As research progresses on the dangers of sitting for too much of the day, ergonomic seating solutions have boomed as we try to find ways to counteract the damage to our bodies and reduce pain. Enter the kneeling chair. These unique inventions place the body in an altered sitting position with the lower legs supported in an upright kneeling position with the feet pointed towards the back of the chair. As with other ergonomic advancements, it aims to reduce slouching and strain on our backs and joints. The position it places the body in can feel unnatural at first so will take some getting used to but once you see results it will be worth it.
How Do Kneeling Chairs Work?
There are a few different factors in the design of a kneeling chair that make it beneficial for posture. The main seat is angled forward which aligns the pelvis and spine placing your back in a comfortable upright position. This is combined with no back support which makes you use your core muscles to keep your back straight. Strengthening these muscles will improve your posture all the time, not just when you’re using the chair. Improving your core strength will also help your balance and make tasks such as lifting easier. Keeping your spine correctly aligned, also helps your neck by reducing the strain caused by hunching. It will also keep your chest open as it should be leading to easy breathing and reduced aches and pains.
The other factor that makes kneeling chairs unique and useful is the knee support cushion. When sitting in a kneeling chair, you place pressure on this cushion which helps push up the spine contributing further to the good upright posture. By supporting your lower body in this way, kneeling chairs also prevent significant fidgeting that’s common on a traditional desk chair as we shift our weight. Some fidgeting is natural and helps keep our circulation going but big movements of the legs continually disrupt our spine alignment contributing to poor posture and hunching. It’s possible to combine a kneeling chair with wheels or one that includes a rocking motion. This allows for some fidgeting and shifting of weight without significantly changing the valuable leg position. By taking some of the weight of the lower body, this cushion can also help reduce lower back pain which we’re sure is common among your office staff. It will also prevent your legs from slipping off the chair as you get used to the new sitting position, so the knee cushion is a key part of the design.
Should You Replace all Your Desk Chairs with Kneeling Chairs?
The short answer is no. The longer answer is most people shouldn’t be sitting in one all day. While extremely helpful, if used for hours at a time they can reduce leg movement leading to aches, or poor circulation in the legs. You should have other chairs available for your employees to take breaks, especially when they’re getting used to a chair with no back support and a kneeling position. If your goal is to reduce time sitting, you could combine a kneeling chair with an adjustable standing desk so your breaks from kneeling are spent standing for maximum health benefits. A kneeling chair doesn’t have as much adjustability as other chairs so you may have to move around the contents of your desk to make sure everything is in comfortable reach.
There are a few cases where these chairs may not work. If you or your staff have mobility issues you may find it difficult to get up and down from the kneeling position. If you have particularly tall staff members, they may have difficulties fitting their legs in between the two cushions. Other than that, these chairs provide great support and are likely to be a valuable investment for your office.