Do you ever sit in your conventional chair and experience discomfort in your back and parts of your lower body? This isn’t exactly how you want to spend long working hours in the office or at home. Fortunately, there is a solution to this. A kneeling office chair may be just what you need to support your body’s natural posture and alleviate your back pain.
Although kneeling chairs have only become increasingly popular in recent years, they’ve been around since the 1970s. These chairs are ideally designed to help you sit more upright and alleviate the adverse health problems associated with prolonged sitting.
Here is everything you need to know about kneeling chairs, their health benefits, and how they can help you improve your body’s natural posture.
The health benefits of good posture
Good posture is when your overall body weight is evenly distributed on both feet. Your hip, knee, shoulder top, ankle, and ear from one side of your body should line up vertically.
Sounds simple? Not quite, with many people exhibiting poor posture throughout their daily lives. Often without realising it. That said, it pays to actively work on maintaining good posture, as it improves breathing, alleviates back pain, reduces the risk of injury and leads to less frequent headaches. Investing in quality, ergonomic office chairs is one of the best ways office workers are comfortable when sitting for long periods, whilst promoting good posture.
How a kneeling office chair can improve your posture and overall health
The following are the various ways kneeling chairs benefit your posture and help you sit upright:
Offers a different way of sitting from a traditional office chair
With a traditional office chair, your legs are at a 90-degree angle and your weight is distributed across your buttocks and the back of your thighs. This makes it hard to maintain good posture, especially if you use the chair for long hours.
On the other hand, a kneeling chair provides a 10-degree thigh/trunk angle, which helps distribute most of your weight between your shins and knees. This angle reduces the pressure on the disc in your spine, removes imbalance, keeps your core engaged and realigns your body with continued use.
This kneeling posture is particularly beneficial for people with coccyx pain as it takes the pressure off the tailbone.
Reduces pressure on your spine
If you constantly experience lower back pain, a kneeling chair can help. Kneeling posture ensures that your hips have some room to move freely and breathe while you remain seated. Since your hips are connected to your back muscles, this allows you to sit more comfortably.
In this sitting position, the vertebrae on your spine support each other, and your lower back muscles don’t have to overwork to maintain an upright position.
Added lumbar support
Some kneeling chairs come with added lumbar support, which relieves back pain and promotes good posture. For instance, a backrest on your kneeling chair will help you rest your back in a supported position while maintaining your body’s natural posture.
However, a backrest isn’t exactly necessary for a kneeling chair. This is because you’re already positioned in an upright stance without the backrest.
Prevents you from slouching and slumping
When using a traditional office chair or any other chair, you’re likely to find yourself slouching and sloping. However, this is impossible when using a kneeling chair. This is because a kneeling office chair puts you in an upright position that engages your core muscles.
After some time, these muscles become stronger, and you can easily maintain good posture without the need to slouch or slump.
Rocking kneeling chairs for better posture
Some kneeling chairs in the market today come with a rocking motion that enables you to improve your posture. These chairs are fitted with a rocker base that generates a smooth rocking motion to promote active sitting. This is undoubtedly one of the best ways to strengthen your core muscles while seated.
Proper spine alignment
It makes sense that if you slouch all the time, your muscles are going to be weak and tired. And if your muscles are weak and tired, it’s going to be a lot harder to make progress on improving your fitness.
When you have a better posture, your body works more efficiently. Keeping your spine properly aligned improves digestion, circulation and breathing. This is because your lungs and other vital internal organs are less compressed when your pelvis is in a more open position.
The Liberty Kneeling Chair pushes and tilts your pelvis forward, which helps align your spine properly. This prevents you from hunching forward and forming a C-shape with your spine.
How to choose the right kneeling office chair
Before choosing a kneeling office chair for your everyday use, there are various factors you should consider. They include:
Seat and knee pad angle
The angle at which your kneeling chair’s seat and knee pads are tilted will play a major role in your desired posture. The seat and knee pads should be angled at 120-130 degrees to help you adopt good posture.
Height
If you’re tall, a traditional office chair may be the best choice, as you may have a hard time finding a kneeling chair that suits your needs. So when shopping for a kneeling chair, check the height specifications indicated by the manufacturer.
Consider purchasing a kneeling chair with height adjustment features so that you can adjust the height accordingly.
Material
The upholstery used for a kneeling chair’s seat usually indicates how easy it is to clean and maintain. For instance, vinyl is extremely durable but may not offer the comfort you desire. On the other hand, leather is easy to clean but more expensive. High quality fabric upholstery offers a balance of comfort and style but may require additional care to maintain its appearance.
Comfort
A kneeling chair feels more comfortable once you become used to the new posture. Since most kneeling chairs lack a backrest, it puts more pressure on your knees and shins.
This may cause you pain after prolonged use. The best way to get ahead of this problem is to get an ergonomic kneeling chair with a backrest.
Portability
If you need to move your chair frequently, you should buy a lightweight kneeling chair. This will prove more convenient for manual handling at home or in the office.
Tips for improving your posture while sitting in a regular office chair
Here are some ergonomic tips that will help improve your posture if you sit in a regular office chair for long hours:
- Keep your feet flat on the ground
- Change positions and move often
- Wear the right footwear
- Sit up straight and align your hips, ears and shoulders in one vertical line
- Use posture-friendly props such as footrests and air lumbar supports when sitting
- Try regular exercise to promote good posture
- Avoid overprotecting posture that involves clenching muscles or adopting a stiff posture
- Make sure your desk is the correct height for your body and place your laptop or monitor straight in front of your eye level or slightly above
- Take regular breaks in the middle of work
Improve your posture with Arteil’s ergonomic chair range
If you struggle with poor posture or back pain, ergonomic kneeling chairs offer many benefits. While most people will prefer to sit in traditional office chairs, making the switch to these unusual chairs can help to correct poor posture, ease fatigue and provide pain relief.
At Arteil, we are proud to offer a vast selection of ergonomic office chairs and stools designed to keep your posture in perfect alignment. With our ergonomic chairs, you’ll be able to improve your posture while working, which can reduce lower back pain and even improve brain functioning.
Whether you desire a stylish leather chair for your home office, classic executive and boardroom chairs, comfortable mesh designs or something modern to make a statement, our range of Australian-made office chairs offers an unbeatable blend of style and function – ensuring comfort all day long.
If you’re looking for an ergonomic chair that will suit your needs, engage your core muscles and take the pressure off your spine, visit our Perth showroom to speak to our friendly team or check out Arteil’s extensive ergonomic chair range online.