When you invest in an ergonomic office chair, you should take full advantage of its perks. To do so, you want to utilize all of its features for optimal use and comfort. This includes the backrest! This might seem obvious, but research has found that office workers may not fully utilize them. Learn how using a backrest can improve your workday and how to set it up for optimal use.
Why is it important to use your backrest?
Office workers have a tendency to lean forward when they have a hard cognitive task to do. May it be a stressful email to send out to your co-workers or trying to crack a specific code with a short timeline. Leaning forward in these instances for a long period of time can increase the level of exertion and increase pressure on your body. When you increase the latter, your risks of developing musculoskeletal disorder overtime increases. In other words, the bigger the load put on your body the higher your chances of developing discomfort at your desk. By utilizing your backrest you reduce some of the tension, therefore reduce your risks of having discomforts down the road.
How to Utilize Your Backrest?
To utilize your chairs backrest, you will want to have at the very least your feet grounded on the floor or footrest and your monitor screen no more than an arm length away. The problem for lack of use of backrest is stressful times at work. During stressful bouts, you are most likely going to lean forward and off of your backrest. An easy comparison to this would be a nervous driver and in a stressful situation. We have all been this person or know of a person that is a prime example of this.
Another way to minimize the lack of backrest use for an extended period of time is to plan your workday to have less cognitive demanding tasks between the more demanding ones. This way even if you lean forward for a period of time, it will be limited.
If you need help with your work set up or you need to find yourself a supportive chair email/call or text us :)
Reference
Wang, X., Lavender, S. A., Sommerich, C. M., & Rayo, M. F. (2022). Exploring the relationships between computer task characteristics, mental workload, and computer users' biomechanical responses. Ergonomics, 1–10. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/00140139.2022.2026490