It’s shocking how long you spend sitting on a chair if you work at an office. Assuming you have a full time job, you can expect to be sitting 6 hours each day, which is 30 hours each week, which is over 1,500 hours each year.
The human body is not adapted for such long periods of sitting and so it’s common for office warriors to develop acute or chronic lower back pain.
To make matters worse, chairs haven’t adapted for such long sitting periods either. The idea of a desk job is relatively new – it is something that’s been around for less than 100 years. In order to find a solution, scientists have been working on two technologies: ergonomic office chairs and kneeling chairs.
This article will focus on kneeling chairs, but if you have other interests then check out our article The Best Office Chair for Lower Back Pain.
Table of Contents
- Quick History of Kneeling Chairs
- What is an Ergonomic Kneeling Chair
- What Does Scientific Research Have to Say
- Health Benefits
- The Top Kneeling Chairs Available
Quick History of Kneeling Chairs
In 1979 Hans Christian Mengshoel developed the first ergonomic kneeling chair to hit the market. However, even back in 1979 office jobs weren’t as common as they are today and so the market for “back pain reducing chairs” was small.
As office jobs became more common in the 21st century so did acute and chronic lower back pain. The result was the resurgence of the kneeling office chairs.
Editors note: the idea of kneeling being superior to sitting dates back all the way to ancient Buddhist traditions where Buddhists created makeshift kneeling chairs from pillows and benches.
What is an Ergonomic Kneeling Chair
An ergonomic kneeling chair is exactly what it sounds like – a chair where instead of sitting, you instead kneel. The advantage to this is that it reduce the pressure on the spine by distributing it along the knees and the buttocks. This drastically reduces pressure which reduces lower back pain.
What Does Scientific Research Say About Kneeling Chairs
Preliminary research by A.C Mandal MD states that “…it is becoming increasingly clear that there is a significant mismatch between people and the furniture in their working environments, as is evident from the increasing numbers of employees suffering from chronic backpain” proving that conventional furniture was is not designed for office warriors.
The reason we say this research is preliminary is because it sets the foundation for one of the core principles of the kneeling chair – the forward tilt. According the A.C Mandal MD, the forward tilt provided by kneeling chairs is the exact position the body needs in order for the muscles to be relaxed in a balanced seating position.
Mandal’s research wasn’t the only one to confirm the health benefits of kneeling chairs. A group of researches studied 20 subjects and confirmed that kneeling chairs could significantly contribute to treating chronic or acute lower back pain by relieving excess pressure on the back.
The Health Benefits of Ergonomic Kneeling Chairs and Why You Should Get One
The biggest benefit and the “selling point” of ergonomic kneeling chairs is that they provide back pain relief. And if you’re someone experiencing back pain from sitting all day, then you know how important relief is.
When you get a kneeling chair, you’ll be shocked at how bad your posture actually is. We guarantee you that you’ll be surprised. Kneeling chairs force you to correct your posture and develop your core muscles. This is because since modern chairs provide you with back support, your core muscles don’t have to work to keep your spine erect – kneeling chairs put them to work and help you develop a strong core.
Lastly, kneeling chairs increase comfort and concentration. The majority of people who try a kneeling chair agree that they’re more comfortable than office chairs. This additional level of comfort helps office warriors concentrate because they’re not constantly readjusting or trying to deal with their pain.
The Best Reviewed Ergonomic Kneeling Chairs
In our next article, we go over and cover the best ergonomic kneeling chairs as rated by consumers. After hundreds of hours of research, after reading hundreds of reviews, and after covering over 124 products, we narrowed it down to 3 ergonomic kneeling chairs. Read it next!
