How to Use Office Chairs Healthily
Using office chairs healthily requires comprehensive consideration from multiple aspects, including seat adjustment, posture maintenance, auxiliary support, environmental adaptation, regular movement, and chair selection.
Seat Height: Ensure that both feet are completely flat on the ground, with the thighs and lower legs forming an angle of 95-100 degrees or the knees bent at 90 degrees, and the thighs parallel to the ground. If the chair is too high and causes the feet to hang in the air, use a footrest for support; if it is too low, it increases pressure on the knees. When sitting, ensure that the buttocks are fully in contact with the seat surface, avoiding sitting only on the front half.
Sitting Posture Angle: Maintain a slight backward tilt of 100-110 degrees, allowing the back, especially the lower back, to fit snugly against the backrest, with the back straight, shoulders relaxed, and head upright. This posture helps distribute pressure on the spine and reduces fatigue from prolonged sitting.
Lower Back Support: Prioritize chairs equipped with adjustable lumbar supports and adjust them to support the natural curve of the lumbar spine. If there is no lumbar support, use a memory foam lumbar cushion or a rolled-up towel placed behind the lower back, with a thickness suitable to fill the gap between the lower back and the chair, to enhance lower back support.
Arm Support: Adjust the height of the armrests so that when the elbows are naturally hanging down, the forearms can be easily placed on the armrests or desk, with the upper arms and forearms forming an angle close to 100 degrees. This posture helps avoid excessive tension in the shoulder and neck muscles.
Monitor Position: Elevate the monitor so that the line of sight is level with the top edge of the screen, forcing the spine to stretch naturally and preventing forward leaning. The top edge of the monitor should be level with the horizontal line of the eyes, and the distance should be maintained at 50-70 centimeters to reduce neck pressure.
Foot Position: Place both feet shoulder-width apart flat on the ground, avoiding crossing the legs or sitting with legs crossed, to prevent pelvic tilt and spinal scoliosis. Those who are not tall enough should use a footrest to maintain an angle of 95-110 degrees between the thighs and lower legs; when wearing high heels for work, switch to flat shoes to reduce pressure on the arches of the feet.
Regular Movement: Get up and move around for 2-3 minutes every 30-45 minutes, performing exercises such as hip joint stretching, lower back relaxation, shoulder opening, or neck tilting backward and shoulder circling. When making phone calls, stand and walk around. When using a sit-stand desk, it is recommended to stand for a cumulative total of 2-4 hours per day to break theๅ่ฟซ (pressure, here it means the negative impact) of static postures on the body.
Choosing a Qualified Chair: The core focus should be on dynamic lower back support capabilities, with the lumbar support needing to fit snugly against the S-shaped curve of the lumbar spine in real-time. Those weighing over 80 kilograms should choose models with strong support and more than 5 adjustment levels to ensure pressure dispersion under different working conditions. The adjustment functions of the chair (such as height, angle, armrests, etc.) are crucial and can adapt to diverse needs.
