Everyday we got to work and get on our office chair like it's the safest place on earth. From there we oversee everything: our co-workers list, checking our emails or encoding algorithms on our computers. That is why our office chair is sometimes referred to as the "throne", a place where we make (or break) things to happen. However, even just by sitting on our office chair we still experience problems. We get back pains or vision problems. Sitting is a static posture that can increase stress in the shoulders, back, arms, neck, and legs. This means that it can add pressure to the back muscles and the spinal discs. Soon enough, we go to the doctor and find out that the reason for this is wrong office chair posture. It is surprising to know that almost 80% of users hunch forward when in front of their computers while on their office chair. Did you know that computers are "consciousness vacuums?" They have this tendency to make us focus more on what's on the screen. In effect, our posture suffers. Creating a good office chair set-up is the key. How important is the proper office chair set-up? Well, for starters it can lead you away from developing a crooked back. A bad posture can lead to headaches, poor vision and lower back problems. These health issues are directly related to your office chair. There are ergonomic chairs for sale in the market can help reduce these symptoms. But if you don't know how to use them, buying this kind of chair can actually be a burden. They cost a lot more than the regular office chairs and could seriously hurt your budget. The most effective way to relieve all this physical tension is to learn proper set-up. Here are four pointers when creating your own office chair set-up: Office chair lower back support - the back of the chair gives support and you should adjust it according to your height. Sometimes an extra lower back support is needed so that the back rests comfortably on the office chair. A rolled up towel or throw pillow can do the job. An easy to reach keyboard - the computer keyboard should be close enough to the body so the user will not be tempted to lean forward in reach. Once your back leaves the feel of the office chair, it means you are leaning too much. Bring the keyboard closer to you. Computer screen at the user's eye level - the computer screen should be at eye level. If it is too low, the user's reaction is to bend forward. Again, the rule of your back leaving the feel of the office chair means that you are in a wrong posture. Use arm support - the office chair should have a good arm support. Elbows rest comfortably at 90 degrees on the side of the body while working on the computer. If there is no arm support or it is too wide or too narrow, the user compensates for it by making the shoulders, neck and spine to hunch forward. This adds more strain to the body. These pointers can be used on inexpensive or ordinary office chair. Having an ergonomic office chair is a bonus but if you still don't follow these techniques, you will end up being the next generation caveman. |
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