Ergonomic Office Chair Body Positioning And Correct Chair Adjustment

It doesn't matter how good your office chair is if it isn't properly set up and adjusted to your requirements it will be uncomfortable and likely give you posture problems regardless of how good an ergonomic office chair it is.

So, lets consider how you should go about making sure your ergonomic office seat is optimally set up for your personal use. I am assuming that you will be using your chair mainly for computer work.

Key Postural Points

To better understand how to adjust your chair you need first to examine the ideal seating position in relation to your desk and computer.

We'll begin by starting from floor level and working up your body.

Your feet should be flat on the floor, or if you aren't very tall resting on an ergonomic footrest.

Your knees should be set so that your lower legs and hips are at right angles with your thighs pointing slightly downwards.

To check if you are correctly sitting in your ergonomic office chair, place a sheet of paper on the chair seat pad once you sit down you should be able to pull the paper out relatively easily.

Additionally, when sitting on the seat pan your lower back and bottom should first be at the back of the seat. Next, it should be possible to place your clenched fist between the back of your legs and the chair's front edge.

The lower part of your back should be well supported and in contact with the chair back.

Your neck and shoulders should be relaxed, avoid craning your neck forwards as well as raising or lowering your shoulders unduly.

Finally, your lower arms should be approximately at right angles or slightly more open, preferably resting on your office chair's armrests such that your wrists are straight when addressing your keyboard from your office chair.

So, now you know how your body should ideally be seated in your office chair let's look at how we adjust your ergonomic office seat to achieve this.

Correctly Adjusting Your Office Chair

First, adjust your office chair seat height, begin by raising the chair's gas lift to its full height with the height adjustment lever or button. Using the height control lower yourself gradually until you have the correct seating angle outlined above. As previously stated, use an ergonomic footrest if you have a problem attaining the correct leg position.

Next, adjust the office seat back height so that it gives good support to your lower back and maintains your spine's natural curvature, known as the lordosis.

Then, adjust your chair's armrests (where fitted) to give the right angle arm position.

Next, you need to set up your monitor, mouse and keyboard to suit your newly set up ergonomic seating position. Both monitor and keyboard should be directly in front of you when sat at your desk in your office seat.

Monitor height should be set such that the top is in line with your eye level and you don't have to strain your neck up or down to view the screen. You will find that your eyes will naturally settle around the centre of your monitor's screen.

The monitor should be set approximately 18" - 24" from your eyes such that you aren't straining to read it when sitting in your ergonomic chair.

Your keyboard and mouse should also be in front of you and slightly under your lower arm level, you shouldn't need to strain to reach either of them from your office seat.

You likely have a preference for which hand you use with your mouse, however if you use your mouse extensively it's not a bad idea to train yourself to be ambidextrous to lessen the chance of any RSI issues. With a little practice you will find you can do so comfortably when correctly seated in your ergonomic office chair.

Finally, position your office seat, desk and monitor to minimize glare from you screen. If you can see things reflected on your screen before you even switch it on then you need to consider re-positioning your chair, desk and monitor to eliminate or minimize this.

Try and avoid placing your office seat and desk with outside windows directly behind you as this can cause real glare problems and can even render your screen unreadable in very bright sunlight.

Summary Of Key Points

So to summarize how to seat yourself correctly, adjust and set up an ergonomic office chair. Run through this top to bottom body check to ensure you are correctly positioned in your ergonomic office seat.

• Make sure your chair's seat height is properly adjusted.
• Make sure your chair's backrest is set correctly giving support to your lower back.
• Shoulders, neck and arms should feel natural and unstrained if your seating position is correct.
• Position your monitor, keyboard and mouse properly in relation to your seating position.

One final point, make regular changes in your work flow, vary your work so that you don't find you are typing non stop for hours on end. Even a quick five minute break and exercise every thirty minutes or so is very beneficial.

Don't find you are feeling welded in your ergonomic office chair through poor working practice.

Follow this link to find out all about major manufacturer HAG's Seating Philosophy and discover why balance and movement are essential.