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Anatomy Of A Perfect Ergonomic Office Chair

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As an office-going employee, you will find yourself spending most of your day sitting in your office chair. Hence, it makes full sense that you sit on a comfortable one. In fact, an office chair can be likened to a personal assistant - you would rather have one who provides the required support and not one who adds to your workload!

A 2018 report by workplace solutions provider ‘Steelcase’ titled 'Inside Innovation’ notes that 47% of employees want better work ergonomics. Some time back, Expedia - a global travel agency, conducted a worldwide survey where they found India to be having the highest number of overworked employees, right after Hong Kong. Indian employees worked an average of 42 hours in a week, while Hong Kong worked for 46 hours.

While cutting out on the time employees spend at work may not be an immediate possibility, we can at least make their stay at work less stressful and more fruitful which is where an ergonomic chair matters. An ergonomic office chair makes it easier for sedentary employees to do their job, it reduces their stress and removes unnecessary health hurdles that may arise from prolonged sitting. So what constitutes the anatomy of the best ergonomic chair anyway? Let’s find out.

best ergonomic chair

1. Seat height

An optimal seat height is one where you can place your feet flat on the floor. Hence, choosing a chair with an adjustable seat height is a good idea considering every person is built differently. A seat height that ranges from about 16 to 21 inches off the floor is an ideal height range for most Indian people to be seated comfortably.

2. Seat width and depth

The seat should have enough width and depth to support any user comfortably. Proper seat depth should leave 2 to 4 inches between the edge of the seat and the back of your knees. If the seat is too far ahead, it can put undue pressure on the back of the knees. Usually, 17-20 inches wide is the standard.

3. Seat tilt

Seat tilt is a feature present in all good ergonomic chairs, which allows for the correct positioning of the pelvis. Incorrect positioning of the pelvis leads to an Anterior pelvic tilt, a posture problem affecting almost everyone who sits a lot. Hence, it is recommended to keep the pelvis in a neutral position when sitting, preferably with an 80-degree angle at the hips, knees, and ankles.

4. Backrest Lumbar support

Backrest lumbar support refers to your lower back and is an important feature of an ergonomic chair. Chairs with backrest lumbar adjustment support the natural shape of the spine by aligning the shape of the chair with the curve of the spine, thereby reducing the stress.

5. Backrest recline

An adjustable backrest allows freedom to adjust and position the back in a natural position. This helps distribute weight evenly from your upper body and reduces the pressure on your spinal disk and muscles.

6. Swivel

Swivels allow lateral sideways movement negating the need to twist your body awkwardly when seated. This makes it more convenient for those suffering from lower back pain. The swivel assists with maneuverability, making it easier to reach different points of desks without excessive strain on your lower back.

7. Armrests

Armrests are meant to keep the shoulders relaxed and reduce upper body tension while seated against the desk. However, armrests should not be used when typing as this reduces overall arm movement, which in turn increases wrist movement leading to strain on the forearm muscles.

8. Headrest

An office chair with a headrest prevents you from hunching forward, scrunching your shoulders, and putting pressure on your back. They are meant to provide maximum comfort to your head, upper neck, shoulders, and upper torso while also protecting your back from injury.

9. Fabric

A chair made from comfortable fabric ensures the user’s back remains dry and avoids the accumulation of sweat on the back even with materials such as leather or velvet. Not just that, good fabric options are also capable of adding a distinct charm and cheer to the workstation in particular and the workplace in general.

10. Wheels

The main benefit of chairs with wheels is that you can move them around without the need to lift them up. This is especially helpful if your job frequently requires you to reach out for stuff that is not exactly within your arms' reach.

So is having ergonomic furniture worth the investment? Yes, absolutely!

Not only is ergonomics good for your business, but it’s also great for your employees too. As a global office furniture brand advocating health & safety, we need to be able to demonstrate the value of ergonomics through our range of office furniture. As a leading office chair manufacturer, HNI India designs and develops highly research-based ergonomic office chairs that are built to provide comfort, reduce stress & strain, and significantly boost productivity. You can even check and buy office chairs online through our HNI e-store website.

No Time To Walk Between Work? Height Adjustable Table Lets You Be Mobile At Your Desk

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Studies have shown that whether you are working from office or from home, your immediate environment has a deep impact on your health & productivity.

Most of 2020 went in working from home. Now, more and more companies are realizing that, allowing their employees to work from home saves them a lot of operational costs! But working from home does not have to mean you put your laptop on just about anything and work. It also doesn’t mean you buy a dingy table and chair and call it your home office. If you have not bought one yet, you need to buy a home office table and chair set. Studies have shown that your productivity is largely linked to your immediate environment. Hence, you need a proper area with a home office desk to call your workplace.

Even for companies working from the office, now is a great time to consider changing things up – for the good health & increased productivity of their employees. Progressive workspaces now feature a height adjustable table for most of their employees to shuffle between sitting and standing while working without straying too far from their worktable. It is a win-win situation because these workspaces are good for the physical & mental health of the employees, and it also boosts productivity which means employees can get more work done in shorter periods of time. Moreover, as a company, this casts a positive impression in the minds of its employees & its customers because everyone all over the world are becoming more and more health conscious.

There are many benefits of using height adjustable table. Some of which are listed below:

Long Term Benefits

1. Reduced risk of developing a permanent slouch & back pain

Since you are not sitting all the time, your chances of developing a slouch are very little. Since you do not develop a slouch, your chances of suffering from back pain are minimal.

2. Reduced risk of developing heart disease

Being active and not stationary all the time, reduces your chances of developing heart problems or any other such issues.

3. Better blood flow all throughout your body

Being active and shuffling between standing and sitting throughout the day promotes the flow of blood all throughout our body. Since our body is put in different positions, our blood flow increases, and our body gets more blood all over. This leads to better health overall and reduced risk of many diseases. Although you must note that being active for just 1 day will not increase the blood flow in your body, this is a benefit which requires a long period of time to start showing benefits.

Short Term Benefits

1. Standing helps regulate food levels better than sitting

After lunch, don’t you feel drowsy while sitting at your table? Well, studies have found that the human body regulates and digests food much better while in a standing position than while sitting.

2. Better mood & energy levels

Studies have shown that the human body works much better when active. This is because of a special hormone released when we are active or when we workout. This hormone regulates mood and more of this hormone means better mood.

3. Better productivity

As shown in the point above, the hormone released in the human body (male or female) when we workout, helps us stay in a better mood all day. Better mood means we are more active mentally and approach every situation with a positive approach. This leads to better outcomes and increase productivity.

So why don’t we just stand and work all day?

Well, everything in limits is good. Standing all day could also be detrimental to your health. Going from sitting all day to standing all day could lead to big problems, but the point is, even if you are used to standing all day, it is bad. One should create a mix of standing & sitting throughout the day. A Harvard study shows that the best way to go through your workday is to integrate a healthy mix of standing and sitting all throughout the day. The best way to facilitate this is to get a height adjustable table for yourself at home. If you have already decided to get yourself one, we have the perfect one for you! Visit our site https://hni-india.com/ and see for yourself!