You may have heard of ergonomic office chairs but you might not know what that means or how ergonomic chairs are different from “regular” office chairs. We hopes to shed light on the meaning of ergonomics as it applies to you and also explain some important reasons to choose ergonomic office furniture for your workplace.
Ergonomics “is the applied science of equipment design intended to maximize productivity by reducing operator fatigue and discomfort.” (from Wikipedia.org). This concept has been applied to office equipment in particular as it is recognized that many people spend a large portion of their day sitting in office chairs at their desks or workstations, on the telephone and in front of their computer. Choosing ergonomic equipment for your workplace has been shown to reduce injury or discomfort caused by spending so much time in one particular position making repetitive movements.
Below are the top ten reasons to have an ergonomic evaluation for your workplace encompassing not only your office chairs but your telephone setup, keyboard trays, foot rests, document holders, and more.
1. Prevent Back Pain
Your back may suffer from being in a sitting position most of the day if you are not careful to have correct posturing. An ergonomically designed office chair can help maintain correct posture with ease. There are many choices and designs so be sure the chair is right for your individual body.
2. Prevent Neck Stiffness
Your neck may be strained by having to look up or down at your computer screen. It’s important that your monitor is at the correct level for your position so you are not straining at all. You can get a stand to raise your monitor if necessary.
3. Protect Your Wrists
If you feel any pain in your wrists, it’s important to make sure that they are not being strained when positioned on your keyboard. There are ergonomically designed computer keyboards that are meant to reduce any strain on your wrists by ensuring they are in a neutral position. There are also ergonomically designed adjustable keyboard trays to ensure the keyboard is at the right height for your position.
4. Protect Your Eyes
It’s important for your eyes to be relaxed and not strained while reading your computer screen. Your monitor needs to be at a distance that’s adjustable so you can change it as your eyes get tired toward the end of the day. You also want to find ergonomically designed document holders that are at eye level and adjustable for distance.
5. Prevent Musculoskeletal Disorders
Musculoskeletal disorders may arise from repeated physical strain involving your nerves, tendons, muscles, and spinal structure. Disorders of this type, including tendonitis and carpel tunnel syndrome, may affect your elbows, wrists, back, or neck with anything from minor to chronic or intense pain. Ergonomically designed office equipment reduces the risk of a musculoskeletal disorder by correcting your positioning in the workplace.
6. Prevent Headaches
Chronic headaches can arise when your back, neck, and shoulders are cramped or out of alignment. Headaches can also be caused if your eyes are straining for long periods of time. Ergonomic solutions to prevent headaches include correct positioning with chairs, footrests, telephone headsets or mounts, keyboards and keyboard trays, document holders, and adjustable monitors.
7. Increased Productivity
A major benefit of investing in ergonomic office solutions is that workers can be more productive as discomfort is reduced and the physical workplace becomes more efficient and streamlined.
8. Increased Comfort
Simply being more comfortable in the workplace is a great reason to invest in ergonomic office furniture. Not only are you preventing possible injuries, workers will feel more at ease at their workstation with equipment that is designed to support their natural postures.
9. Better Health
Ergonomic office solutions contribute to the overall good health of workers. This results in great potential benefits to companies such as fewer sick days, fewer complaints about aches and pains, and happier and more productive employees.
10. Happiness
This one encompasses all the points noted above! A worker who is taking care of his or her physical body using ergonomically designed furniture in the workplace will be more productive, more comfortable, more healthy, and ultimately more happy. And that’s great for everyone!
So now we hope you can see why ergonomic chairs really are “Office Chairs that are Good for You!”