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Ergonomics in the office is not just about an ergonomic office chair, a height-adjustable desk, or the ergonomic arrangement of equipment on the desk. An ergonomic footrest also plays an essential role in an optimally set up workstation. Although it must be said that not everyone in the office or home office needs a footrest. In this blog, I explain when and why a footrest is necessary, and which features you should look out for in an ergonomic footrest to achieve the correct posture in the office.
Who needs a footrest in the office?
Although an office chair can perhaps already be adjusted in various ways, this does not guarantee that the correct desk ergonomics can actually be achieved. Particularly short people, in combination with an office chair and a desk, can end up in a sitting position that is ergonomically incorrect and can therefore cause health problems. This happens when the feet do not rest flat on the floor while sitting, but dangle freely in the air. The cause of this can either be the office chair, which cannot be adjusted low enough, meaning the seated person sits too high. On the other hand, it can also be due to the desk if it cannot be adjusted in height, meaning the seated person has to adjust their seat height according to the desk. To ensure that short people can also sit ergonomically in such situations, an ergonomic footrest is of great service.
Function of a footrest
A footrest compensates for the loss of height generated between the soles of the feet and the floor by the office chair or desk. For correct posture in the office, your feet should always have contact with the floor and rest flat. The footrest therefore guarantees ergonomic sitting, where the thighs should be horizontal or slightly elevated from the knees to the pelvis, and the lower legs should form an angle of approx. 90° or slightly larger downwards. For correct desk ergonomics, the soles of the feet must rest fully on the surface; it is not enough if only the tips of the toes touch the floor. The footrest therefore guarantees a good support for the soles of the feet so that the legs do not hang in the air.
If the legs have no contact with the floor and hang down freely, blood circulation problems can occur. This primarily impairs blood circulation in the thighs and the back of the knees, which can lead to thrombosis and varicose veins. The first symptom is a tingling sensation in the blood vessels, indicating that the legs have fallen asleep. An ergonomic footrest can quickly remedy this and restore proper ergonomic contact with the floor.
Correct posture in the office with a footrest
Correct posture when working in the office is crucial for health and should therefore always be guaranteed for everyone, both short and tall people. How to sit ergonomically correct and what the dangers can be is explained in detail in this blog: «What are the most common ergonomic risk factors at the office workstation or in the home office?». In short, you should sit on your office chair in such a way that you do not feel any circulatory problems in your legs and have contact with the floor with the soles of your feet.
The height of the desk also has a major influence on correct desk ergonomics. What constitutes an ergonomic desk height is explained in detail in the blog «Does an ergonomic standing desk really offer me advantages?». In summary, you should sit at your desk in such a way that your feet always have contact with the floor or the footrest, so that you sit ergonomically correct.
Different designs of footrests
Footrests are available in different materials, with or without options, and some even with ergonomically interesting additional functions. Here is an overview of the most common designs, from simple to top ergonomic footrests.
Fixed and adjustable footrests
Fixed footrests are rather rare, which is understandable from an ergonomic perspective, as every person has a different build and therefore adjusting the footrest in both height and angle would be desirable. Most fixed footrests usually have a slight angle of inclination, which makes sense so that the feet can rest comfortably.
With adjustable ergonomic footrests, the angle of inclination can almost always be adjusted, and often the height at the same time, or just the height. Both are useful to guarantee an ergonomically correct support for the feet. It is important that the entire sole of the foot rests on the support and not just a part of the foot.
Some footrests have a semi-circular top, which automatically allows you to choose the desired angle of inclination for the soles of your feet. Often, such footrests can be turned over so that the semi-circular part offers a rocking option and the soles of the feet rest on the flat side instead. This allows for dynamic movement of the feet, which may take some getting used to, but the small rocking movements promote blood circulation in the legs. However, the height of such footrests usually cannot be adjusted, which creates a limitation that can be a disadvantage for particularly short people.
Footrest with additional leg support
There are more luxurious ergonomic footrests that offer two functions at once. On the one hand, the classic support for the soles of the feet, with adjustable angle and height. In addition, such footrests have a kind of bracket that goes much higher than the footrest itself and has padding around this bracket at the top. This padded area serves as a support for the leg. More precisely, for the lower part of the fibula. This allows you to comfortably rest your leg on the bracket in between, which induces relaxation through this changed position. It is ideal for changing the posture of your legs from time to time and thus having a bit more sitting dynamics.
