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The fact that a majority of office workstations are in the home office due to Corona has been a reality for several months now. In addition, more and more voices are being heard complaining about poor ergonomics at the workstation, especially at home.
A lack of ergonomics at the workstation or in the home office inevitably brings health complaints, and many blame their seating. Therefore, in times of Corona, the question legitimately arises:
How important is an ergonomic desk chair really?
Imagine you are in the mountains and want to go on a longer tour. Why do you put on hiking boots and not use sandals? Quite simply, because you will quickly run into problems with the wrong footwear, with unpleasant consequences.
With an unsuitable desk chair, the negative effects are not always immediately noticeable, but the long-term consequences are much more fatal!
So it is worth having the right material for the respective challenge. At a desk workstation with an unergonomic office chair, tension inevitably makes itself felt and work becomes harder. As a result, performance drops, concentration suffers, and health complaints take their course.
What is poor ergonomics at the workstation?
The definition of "ergonomics" is the adaptation of working conditions to the human being and not vice versa. The office chair, desk, screen, etc. should therefore be able to adapt to the person, and it must not be the case that the person has to bend and adapt to these objects. Otherwise, we are already talking about a lack of ergonomics at the workstation.
However, poor ergonomics includes not only objects, but also external influences such as temperature, light, noise, and much more. The entire workstation environment and ergonomics therefore belong together and must be coordinated with each other so that you feel comfortable in it and can work effectively.
Poor ergonomics at the workstation can start with a desk chair that forces you into a crooked position like a banana or restricts blood circulation after sitting for just a short time because of padding that is too thin or sharp edges.
But it can also be the reflection on the screen because the light shines in from the wrong side, or neck pain, which often occurs when the monitor is set too high.
What requirements should an ergonomic desk chair meet?
As a minimum requirement, an ergonomic office chair should be individually adjustable to your own body. Just like a shoe or a suit, which must fit your personal build so that it does not feel too tight or too big.
A lack of ergonomics at the workstation is often triggered by an unnatural posture in the sitting position. Therefore, your desk chair should bring your back into the natural S-shape of the spine and thus ensure a natural posture in the sitting position. The seat height should also be adjustable so that the soles of your feet touch the floor and your thighs form an angle of at least 90° or slightly more.
However, a first conflict between the workstation environment and ergonomics can already arise here if, for example, the seat height is set to the maximum for a tall person, but their knees then hit the edge of the table. A holistic ergonomic solution is therefore comprehensive and cannot be defined solely by an ergonomic desk chair.
Finally, an ergonomic office chair should promote movement, i.e. allow dynamic sitting.
This means that when the backrest is not locked and remains movable, it should still generate enough counter-pressure so that you do not fall backwards. Conversely, the backrest should not push you too far forward. This spring force should be individually adjustable on the office chair. It is highly recommended not to lock the backrest, but to leave it free-moving, so that more movement is promoted while sitting.
Is there a simple ergonomic solution for the workstation environment?
Since ergonomics consists of a variety of components, this question cannot be answered with a simple yes or no.
The workstation environment and ergonomics in an office or home office can be divided into several subcategories. On the one hand, this is the indoor climate itself, which can start with plants, go from lighting conditions to room temperature, or generate a variety of influences via humidity up to sufficient CO2.
The topics of seating comfort or productivity also play a decisive role when looking for an ergonomic solution.
But it is absolutely possible to achieve a great effect with small changes.
If you start with the ergonomics of your desk chair and thus ensure that you can sit comfortably even in times of Corona, a first important step has already been taken.
But you should go further and ensure an ergonomic solution for your entire workstation environment to guarantee more comfort in life and first-class work.
As a small direct help, I offer you here my guide from the book "Wellness in the Office", as a free booklet with five tips. You can also receive the entire book in individual emails with all 50+1 tips for free, with one tip every two weeks. If you wish, you can find the entire Kindle book of "Wellness in the Office" here.
It is entirely possible to turn your workstation environment into a little paradise, even with little effort. The only important thing is that you take the first step.
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 in the Office". Combined with humorous drawings, I share 50+1 tips to turn your office into a little paradise.
