A recent study in February 2022 found that 42% of workers in the UK are hybrid workers — a mix of going into the office and working from home. Compared to April 2021, hybrid working has increased by 30%.
With more and more of us spending 40 hours a week sitting down, posture at your desk matters. But why? Well, bad posture at your desk can cause unwanted medical problems, such as tension/pain in the lower back, neck, knees and hips. Over time, this can cause musculoskeletal disorders and make your posture at your desk even worse.
It’s not all doom and gloom, though. Luckily, it’s easy to correct bad posture with exercise and an ergonomic adjustable office chair. If you’re looking for how you can improve your posture at your desk, you’ve come to the right place. Find out how to correct your posture and the suitable office furniture you’ll need to stay comfortable and productive.
Ergonomic adjustable chairs and height adjustable desks
First off, it’s the essentials you need to get right. An ergonomic adjustable chair should support your spinal curves. Everybody is built differently, so ensuring the chair height, headrest and reclining features are adjustable is key. The height of your chair should allow your feet to rest flat on the floor, so your thighs are parallel to the ground.
A footrest can make sure your thighs stay parallel. If your chosen adjustable chair has armrests, rest your arms gently on them, so your shoulders are relaxed. This position will help eliminate stiffness and tension in your shoulders.
Underneath your desk, you’ll need enough room for your knees and legs. A height adjustable office desk is the ideal choice. Like an ergonomic adjustable office chair, they offer personalisation for short, tall or disabled workers. Electric standing desks provide other advantages like wireless charging and USB ports. A standing desk while you work can even make you more energised and productive.
Monitor and arm placement
Your monitor screen should be placed directly in front of you, roughly an arm’s length away. The top of your screen should preferably be at eye level or slightly below. The monitor screen needs to be directly behind your keyboard — not on your lap or to the side.
To lessen the strain on your eyes, ensure your monitor is placed with the brightest light source to the side. In fact, if you have access to natural light, even better. Natural daylight and a view of the outside world have been proven to improve employee wellbeing and reduce fatigue.
Ideally, your arms rest on your armrests at a 90° angle — which is why we recommend selecting a height adjustable chair with adjustable armrests.
Office accessories
Non-slip desk mats help your monitor/laptop stay in place, and some even double up as a mouse pad. Your mouse should be easily reachable and on the same surface as your keyboard.
Keep your upper arms as close as possible to your body with your wrists straight. A great hack to reduce your mouse usage is to use keyboard shortcuts as much as possible. If you have the option, adjust your mouse sensitivity, so you’re using minimal effort to reduce strain on your wrist — mitigating the potential onset of carpal tunnel syndrome.
All your essential office accessories like your phone, notepad or chargers should be easy to access. Keep them close to you on your desk so you’re not forever stretching and contorting to grab them. If you need to reach for something, stand up to retrieve it.
An ergonomic adjustable office chair
The most vital piece of office furniture to help with your posture is a height adjustable office chair. Failing that, an electric or height adjustable office desk will also help.
Correct posture is easily achievable with a supportive, comfortable and adjustable office chair. The backrest needs to support your lower and upper back, with adjustable seat and armrest height. Combined with backrest reclining angle options, a supportive headrest and comfortable padding on the seat and back — the correct posture at your desk is effortless.
Purus Life cares about your wellbeing at home and in the office. Browse our selection of ergonomic office furniture and accessories to improve your posture, comfort and productivity.
