Life is now more sedentary than ever before. Before the Industrial Revolution came along, adults and even young children laboured in the fields and, as a result, the whole body received a daily workout. Now, in the age of computer technology, work has become mostly sedentary and, as a result, the human body gets little exercise during those working hours. This means that the human frame needs to be looked after in its seated position, otherwise health problems can arise due to lack of physical activity. A sensible employer will pay attention to correct seating, as conditions such as a bad back, sciatica or shoulder pain will invariably lead to sickness and lower output.
A chair has gone from being a wooden frame with four legs to an ergonomic speciality on an aluminium frame sporting castors and, as each human frame is different, so are the ergonomic chairs which are designed to support that human frame. A truly ergonomic office chair will address weight, height, body frame, length of legs and arms and may also give head support.
Start by looking at the Ergohuman, an office chair which has the whole human frame in mind. A single lever allows the user to change the tilt of the chair for maximum comfort and there may be times when the user wants to be upright and extremely attentive, as opposed to laid back and deep in thought. One can also alter the height of the seat to agree with the length of the person’s legs, alter the height and position of the armrests and apply a seat slide for perfect positioning. A unique point about the Ergohuman is its flexible lumbar support system which, situated in the lower part of the chair back, adjusts itself to hug the lower back of its user. Once a chair has had all its adjustments made to match the user, thought might turn to fixing a head rest. This will not only support the head but give support to the neck a well.
As human beings, we are also fickle and so colour and upholstery may need to be addressed when choosing the right ergonomic chair. Corporate colours may mean that only a particular colour can be chosen as, in a big office or in an open-plan environment, the same colour will be more pleasing on the eye than a multitude of colours scattered everywhere.
As regards to fabric, one’s position in a company may allow leather to be the choice but, for most of the workers, the choice may fall between a basic fabric or mesh. Each type of upholstery has its own benefits; leather is more durable, fabric is washable and mesh breathes. When it comes to sales, mesh proves to be very popular, both because of its breathability and its interesting range of colours.
Though fabric and colour may seem to have little to do with ergonomics, being happy with these two points really does make a chair more satisfying.
