Video Guide: How to Set Up your Office Chair and Workstation

An ergonomic workplace is essential for your health and wellbeingIn order to maintain a good posture and reduce potential health problems, it is important for you to know how to setup your ergonomic chair and workstation. This video is about ergonomics in the workplace, and we will show you how to select the correct work chair and how to create a healthy and productive work environment.1. How to adjust your chairStart by moving the chair away from the desk. This is extremely important as you must first setup your chair according to your body shape and size.Sit back in the chair with your back comfortably positioned against the chair backrest.Check the gap between the inside of your knees and the front edge of the seat. It should be about three fingers wide.If you are taller than average, the gap will probably be more than three fingers wide, in which case you should consider buying a chair where the seat depth can be adjusted. Increase the depth of the seat by adjusting the seat slider forward to extend the seat depth.If you are shorter and the gap is less than three fingers wide, adjust the seat slider backwards to shorten or reduce the depth of the seat.Now adjust the height of the chair. The correct chair height is when both your feet (with shoes on), are flat on the floor and your knees are slightly lower than the level of your hips. By sitting with your knees below the level of your hips, you reduce the rotation of the pelvis and therefore the pressure in the lumbar discs. What actually happens when you sit? Adjust the height of the armrests so that when your forearms rest on the arm pads, your elbows are bent at approximately 90 degrees. Your shoulders should be relaxed and comfortable, in other words you should not have to lift your shoulders, which means your armrests are too high, or let them drop downwards, meaning your armrests are too low.Adjust the width of the armrests to suit your body shape. Ideally the arm pads should be positioned so that your upper arms are vertical and not extended too far outwards away from your body. Rotate the arm pads so that your forearms rest comfortably over the full extent of the arm pads.To sit comfortably when the backrest is in an unlocked position, adjust the tension of the swivel mechanism so that it suits your body weight. When you relax in the chair, you should easily be able to recline backwards without using excessive force. As you recline, the spring tension should balance your weight.Adjust the height of the backrest and or the position of the lumbar support so that it fits snugly in the lumbar region of your back. Ensure that you keep your spine in a natural position. Don’t over or under accentuate the inward curvature of your spine.Adjust the headrest into a comfortable position. The purpose of the headrest is to support your head when sitting in a reclined position.When you place your head against the headrest, your shoulders are pushed into the backrest of the chair this lifts up your chest and opens up your diaphragm which enables you to breathe better. Improved breathing leads to more oxygen flowing to the brain which improves concentration.If you are taller than average, check that the headrest has sufficient vertical adjustment to suit your body height. If not, consider buying a chair without a headrest. Now, and only now, move the chair towards your desk.2. How to adjust your deskAs you move the chair towards the desk, the top of the armrests should be in line with the surface of the desk. In other words, just like your forearms were resting comfortably on the arm pads, they should now rest comfortably on the desk with your elbows bent at about 90 degrees.If your elbows are at an angle much greater than 90 degrees, the desk is too low, and you will automatically hunch forward resulting in shoulder and neck pain. RAISE the height of the desk. DO NOT LOWER THE HEIGHT OF THE CHAIR, because if you do, you will then sit with your knees above the level of your hips which will increase the pressure in the lumbar discs and quickly result in back pain. This is very important. If the desk is not height adjustable, use blocks of wood, old books or reams of paper to raise the height of the desk. The pros and cons of a height adjustable standing desk.If your elbows are bent at an angle much less than 90 degrees, the desk is too high so you will lift your shoulders, resulting in muscular pain in your shoulders and neck. LOWER the height of the desk. If the desk is not height adjustable, then raise the height of the chair. This will result in your feet on longer being flat on the floor, so use a footrest to support your feet. DO NOT let your feet dangle in the air.If you need to sit closer to the desk and use the desk to support your forearms, lower the armrests so that they are under the desk when you work.Alternatively, if the armrests are multi-adjustable, slide the arm pads backwards to allow you to sit closer to the desk.3. How to adjust your monitorAdjust the height and distance of your monitor so that the top of the screen is at eye level and about an arm length away. To help adjust the height of the screen, use the monitor arm or stand.When you are working on a laptop, use a separate mouse and keyboard to enable you to set the screen at the right height. If you use two monitors, position them equally away from you. 4. How to arrange the ancillary items on your deskThe way you arrange your keyboard, monitor, mouse, and other ancillary equipment on your desk, can have a huge impact on your posture and wellbeing. Even with the correct desk and chair setup, you may still experience discomfort in the neck and shoulders. This is often as a result of excessive leaning, twisting or overreaching for items on your desk.Sitting comfortably on your chair with your wrists resting on your desk, your hands need to be able to move freely over your keyboard with your mouse right next to it. Make sure that you do not have to reach for either your mouse or keyboard.The next thing to consider is the placement of your landline telephone provided of course you still have one! Place your telephone on the opposite side of your mouse, for example if you are right-handed place the phone on your left hand side.If you continually work with papers, we suggest using a document holder. This is a simple but very effective device that is placed between you and your monitor. A document holder ensures you to maintain the correct posture without twisting your neck or reaching for your keyboard. 5. Dynamic sitting and reclining in your chair to relaxRelease the synchronous or free-float mechanism and tilt fully backwards in the chair. This will increase the angle between your thighs and torso. By changing this angle, you automatically stimulate or activate numerous muscles in your lower back, core and legs. As a result, the blood flowing through these muscles increases and brings oxygen and other nutrients to these muscles and carries away the waste products of muscle metabolism. By doing so, muscle fatigue and its associated pain is reduced, particularly in the lower back. This is known as Dynamic Sitting.Important links:Ergonomic office chairsOrthopedic office chairsGaming chairs