If you spend a lot of time behind the computer, no doubt you’ve noticed it’s not the best thing for your body. Sitting in a standard “right angle” chair for hours on end causes muscle tension, which can lead to backaches, headaches, and even long-term back problems.
More and more computer workers are finding the relief from this problem in the kneeling chair, also called the knee chair or knee stool. These chairs reduce muscle strain by helping the body stay in a natural, healthy position.
The problem with standard chairs
Standard chairs have worked for centuries, right? So what’s the problem? Well, it may keep you off the floor, but sitting in a normal chair also forces your spine and muscles into unnatural positions. In a standard chair, your body is bent in half at a right angle, with your upper thighs 90 degrees from your upper body. Sitting this way misshapes the natural S-curve of the spine and puts strain on your back, shoulders, and neck.
Of course, the 90-degree angle description presumes you’re sitting up straight. Let’s face it, though, most of us slouch. In fact, slouching or bending is the body’s natural reaction to being folded in half. For short periods, it’s more comfortable. Unfortunately, it takes effort to slouch, too. Your muscles tighten up to keep you from falling. No matter which way you sit in a standard chair, you’re working your muscles and not in a good way.
How a kneeling chair helps
The usual advice about avoiding back strain from hours in an office chair is to keep so-called “good” posture. That is, keep your back and neck straight and aligned, and square your shoulders. Even though this is healthier than slouching, it feels less natural and comfortable because of the way the chair is formed, so it’s hard it stay that way for long.
This is where kneeling chairs can help. A kneeling chair helps the body stay in a position that’s both natural and comfortable. Although the term “kneeling” is used to describe the posture of someone using one of these chairs, in reality, the body weight is distributed evenly between the hips and shins, not placed on the knees.
The seat of a kneeling chair is tilted forward about 30 degrees. When you sit on the seat, your hips are tilted forward and your thighs are lowered by 30 or 40 degrees from the standard chair’s right angle. Your knees rest on a pad in front of you and your lower legs are underneath your body, with your shins resting on a pad aligned below your hips.
So, instead of being folded at 90 degrees as in an average chair, in a kneeling chair the angle of your body is more “open,” more like standing. This helps the spine keep its natural curvature without slouching. Seated this way, you won’t even feel the need to slouch.
How to use a kneeling chair
Kneeling chairs are quickly gaining popularity, but because they’re unusual looking and seem like they’d be uncomfortable or difficult to sit in, it’s easy to dismiss them. First, it’s important to realize that a kneeling chair doesn’t require you do actually kneel with your full weight on your knees. That wouldn’t be healthy, either. Remember, kneeling chairs are designed to work with your body, rather than force it into the unnatural position you’ve been used to. To sit in a kneeling chair, you’ll need to step into it in order to get your feet in the right position. If the chair has a central frame, you’ll have to swing your leg over the kneepad to do this. Once seated, just relax your shoulders and your body will naturally take the correct position.
At first, it will probably feel awkward to sit this way and you may feel like your balance is off. Also, it usually takes a little practice to be able to get into and out of the chair quickly. After the first few times you use it, though, it will start to feel more natural (because it is) and pain caused by tension in your back, neck and shoulders will disappear.
Why put up with pain if you don’t have to? Shop around and you can find a quality kneeling chair for just a few hundred dollars. Think about it this way: it the chair helps you stay healthy so don’t have to take time off due to headaches and backaches, you’ll earn the money back quickly. If you’re new to kneeling chairs, start your search at a showroom where you can try out several models and ask about adjustments than can be made.
