously adjust to its ergonomic shape. Office task chairs are designed to offer the necessary back support and can adjust to every size and body type. The angle your legs are positioned in while sitting is also crucial for maintaining a good posture. Make sure to adjust your chair so that your knees are at a 90-degree angle with your thighs being parallel to the floor.
Reduce Health Risks
A bad sitting position hinders the blood’s circulation in the body and allows for clots to form, which we all know can have a fatal outcome. One study even found that normally healthy men who sit for more than 23 hours a week have a 64% higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease than those who only do so for 20 hours a week. Investing in a good chair means reducing the pressure on your muscles from sitting down which will allow the blood to flow through the body without any obstructions. For women fighting cellulite, a bad chair can be their greatest enemy. When you sit down on a normal chair with a hard surface, the seat puts extra pressure on your hip and thighs which helps the fat to easily accumulate. But an ergonomic chair has a soft seat with a fine depth that measures 5 – 10 cm from the back of your knees which is found to be the ideal distance to support the hips and buttocks.
Hopefully, finding the best office chair for you should be easier now that you’ve read this guide. The most important thing to remember is that the best office chair is comfortable and prevents any strain and injury while encouraging good posture. That way, you’ll be on the right track to having a happy, healthy, and productive workday.
Check out our interactive Office Furniture brochure here!
Check out our interactive Ergonomic Office brochure here!
