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Sometimes, sitting down in an unsupportive office chair all day can be just as hard on you back as standing up all day. Without proper support or comfort, your back, spine, hips and alignment can be just not right.
When working in an office, it can take a toll on your health. Sitting down all day is no good for anyone, and not exercising enough or stretching your legs throughout an 8 or 9 hour work day can be quite tough on your back.
This is why having the most supportive chair, and adjusting the tilt to suit your spine is so important. Without a properly adjusted chair, you can feel distracted, can be in discomfort, and you are just going to want to go home and curl up into bed!
You would actually be amazed by how much of a difference adjusting the tilt on your office chair can make to your upper back, lower back, hips and even your glutes!
Therefore, you will want to adapt your office chair to suit your particular proportions and the contour of your body for extra comfort whilst working all day.
How to adjust office chair tilt
To ensure that you are completely comfortable whilst working at a desk all day, you will need to adjust your chair. To find the right positioning, there are a few steps that you will have to take.
Step One
First and foremost, you will want to find out the height of your workstation or desk, this will help you find the most appropriate height for your office chair, and ensure that you are not slumping over the desk too much as this will cause extreme lower back pain and neck discomfort.
Step Two
You will also have to ensure that you, yourself are sitting properly at your work desk at all times. This is because improper posture can also lead to back and hip pain, and will make you very uncomfortable when sitting down for long periods of time.
To do this, you will need to sit as close to the desk as is comfortable for you, with your knees underneath the desk nicely. Then, you can place your arms out, and rest them onto the work surface, or against your desk keyboard, and sit with them parallel to your spine.
If done correctly, this should look like you are sitting at a 90 degree right angle, with your spine and back straight, and your arms out on the desk in front of you.
To check if your seat is in the right position, you will need to pull yourself as close to the desk as possible. If you place your hands out in front of you and they are sitting higher than your elbows, then your seat is too low.
If the situation is quite the opposite, and the seat is too high, then you will also need to adjust the seat.
To adjust your seat, you will be able to feel underneath the seat either on the left or right side, a small lever. If you wish to raise your seat, you will need to lift your rear off the seat, and pull the lever upwards to make it higher, or push downwards to lower the seat. Simply release the lever when you reach the desired position.
Step Three
You will also need to ensure that your feet are in a comfortable position, and sitting at the right level in comparison to the office chair.
Your feet should be flat on the ground, so whilst you do this, you can slide your fingers between your thigh and the edge of your office chair. If correct, there should be a finger’s width space between them.
If there is more of a gap, then you will need to raise the office chair again.
On the other hand, if it is difficult for you to find a space between the office chair and your thigh, then you should raise your feet and the chair off the ground to find that 90 degree angle at the knees.
Step Four
In addition, you will need to see if the bottom of your legs, or your calves are too close to your office chair. To do so, you will need to clench your fist and see if it will fit between the chair and the back of your calf.
If you cannot, then you will need to bring your backrest forwards to support your spine. If there is a lot of space, then you can adjust the backrest further backwards. By adjusting the tilt of the backrest, you can ensure that you avoid any slouching or slumping if you are not sitting in the correct position.
Step Five
Next, you will need to adjust the height of the backrest. This will have to be done after you have found your proper sitting position, with your feet on the ground and your calves the correct space away from the chair.
Once you have that sweet spot, you can adjust the tilt of the backrest of the chair, and ensure that it supports your back when sitting at the 90 degree angle. To do this, you will feel a small knob towards the back of the chair, which will allow the backrest to move.
If you start at the top, and move the backrest as high as it will go, it is easier to push it downwards to find the right spot that works for you. The height of the backrest should sit at the small of your back, towards the bottom for the most comfortable position.
You will also need to adjust the tilt of the backrest to fit your spine. The tilt of the backrest will need to be at the right angle to support you whilst sitting in the correct posture when you work.
For the best results, you will want to adjust the tilt of the backrest so that it is against your back when you are sitting up. You will not want to have to lean back to feel the backrest.
To adjust the tilt, you will need to feel for a lever or knob that locks the backrest into place at the rear of the office chair.
By turning the knob, you can unlock the backrest, and adjust the angle leaning forwards or backwards, depending on where you want it to stay. When you find the right place, lock the knob back tightly, and enjoy the comfort of the chair.
Once you have fully adjusted your chair, you can enjoy excellent posture at work, without having to lean, hunch over or hurt your back during those long days at the office!