The pandemic has introduced many new words in the minds of people, especially office-goers who started working from home; one of these words is ergonomics, the other being mental health.

Both, ergonomics and mental health are some of the silent pandemic that have the potential to create havoc in the times to come.

For most of us, ergonomic chair is what comes to our minds when we hear the word ergonomics. This is because most of the time we sit on chairs that are designed to sit and dine, to work for a couple of hours.

Sitting on a not-for-purpose chair hurts and hence do not delay or neglect to invest in a proper chair. I hope this article will provide necessary information to make informed choices about selecting a chair.

If you thought all chairs sold in the market as ergonomic chairs are ergonomic, you were bitterly wrong. So, what is an ergonomic chair. For that, it is good to start by knowing what is Ergonomics?

If the chair you have bought isn’t giving you the comfort while you work sitting on it in front of the computer for at least 30 minutes, it isn’t an ergonomic chair. If it does give comfort, then it is…

Improper sitting causes a lot of musculoskeletal disorders (aches and pains in muscles and joints); next only due to manual lifting.

An ergonomic chair is no insurance for excessive sitting – the mantra is to move, at least every 30 minutes.

An ergonomic chair is expected to have the following characteristics:

  • the chair is stable and strong; so that it doesn’t just break, and makes one fall
  • it has 5 wheels; as this, along with built quality, makes the chair stable
  • the seat is adjustable for height (up and down); so that it can be used by individuals of any height
  • the arm-rest is adjustable (up and down). This puts your arms in the proper position to reduce the amount of stress in your neck and shoulders you acquire from sitting, especially prolonged sitting, which in any case is not recommended. Take frequent breaks*
  • it has proper adjustment for lumbar support (such that it supports the back to prevent back ache)
  • the back-rest is lockable (or if not lockable, should not swing too much on the back side as it can cause imbalance with its consequences)
  • it has a head-rest, to ease neck strain
  • the seat and the back rest is made of mesh rather than foam. The mesh allows for ventilation so that back and thighs don’t sweat

*By frequent breaks is meant – get up from the chair, move around for a minute or two, stretch yourself, see a distant object and drink water. The maximum time one can sit in a chair and do work on a computer is 30 minutes continuously. Excessive sitting also raises your risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol etc.

If it fulfils all the parameters, it makes for a good ergonomic chair.

If you are buying a chair for yourself, sit on the chair that you intend to purchase and make an opinion if it is overall comfortable in addition to the above listed parameters.

If you have the rare opportunity to select a chair for your organization, make no mistake as it would result in many unhappy, uncomfortable employees. If unable to select a suitable chair within the allocated budget, ask for an increase in budget allocation, citing reasons, or get in touch with an Occupational Health (OH) physician.

The age group most affected due to use of improper chair and excessive sitting is 15 to 45 years. Hence, it is wise to invest in a good ergonomic chair that has most, if not all features. If all features are not available, reduce your sitting time from 30 minutes to 20 minutes.

If in doubt, please contact

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Dr Ajay Sati is an Occupational Health physician who prefers to describe himself as an Occupationist, to denote, ‘an expert in diseases and other concerns of occupations’. Dr Sati has managed health and wellness programs in industries he worked, like the atomic energy, and energy (oil & gas) in India and overseas. He was involved in many greenfield and brownfield projects providing inputs from health point of view. Known for SOPs and protocols, he is currently involved with an energy MNC in designing protocols to support employees during the covid pandemic, and protocols to safely reopen offices and plants.