“A good stance and posture reflect a proper state of mind.” – MoriheiUeshiba
What does this quotation have to do with ergonomics and the need for an ergonomic setup especially if you are an office worker, and you spend many hours sitting behind a desk? Even if you do not sit in an office behind a desk all day, there will always be times that you will need to send emails, conduct research, and invoice clients. Therefore, ergonomics and the need to implement it while sitting at your desk also applies to you.
The answer is surprisingly simple in its elegance.
Also, evidence suggests that sitting behind a desktop or laptop computer is detrimental to your health. Not only does it affect your eyesight over a reasonable period of time but it also facilitates poor posture.
Essentially, poor posture causes physical pain and injury. And, at worst, chronic pain causes the prefrontal cortex of the brain to shrink. At best, continual pain affects the ability to work and produces negative emotional states. All in all, not an ideal situation to live with for any length of time. however, it is clear that high levels of chronic pain can have disastrous effects.
Therefore, the question that must be asked and answered is: what do you need to do to avoid the scenario mentioned above? And the brief answer is to invest in an ergonomic chairs.
Ergonomics: A succinct definition
Before we look at reasons why you should buy an ergonomic chair, let’s look at a concise definition of the term “ergonomics.”
Interestingly enough, the phrase “ergonomics” is a combination of the following words:
- Ergon: Greek for “work”.
- Nomoi: the Greek word for “natural laws.”
Therefore, according to whatis.techtarget.com, ergonomics is the “science of refining the design of products to optimise them for human use.”
Thus, in our context, ergonomics is the study of the design and manufacture of computer desks and chairs, taking human physiology into account, to reduce or nullify the effects of sitting behind a desk for any length of time, especially for the whole day.
It is important to note that ergonomics does not only design individual chairs and desks, it also provides answers to the question of how to set up the desk and chair together with each other to reduce the risk of being injured while sitting in the office all day.
Finally, it is also essential to bear in mind that, because people have different defining features such as height and weight, not all chairs are designed to suit a single persona type. Furthermore, ergonomic office equipment like chairs and desks are not cheap.
Therefore, it is essential to test the chair to ensure that it suits your body-type before you buy it. Otherwise, you run the risk of wasting vast amounts of money because you might not be able to return the chair that does not work for you and exchange it for another brand. And, you might end having to buy more than one chair.
Reasons to buy an ergonomic chair
Now that we understand the art and science of ergonomics and its importance in the workplace, let’s look at the primary reason why it is vital to invest in an ergonomic chair.
Although this point is mentioned above, the mental and physical health damage cannot be emphasised enough. It’s also important to note that it is not enough to only use ergonomic office equipment while at work and then slump over your computer when you get home. You need to ensure that your ergonomic setup is correct every time you open up your computer system.
Finally, here are a couple of benefits of investing in an ergonomic chair:
Improve posture
Poor posture, especially over a long period, can result in physical injuries, like Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) or Carpel Tunnel Syndrome. Essentially, RIS is where nerves get trapped in different parts of your body like your Carpel Tunnel (wrist), Octal Tunnel (elbow), Thoracic outlet (shoulder) or your neck vertebrae.
Not only is this extremely painful, but surgery is needed to relieve the entrapment. Additionally, once the nerves are damaged, they take a very long time to heal; thereby, reducing your quality of life due to long-lasting chronic pain. Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that purchasing an ergonomic chair will go a long way towards preventing physical injuries and increasing quality of life.
Increases productivity
A direct spinoff from improving your posture and decreasing chronic pain levels is that your productivity levels should increase. Succinctly stated, if you are not in pain at work, then your output will be greater because you will be able to think clearly.
