Have A Seat

There seem to be a lot of myths or false beliefs when it comes to what’s right or wrong with regard to ergonomics.  These commonly held “truths” can in fact be quite harmful.  Let me tell you what a few of them are.

I wish I had a dollar for every time my mother told me to “stand up straight”…I’d be a rich man!!  Lots of people seem to think that the perfect posture approach will take care of all those problems that stem from sitting and working at your desk for hours on end.  Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with good posture but let’s face facts…trying to maintain it is very tiring!  One of the best things you can do is to move around, lean backward, twist to the side…just don’t try to sit in one position!  Staying in one position just puts strain on your muscles…it will not solve anything…but keeping that perfect posture sure will make your mom proud!!

For those of you who sit at a computer for most of the working day you should not always sit upright although conventional wisdom says that you should.  That puts a lot of pressure on your backbone/muscles.  I have had back difficulties on and off for years and there is nothing quite so miserable as a sore/stiff back – it keeps you from doing  SO MANY things.  If you recline just a little bit in your chair your back will be in a more relaxed position and you can get much more accomplished.  Extremes are not usually a good idea…doesn’t much matter what the subject is…so, don’t sit upright in your chair and DEFINITELY don’t sit in your chair like the guy in the picture!!

There are a lot of untruths about things when the words “ergonomically sound” are used in the description.  You know, I think that there are probably some people that think they are better off just because they buy something that is “ergonomic” even though they have no clue as to what that means!  And there are probably some people who think that all ergonomic chairs are designed to fit everyone…NOT TRUE!!  Let’s face it – we are all people of differing shapes and sizes (short, tall, thick, thin etc.)…since we are all different it only makes sense that the chairs should be of different sizes as well.  Let me give you an example…many years ago my ex-wife and I went shopping for a couch…she is just over five feet tall and I am six foot, five inches.  We sat on many couches but due to the large difference in length between our legs neither one of us was comfortable with what the other liked…size made all the difference!

Time for a few more real-life tips about what is and isn’t true and accurate about ergonomics. Just because something says it is ergonomically sound doesn’t make it true, it has to be more than simply adjustable. Sure that is important but it has to be more than just that – if it doesn’t fit you (too tall/short etc.) it is just something that you can put in different positions. For example, the chair pictured to the left is ergonomically sound BUT you have to make sure it fits the dimensions of your body. More specifically the chair height – two different ranges are offered so you need to measure to figure out which one fits you. The chair will tilt, that is good (to be explained soon), and the arms are also adjustable so that height can be correct. That is not all though. You also have to make sure you have a desk which fits your body size (put a link for educational purposes here). Sometimes you may need to purchase a new desk (also available at newofficestuff.com), or you can modify the desk you have so that it is the right height for you (all based on your leg height).

You know the old saying, “New doesn’t necessarily mean better”, well that can be true when it comes to ergonomics. You may already have the necessary equipment you just need to adjust it properly so that it fits your body. A good rule of thumb is that if you get everything all set at your work space, you do your work, and then if you feel comfortable and are not physically tired from the positioning after a long work period then you probably have things “adjusted” correctly.

There have been lots of discussions about what are the correct “angles” – back to the posture thing. Now I am no expert but angles are good guidelines/principles but should not be etched in stone! Like I discussed in my last post, it is overly stressful on the body to sit upright (90 degrees), the “perfect” posture. Rather, you should be leaning back just a little, say 100-120 degrees (article by Dr. Tim Springer found at TodaysFacultyManager.com) if you really need to go by numbers. Relaxed is just what it means, relaxed – on your back, spine etc. It sure seems to me that this is the whole point of ergonomics, to get your body in the correct, relaxed position so that it performs at its best while minimizing the possibility of injury. Am I getting this wrong?…I don’t think so!

One of the biggest myths is that the computer monitor has to be at or above eye level…this is an interesting one. Let’s pretend for a second that you are standing on a beach in southern California watching the sunset behind Catalina Island. You are looking at the water toward the base of the island which is only about ½ mile off shore. The gold, red, and orange reflections of the sun are streaming in toward the beach…nice picture!! That is about the right angle for your eyes while you are looking at the computer monitor…somewhere between straight ahead and slightly below the horizon…once again, comfort and efficiency.

Designed for comfort and durability, this chair is tailor made for people of any size or height! The extra thick foam seat is made with comfort in mind, and the heavy-duty construction is safe and stable.

Seat swivels 360 degrees. Gas lift seat height adjustment. Smooth seat tilting action. Tilt tension adjusts easily. First quality leather. Heavy-duty carpet casters included. Weight capacity 400 lbs. Meets or exceeds ANSI/BIFMA standards.