Our third blog is on the ergonomics of the home office chair. Some of the consequences of sitting in the wrong type of chair or an inappropriately adjusted chair include poor circulation, fatigue, decreased concentration, and pain.
When you’re working from your home office chair, do you feel like Picture A or Picture B above? If you are feeling like Picture A maybe you should try some of these…
Tips on Chair Use:
- Raise your chair height so your elbows and forearms are at the same height as the keyboard. You may need to place a footrest on the ground.
- Adjust the height of your backrest so the lumbar support is in the curve of your low back. If there is no lumbar support or the backrest height is not adjustable you could consider using a cushion to raise the seat and a soft towel as a lumbar support.
- Adjust the seat pan depth so you can fit two fingers behind your knees.
- Adjust chair back tilt to a comfortable position. Optimum angle is usually between 90-110 degrees at the hip.
- Armrests should be adjusted to elbow height to allow you to rest your forearms. Swivel armrests inward if possible.
- Adjust the height of the chair so feet are flat on the floor (90 to 120 degrees at the knee).
Hopefully, you found this educational blog beneficial. Please stay tuned for next week’s blog on other pitfalls and solutions.
Need Help?
If you are experiencing further difficulties or have an employee that needs some ergonomic assistance, please contact Lisa Yassein at 905-440-4978 / 1-800-361-4642 x2520 for information about our ergonomic consultations and assessments. We have a roster of over 50 Occupational Therapists/Kinesiologists throughout Ontario that can assist you with necessary adjustments or selecting the correct ergonomic chair.
