Experts say sitting is the new smoking. You heard me right, studies have shown that sitting for too long can be as harmful to your body as smoking a cigarette and can lead to serious illness. Experts now say that a sedentary lifestyle increases the likelihood of suffering from heart disease, Type 2 Diabetes and some forms of cancer. So not only do we have to avoid long periods of sitting, when we plop ourselves down, we have to do it the right way.
There are more than 200 different chairs to buy on my website. That’s a lot of chairs to choose from and a lot of decisions to make when it comes to choosing the right chair. If you’re making a new chair purchase, remember to purchase a chair that has an adjustable back and arm rests. Also, a seat-depth adjustment is very important. Now, here’s the most important part, make sure you are sitting in your chair the right way. Here are my suggestions to help you sit the right way in your office:
- CHECK YOUR POSTURE – Stop, before you do anything, I want you to look at how you are sitting at your desk right now. Are you leaning over your desk? Are your feet dangling from the chair? Where are you placing your arms? Your body’s posture and placement in your chair can be doing you lots of harm. Let’s talk about the proper way to sit in your chair.
- SIT UP STRAIGHT – Sitting in your office for 8 or more hours a day is doing you damage, but since many of us don’t have a choice, then let’s focus on sitting in your chair properly. First, make sure you push your hips all the way back in your chair; this will help you sit up straight and keep your back against the back of your chair. It’s important to avoid sitting on the edge of your seat and make sure your upper and lower back are resting against the seat back.
- PICK THE RIGHT HEIGHT – Next, adjust your seat height to make sure your feet are flat on the floor or use a footrest so your feet don’t dangle. Make sure your thighs are parallel to the floor; you will need two inches between your knees and the edge of the seat. Two inches can be measured by holding up three fingers between your thigh and your chair.
- RELAX YOUR ARMS – Finally, adjust your armrests to relax your shoulders. You don’t want tension to build up in your neck. Relaxing your arms is a great way to avoid that.
Just in case you are a visual learner, I am providing an important video link below that explains more about the proper way to sit in your chair. Take a look:
While I can’t do anything about the length of time you spend at your desk or sitting, I can help you buy the right office furniture and chair from our vast selection at
Alliance Corporate Services. In the meantime, I have to constantly remind myself about sitting properly throughout the day. You should be doing the same.