You have invested in a chair or a ergonomic chair in order to improve the comfort of your workstation? In order to maximize its effects on your health and well-being, you must now take the time to adjust and adapt it to your use and your morphology. Indeed, even the best equipment, badly used, can generate the installation and the reproduction of bad postures.
Remember to sit upright in your seat with your feet on the floor before adjusting. This will help you perfect your working position for maximum support, ease and efficiency.
Start by adjusting the height of your ergonomic seat
The first step is to adjust the height of your office chair. Adapt it to your work surface, trying to form a sort of right angle between your arms and your desk. This will relax your shoulders and avoid over-mobilization which could lead to upper limb pain.
If your feet no longer touch the ground, you can turn to footrest which will ensure an optimal installation. These will help you achieve a comfortable posture, with benefits for your entire body.
Then adapt the backrest and seat to your morphology and your needs
The adjustment of the backrest and seat will be the key to a good posture. They are the ones that will give you support, mobility and comfort and should not be neglected. Take advantage of the different adjustments offered by ergonomic chairs for a total adaptation to your shape, your feelings and your expectations.
Adjust the file
The first step is to adjust the height of the backrest so that it fits your height and respects the curvature of your back. If the seat is equipped with lumbar supports, they must be on the right contact points for immediate relief.
You will also need to adjust the tension and inclination of your backrest. This means adjusting the resistance of the backrest according to the user's weight. The goal is not to find yourself slumped in your seat or pushed forward. The optimal opening angle of your seat should be between 100 and 110°. According to your feelings and your use, prefer a model allowing you to "block" the backrest. A chair with a tilting mechanism will allow a dynamic and adapted support of your silhouette.
Adjusting the seat
The seat must adapt to the body in height and depth in order to provide sufficient support for the thighs and pelvis. In order to avoid having your calves on the seat or your thighs protruding from the seat, you must adapt it to your morphology. A seat equipped with a seat translation will allow you to adjust the depth for an optimal installation. Modulate it so that you can slide a width of 3 fingers between the front of the seat and the hollow of your knees.
Generally speaking, it is preferable from an ergonomic point of view to use as much of the seat surface as possible. This ensures that your posture and comfort are improved.
Choose between Synchronous and Asynchronous Mechanism
The adjustment of your seat will be different depending on the mechanism you choose. An asynchronous mechanism allows an independent adjustment of the seat and backrest while a synchronous mechanism allows a synchronized movement between the two. The latter is designed to avoid a too static position that could lead to a compression of the spine. It is particularly suitable for prolonged sitting work, as the seat and backrest tilt together in a coordinated manner. It allows the body to remain in total support against the seat and to maintain a straight posture.
Take advantage of your ergonomic seat's options
The armrests
You must imagine your armrests as an extension of your workstation so that your arms are in an optimal position. Thanks to 3D or 4D armrests, you will be able to modulate them in height, width and depth for an immediate feeling of relaxation. Well adjusted, they will be a good support for your forearms which will limit the pain in the upper limbs.
The headrest
If your ergonomic chair has a headrest, you will also need to adjust its height and angle. It should be at the height of your neck, in the cervical cavity, without exerting pressure. It will bring you more comfort and will relieve your cervical muscles.
Ergonomic accessories
To perfect your well-being, you can also complete your ergonomic seat with additional accessories. Flexible, they will bring you comfort and correction. For example, adaptable cushions and lumbar supports will compensate for the hollows in your back. They will be perfect as a complement of seat to limit the pains and to increase your ease.
