As a sedentary lifestyle continues to be the norm, and individuals with desk jobs are required to spend hours at their desks, it's critical to focus on your spine's health. If your work involves prolonged sitting, using ergonomic office equipment such as an ergonomic office chair and an ergonomically designed workstation is recommended. After all, the ergonomic design of the office equipment can aid in relieving a lot of pressure and strain from your spine and other joints.
However, even the best-designed and most ergonomically-friendly office equipment may only save your body from aches and pains if such equipment is in sync with your workstation. It's critical that your ergonomic office chair is synchronized with your workstation so the users experience fewer musculoskeletal pain symptoms and eyestrain symptoms.
While a professional ergonomist is often needed to synchronize your workstation and office chair, with recent advances in design and technology, you can also make adjustments to your workstation to better align it with the needs of your body. Here are a few tips that we share with you for synchronizing your workstation and your office chair. By following these tips, you can ensure a healthy spine and a healthy body.
6 Ergonomic Tips to Synchronize Your Work Station and Office Chair
#1. Understand Your Overall Objective
Often investment in a good ergonomic office chair is considered to be the right decision when it comes to maintaining correct office ergonomics. However, only a few individuals with a desk job realize that synchronized ergonomically-designed chairs can certainly do wonders for your physical and mental health.
Remember, the overall objective of investing in an ergonomic office chair is to find a balance between finding a work chair that fits you and sitting in such a way that it provides optimal support to your spine by minimizing stress on your back.
So before you start synchronizing your office chair, you also need to analyze other factors that can affect the functionality of your ergonomic office chair. These factors include optimal desk height. Moreover, you should also consider the height of your computer screen, the placement of your other computer accessories, and how you sit. Make sure you focus on these areas before you make any adjustments to your ergonomic office chair.
#2. Get Used to Your Work Surface
As you head out to buy a new ergonomic chair, you need to ask yourself about the type of chair that will fit in your workstation. Take a look at how long you sit at your desk. Moreover, you should also analyze how you sit at your desk.
Do you sit upright? Are you often semi-seated as if you were sitting on a bar stool? Do you need to make adjustments to your ergonomic office chair to better align your sitting position with your workstation? How far is your computer screen placed in relation to your body?
By considering all these factors, you can determine your appropriate work surface, which allows you to appropriately place your arms, elbows, and hands in relation to your desk and other workstation essentials like your desktop computer or laptop.
Remember, there is no correct ergonomic office chair height as it varies from profession to profession. So, determine the most appropriate office chair height depending on your work-related needs.
#3. Maintain an Appropriate Sitting Posture
Many users of ergonomic office chairs fail to maintain an adequate posture while working. But let's not forget that even when you are sitting on an ergonomic office chair, it's still important to maintain an appropriate sitting posture.
Make sure you sit in an upright position with your bottom firmly placed against the back of the chair. This position helps avoid slouching or slumping, which places additional stress on your spine and muscles of your legs and lower back.
When you maintain an upright posture, the stress on your spine and other parts of the lower body reduces, which helps make prolonged sitting a comfortable experience.
#4. Follow the Right-Angle Rule
Whenever you are sitting, make sure you follow the 90-90-90 position. This means that while sitting, your elbows should be bent at an angle of 90 degrees. The position ensures that your neck and shoulder muscles are relaxed. If your elbows do not make a 90-degree angle, know that you need to adjust your position or your office chair's armrest to ensure that your upper body is relaxed while sitting. By adjusting the armrest of your ergonomic office chair, you can ensure that your arms are slightly lifted at the shoulders, and your elbows make a 90-degree angle which helps support the elbows and take the weight off your shoulders.
Moreover, you should also ensure that your hips make a 90-degree angle with your upper and lower body. Firmly place your bottom with the back of the chair as it helps reduce the pressure on your hips and spine. If your hips do not make a 90-degree angle, know that you need to adjust your sitting posture or the depth of your seat, as both these factors contribute to ensuring optimal sitting posture.
Lastly, you must ensure that your legs are bent at the knees at a 90-degree angle. The position allows you to firmly place your feet on the floor beneath your chair so you can maintain an ideal sitting posture. If your existing ergonomic office chair doesn't allow you to bend your knees at a 90-degree angle, know that you need to adjust the chair's height so you can follow the right-angle rule and sit comfortably for long hours.
If you are looking for an ergonomic office chair that allows you to adjust the depth, height as well as the position of the armrest, the Soutien Ergonomic Office Chair makes your best bet. Featuring a 3D lumbar support system, this ergonomic office chair provides you with the ultimate sitting experience. With 135o tilt and 4D adjustable armrests, you enjoy the freedom of adjusting your ergonomic office chair to best suit your needs so you can maintain an optimal sitting posture.
Find out more about this amazing product that's available at an amazing New Year discount here.
#5. Place Your Feet Firmly on the Floor
Prolonged sitting can hamper blood circulation in different parts of the body and contributes to swelling up of your feet and ankles. However, the problem can intensify significantly if you are sitting on a chair that doesn't allow you to place your feet on the floor.
Typically, the chair's height ranges between 16 to 21 inches off the ground and is considered most suitable for workers; however, that's a generalization, and the actual chair height you may need to firmly place your feet on the ground may be different.
To ensure that your chair is not too high, check by sliding your finger underneath your thigh at the front end of the chair. If your finger slides in easier, your chair is likely at a good height. However, if you find it difficult to slide your finger, your chair is likely too high, which can put extra pressure on your feet and your spine and indicates that you should adjust your chair's height to appropriately support your feet.
#6. Adjust Your Work Surface and Accessories
Often adjusting your chair's height and depth isn't enough to provide you with a comfortable sitting experience. That's when you need to take a look at your work surface and see if you need to adjust the height of your workstation.
If you have a desk with a fixed height, you can try replacing it with a height-adjustable standing desk. However, if it seems like too much of a cost for you, you can also go for low-cost alternatives such as height-adjustable desk converters that serve a similar purpose.
Apart from adjusting the height of your workstation, you also need to look at the placement of your computer accessories, including your monitor. Adjust your monitor's screen such that it is at your eye level. Moreover, you should ensure that your monitor should be placed at an adequate distance from your eyes which is typically an arm's length. Furthermore, if you are using a laptop, you should ensure that your screen is slightly bent away from you, making an angle of 100-1100.
Final Words
Investing in an ergonomic office chair is often a great choice for individuals with a desk job, however, an office chair alone cannot do much if you don't adjust your chair and synchronize it with your workstation.
Try out these tips to adjust your ergonomic office chair and enhance your working experience.
To learn more about ergonomic office chairs and other office equipment, get in touch with Flexispot today.
