How can you use an office chair to enhance your posture and circulation?

Office workers suffer from core muscle weakness, we slouch forward and use our backs. Shoulders drop and we get 'tech neck'. Decent lumbar support promotes a natural and ever so slightly concave spine, with shoulders back. Good chairs help, getting up every hour and stretching is a must ( set an alarm or apple watch has a feature). So poke that chest out in proudness ( great for hiding a belly ;) and unravel yourself and use your spine as nature intended.

In my view, a chair becomes ergonomic only when it specifically suits a user’s size (body dimensions), their particular workstation, and the tasks that must be performed there. A product is designed that serves as a solution to a problem. For example, most good chairs do recline for better blood flow. Reclining transfers weight off your tailbones. When you sit, all the weight of your upper torso, including your arms and head, is transmitted through your spine into those bones, which bear a significant load. Simply using armrests can reduce 20 percent of that pressure on your arms. Reclining helps unload that weight from your lower back and transfers it to your back while simultaneously opening up the joint.

Economics trumps comfort every day of the week. I've trained thousands of people on how to sit appropriately whilst at work and often the users initial reaction is one of discomfort. However, I remind the user that after 3 to 4 days of use they will just slip into the normal pattern of work and no longer attend to that feeling of discomfort. They can then rest assured that the ergonomics of the chair will support them going forward.

If you have a fixed height workstation, this is easiest said than done for those that are more slight in stature. In these instances, please use a footrest and make sure that the edge of the chair isn't digging into the back of your legs and impeding blood flow.

I've used a wrong chair for many years, the edge was digging into the back of my legs and, as a consequence, my CALF got like a permanent injury, it gets better when I exercise... but it's frustrating to know that was caused due to not knowing how to use a chair perfectly and properly.

Can't see people performing yoga in their task chairs to be honest however, I have found it useful to focus on 'nudge' theory to promote movement. This can involve simple interventions like removing the waste paper basket from underneath one's desk and encouraging people to recycle at a central recycling point. Moving a printer (which kicks out harmful chemical nasties) can have the same effect.

One of the best ways to use your chair wisely includes focusing on your wellness. It’s a common phenomenon to forget and ignore your physical fitness while engrossed in your day-to-day work. The 150 minutes of recommended moderate exercise per week can sometimes be daunting when you think about the workload you need to complete. But it is true that you can get your exercise in smaller bouts than 10-minutes and still have it be beneficial to your health. It’s, imperative to find ways to move more during the day in order to get your blood flowing. Some of the sitting exercises include; Arm Rotations Seated Marching Seated Criss-Cross movement Squats Glute pulses Swan

The best way to use your chair wisely, in my opinion, would be to get up and STAY AWAY from it from time to time. This perhaps is the biggest challenge though.

I have a GREAT TIP on this one: a wood foot massager (Google it or Amazon it!). You can use below your desk, and massage your feet while doing whatever WORK you need. It boosts circulation and releases tension! Great idea, isn't it?