Are Ergonomic Chairs Really That Good?

2023-12-23 00:00:00 / episode: 341

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Ergonomic chairs are becoming more and more popular all the time as more people sit. They're also a bit of a status symbol, if you ask me, because they're expensive and rather flashy-looking. I was at an office that had an ergonomic chair—only one—and it was always the top dog who wanted that chair. I used the chair for a while, but I wasn't impressed by it. However, I want to take a look at some of the good points of using ergonomic chairs. I did some basic research, and I found that there are six points that are positive about ergonomic chairs: posture lower back pain neck pain hip pressure blood circulation and productivity.

Hi and welcome to the Les Perras podcast episode number 341, which is about ergonomic chairs.

Posture Support

Regular chairs can put a lot of stress on your back—on your backbone, to be specific. Over time, if you're not really conscious of the way you're sitting, you can start to develop bad posture. this can lead to back injuries too With an ergonomic chair, you can adjust the chair in a lot of different ways so that you can make the chair push you into a correct sitting posture

Lower Back Pain

Lower back pain is something that I see across a lot of different societies. If you get an ergonomic chair, they almost all have a feature in the backrest that can support the curvature of your spine. This is good for supporting your lower back so that you don't start to develop lower back pain from bad posture, which is connected to the point above.

Reduces Neck Pain

A lot of workers who work in an office sitting in chairs are interested in getting ergonomic chairs because they often complain that the problem is in the neck or in the shoulders. An ergonomic chair usually has some kind of headrest to support the head and the neck. Almost invariably, you're going to have to lean back to get that support from the backrest. but that leaning back can provide a short break from your work without having to get up and go somewhere. you just lean back and take a 30-second or 1-minute break and this support on your neck can really help recharge you and rest your muscles at the same time

Relieves Hip Pressure

If you're sitting on a regular hard chair, then that can actually put a lot of pressure on your hips. A padded chair like the ergonomic chair can help support the hips, and it can actually reduce the stress and pressure on your hips and prevent a lot of pain that comes from that stress.

Improved Blood Circulation

You can use an ergonomic chair and adjust it so that you have a 90° angle in the seat. This kind of angle promotes good circulation in the legs, which can prevent your legs from swelling or going numb. Naturally, you should get up and walk around from time to time, just like if you are riding on an airplane. But the ergonomic chairs can help mitigate against that

Boosts Productivity

A good chair can make a good, happy, and healthy employee. It can also make a happy, healthy student. These people will be less distracted by aches and pains, and as a result, they'll be able to work better. If you get an ergonomic chair, you'll probably be able to work better too. I’m a little sceptical of ergonomic chairs. I think that they are overpriced and that they underdeliver. Good chairs are important but our own good habits are more important. Just buying an expensive chair is kind of like throwing money at the problem rather than working on the root causes of the problem. So if you have the money and the inclination, an ergonomic chair can’t hurt. If you don’t have lots of money, work on good posture and work habits like taking breaks and walks.