Posture matters all the time. Not just when you’re sitting at the office, posture matters from the moment you get up to the moment you go to bed. Our posture, and its effects on our health, helped shaped the idea of ergonomics, which has to do with the level of comfort we experience while sitting down on any chair.
The science of ergonomics has greatly improved since the first office chairs came to life. For example, one big difference is that manufacturers and designers actually care about that today. They found out that comfortable chairs lead to happier, and more productive workers (who knew, right?).
Here are 5 facts that you should know about sitting at the office and ergonomics in general:
Armrests are an employee’s best friend
If your office chair has armrests, you might have experienced certain setbacks because of them. Some people hate them, others are neutral about them, and a few (weird) people love them, I guess. Armrests are necessary because they help you keep your posture. Besides, most chair manufacturers now put them a tad below desk level so they don’t affect your working space, and they still fulfill their original purpose.
Sitting at the office might kill you
No, but seriously, it can cause a myriad of health issues. If science has given us one clue about how the human body works, it is that being sedentary for a long time only leads to progressive decay. Even meditating Buddhist monks, who spend hours sitting in silence, get up and exercise every once in a while. No executive chair can save you from the perils of sitting for too long. Do some cardio!
What doesn’t kill you makes you fatter
Even if doing your job on a cubicle for years won’t eventually lead to your death, it can have some other side effects like getting really fat, for example. Many studies have found a link between sedentary living and obesity (shocker!), and even though you’re active while at work, that activity is mostly in the brain, and your body is still in a state of “rest.”
We spend a lot of time sitting down
On average, Americans sit for an approximate 13 hours a day, quite a lot more than their usual 8-hour shift. For people who work more hours, this is even worse. Doctors usually recommend doing some mild exercise after work to counter the effects of sitting down for so long, but not everyone has the time.
Sitting promotes anxiety and depression
I mean, this seems pretty obvious, and might be included in the long list of sitting-related side effects. However, it deserves its own spot because a lot of people don’t understand how mental illness works, and many people think folks have a choice to be depressed or anxious. If you are prone to mental illness, be sure to at least get that daily smoke break.
Curious for more? Discover 5 Best Chairs to Work From Home and Stay Healthy or learn how to Stay Productive and Avoid These Cons of an Open-Plan Office in our blog.
For more office spaces and interior design solutions, contact us and let us create healthier, more comfortable offices in Manhattan together.