Ergonomic seating and chairs are the must have accessory for today's executive, but are they worth the expense? Do they really prevent back pain and poor posture? If you read the promotional material for some of these chairs you would expect to be promoted to president of the company by just sitting in one! Whilst it is unreasonable to expect a new chair to correct your sitting posture entirely on its own, if you choose the right one and learn how to use it correctly, it will make a big difference. Whilst the spike appeared to work, Cratchit feared the long term implications.

Finding the right chair for your need depends on your workplace conditions, your daily activities, your height, weight and body shape and also your personal preferences. But please bear in mind that you cannot place all the responsibility for sitting correctly on you new chair.

If you currently do not sit well and suffer the usual office aches and pains it's not all the fault of your furniture - more on this later.

The average office worker will spend 7 hours a day at their desk. The wrong sitting position will put stresses on the spine which could lead to long term health problems. In addition to the health issues, your productivity will also be reduced if you are uncomfortable at your desk.

Choosing The Right Ergonomic Chair

Most employers now recognize this problem and are now prepared to spend serious money on getting quality ergonomic seating and chairs for their people. However, if you select the wrong chair it will not help no matter how much you have spent. So how do you select the best ergonomic cahir for your needs?

What a good chair should have:-

Adjustable seat height Adjustable chair back A good size seat A backrest Good padding on seat Arm rests Lumbar support Smooth rotation

Desks and people come in many different sizes so ergonomic seating and chairs have to cater for the majority of variations. The height should be easy to adjust and have a good range of at least 40 - 53 centimeters from the floor to seat height. The depth and width of the seat should be sufficient to allow you to sit with your back in contact with the back support whilst leaving a space of approximately 8 centimeters between the back of your knees and the seat. If this distance is greater you could cause the muscles at the back of your leg to tighten. If the back of your knees are making contact with the seat you may impede your circulation.

It is essential to have good padding on the seat because you will be spending long hours on it!

Arm and backrests allow for support which can prevent you from holding tension on your neck, shoulders and back - both rests should be adjustable. Lumbar support is not as important as it was once thought.

A good seat supporting your pelvis along with a good sitting posture virtually negates the need for lumber support. Having said this, it still can be a useful feature in ergonomic seating and chairs for when you are tired or under stress.

A rotating chair is definitely a must as most office workers will need to turn to get things from desk drawers of use PC and office equipment. This will help reduce stress on the lower back.

Are You Trying To Sit Too Straight? For more advice on how to reduce neck, shoulder and back pain whilst sitting at your desk please see computer posture.

Don't Leave It All For Your Chair To Do!

As an Alexander Technique Teacher I see many people suffering due to poor sitting posture. Technology has come up with some useful ideas but you still have to take responsibility for how you sit. I have written a guide on how to sit comfortably at your desk without putting stress on your spine.

Are You Sitting Comfortably is based on my ten years of working with office people and consists of simple techniques that be applied easily whilst you continue to work. Click on the link below for more information.

Get the most from your ergonomic seating and chairs

This very useful guide also comes with another one of my programs on how you can improve your posture without the need to exercise. Good posture is essential for good health, but do you know how this can be achieved?

Want to ask a question? If you have a question relating to ergonomic seating and chairs please contact me. I have ten years experience of advising people about sitting posture and choosing the right chair for their needs.

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