Posture
- Maintaining correct posture is important. Watch out for the following:
- Your hips should be slightly higher than your knees.
- Don’t keep your feet flat on the floor but move them around often.
- Use a footrest if there is pressure on the back of the legs or if the feet are not resting on the floor.
- The footrest should be adjustable and should support the entire foot.
Movement Improves Circulation
- Sitting or lying for too long with no activity can lead to poor blood circulation. Keeping your feet up on an ergonomic footrest greatly reduces your chances of developing circulatory conditions.
- You should change your position as frequently as possible by adjusting your hips, moving your feet, lifting your arms and just slightly altering your posture continuously during your work day. You should also take frequent breaks ? say for 10 minutes every hour – and have a good stretch.
Back Problems
- Too long in an office environment with a chair and improperly positioned feet puts strain on your spine. With a footrest, you can sit all the way back in the chair and not slouch as well as maintain the correct ergonomic angles. This will reduce pressure on your spine and back region.
- It is now widely accepted that the optimum seated position is to sit slightly reclined, preferably with a synchronised mechanism which allows you to move more freely while working at a computer. The use of the footrest significantly increases both the point of contact with the back support. Sitting slightly reclined eases muscle activity around the spine, & reduces lumber disc pressures. All of these benefits are achieved the use of a footrest.
In summary:
- Sitting in a chair without proper support causes poor circulation, back discomfort and overall fatigue. By including a footrest in your budget when outfitting your workstation you are increasing your comfort levels,
- helping maintain correct posture and
- reducing the risk of injury.
