In the modern office, the majority of work tasks are accomplished while sitting at a computer. Unsurprisingly, office workers are one of the most sedentary occupational groups, spending most of their working day sitting.
Excessive sedentary behavior have been linked with several chronic health conditions including diabetes, obesity and depression. According to this Australian study, the spread of chronic diseases among the working population is attributed to three primary factors: lack of physical activity, poor eating habits and too much time spent sitting.
In the same study these remedies were suggested:
- Increase the number of breaks taken between sitting times
- Implement strategies to foster posture improvement
- Add ergonomic enhancements to the workspace
This article breaks down the benefits of reversing sedentary working styles by implementing changes in your workspace. Benefits of the process include a major energy boost, increased positivity, better work performance and enhanced wellness.
How to set up an ergonomic workspace
When business is booming, professionals may spend as much as twelve hours per day sat at the computer. To gain a performance edge under such conditions, decreasing sitting time may not be practical, so the objective should be to optimise the time spent sitting.
Buy a gaming chair
Gaming chairs were first invented to support hard-core gamers. Unlike the best ergonomic chairs, gaming chairs offer models that are accessible for all budgets. For this reason, gaming chairs are gaining popularity in corporate offices – as cheap but reliable alternatives to high-end ergonomic office chairs.
At the lower end of the gaming chair pricing scale, expect dubious durability and performance. At the higher end, expect lavish comfort and premium ergonomic support puts the spine in alignment, which will improve posture, circulation and overall vitality.
However, many of the best gaming chairs are only available online. That means when you buy a gaming chair online, you need discipline to see through the process: place the order, spend money, receive the package, set it up and begin the adjustment period.
Be warned that if you have bad posture, the first time you sit in a gaming chair it may feel like a torture rack!
As you suffer in the early going, two options will emerge:
- Put the gaming chair in the corner and use it as a laundry hanger
- Stick with it and adjust to sitting with good posture
The adjustment period takes time – usually a week or two. For people who go through all the trouble to purchase a gaming chair, they have plenty of incentive to stick with the latter option.
Gain workspace awareness
Once you adjust to life sitting in a gaming chair, you will start to become hyperaware of your posture, and see massive improvement firsthand.
This becomes your entry point for total workspace awareness. Gaming chairs are height adjustable, so at some point, you may find need to set it so your computer screen is in the perfect viewing position.
Expect awareness to spread across your workspace. You will clean more often, make more adjustments and over time optimise the workspace completely.
Take plenty of breaks
In terms of workspace awareness, you will become more in tune with your body and gain greater self-awareness about the need to take breaks.
In this way, a gaming chair can keep you optimal in both mind and body. In mind, that means greater awareness of when to step away from the computer and get the body moving. That might be a walk to the water cooler, a stroll through the park, or even a two-hour kickboxing break.
Gain a massive energy boost
When office workers get into the habit of sitting with improper posture, the years pass, their waistlines expand, their shoulders sag, their belly sticks out and they tend to feel tired all the time.
According to the gaming chair experts at ChairsFX, the final payoff has to do with energy. When sitting improperly, severe strain is placed on the back and shoulders, forcing the muscles to work harder. Over time that overwork begins to feel normal; people get used to feeling lethargic all the time. On the other hand, ergonomic chairs distribute weight evenly across the spinal column, which allows deeper breathing and more oxygen supplied to the body.
Discipline is its own reward
An ergonomic chair will challenge your discipline as if forces you to focus on sitting with correct posture. Because discipline gets stronger with practice, this becomes a wonderful catalyst for better health and heightened mindfulness over the long term.
If you spend long hours at a computer and suffer from lethargy, weight gain, depression or ill health, a gaming chair might be exactly what’s needed to turn things around.