Footrests made of hard materials
When it comes to hard materials, you mainly find footrests made of plastic and usually in combination with metal. There are also wooden footrests. With hard materials, maintenance is relatively easy, as dirty areas can be cleaned easily. The disadvantage here can be the fragility of plastic or if the footrest is to be used without shoes. In that case, a footrest covered with fabric or made entirely of foam would make more sense.
Footrests made of soft material
For soft materials, there are footrests made directly of foam, molded foam, or those with an outer material made of various types of fabric or synthetic leather, and filled with foam materials or even spelt husks (the hull of cereal grains). Here, everyone has to ask themselves whether they want to use an ergonomic footrest with or without shoes, so that the correct outer material can be used.
Inflatable footrests are also available, which are particularly suitable as portable supports and can also be used when traveling or on airplanes, for example. However, such footrests are not an ideal solution in the office or home office.
Finally, there are hammock footrests that are attached to the desk with a metal clip, allowing the feet to rest as if in a small hammock. From an ergonomic point of view, this does not seem very sensible to me, as the feet constantly slide to the lowest point in the hammock, thereby creating pressure against both feet.
Footrests with additional functions
Some footrests have rounded nubs on the surface of the footrest, which provide a massage function when you gently run the sole of your foot over them. Others have rubber studs that create a kind of reflexology massage when you move your feet.
There are also ergonomic footrests with integrated heating, which can be an advantage for people with cold feet, although the heating should not be left on for too long, otherwise there could be problems with the veins.
Special footrests can also be used with standing desks, but these serve more to relieve one leg. However, you constantly alternate from one leg to the other to create regular dynamics and movement when standing.
Footrest for gamers?
For gamers who are not actually short and therefore would not really need a footrest, there is a footrest that looks like a small stool. This is suitable for temporarily relieving one or both legs. This footrest was developed because gamers often lie in their office chair rather than sit, and find such a support comfortable, which can be ergonomically correct if the lower back area is well supported at the same time.
Pros and cons of footrests
With the wide variety of ergonomic footrests, making a choice can often be difficult. Here is a summary of the advantages and disadvantages of footrests.
Advantages of footrests
- A footrest helps short people achieve good contact with the floor and thus have an ergonomic desk height.
- By adjusting the angle of inclination, a comfortable position can be found, which can even be changed during the day.
- With the height adjustment function, the footrest can be brought to the ergonomically correct height.
- Moving or rounded support surfaces promote dynamic support of the feet.
- The massage nubs stimulate blood circulation.
- Footrests made of soft material can ideally be used without shoes.
Disadvantages of footrests
- Some footrests consist of two parts to guarantee adjustability. It can happen that these parts are not stably connected to each other, causing the footrest to fall apart over time.
- Footrests made of soft material should not be used with shoes, otherwise they can quickly get very dirty.
- With footrests made of hard materials, there may be edges that are annoying.
- For very short people, not all footrests are high enough.
- A footrest can also be disruptive under the desk or restrict freedom of movement. Therefore, it should be positioned in such a way that correct desk ergonomics are always maintained.
Concluding thoughts
For short people, an ergonomic footrest is a good solution to guarantee correct posture in the office. In any case, short people should measure the approximate height the footrest should have before purchasing one, as there are already major differences and thus limitations depending on the manufacturer.
In principle, the workstation and the ergonomic desk height should be set up in such a way that a footrest is not necessary, as it does represent a certain restriction under the desk. If, on the other hand, the correct desk height and office chair height cannot be achieved, an ergonomic footrest is a sensible and important solution. If you have enough legroom under the office desk, investing in a multifunctional footrest with an additional leg support would be worthwhile, as this ensures more dynamics and allows you to relax a leg in between, which in turn ensures better ergonomics at the workstation.
If the topic of ergonomics in the office or home office appeals to you and you are interested in learning more, I can recommend my book «Wellness im Büro». Combined with humorous drawings, I share 50+1 tips to turn your office into a little paradise.
50+1 tips that turn the office into a little paradise
