There is quite the debate in the office community about which office option is better for you: in an ergonomic chair or at a standing desk? Experts on both sides make compelling arguments for each. So does that mean it doesn’t matter which you pick, or is there one that is better than the other? Let’s compare the pros and cons of each and find out.
Pros And Cons Of An Ergonomic Chair
Ergonomic chairs aren’t just a fad. The adjustable features of these seats allow you to work at a comfortable level for your arms, head, and legs and prevent common daily pains. They are also wonderful for providing neck, back, and arm support, relieving lower back pain, align your hips with your shoulders and ears to maintain proper spinal alignment, ease stress on your upper extremities, joints, and ligaments, and prevent pinched spinal nerves and 80% increased lumbar disk pressure.
These chairs aren’t the perfect invention, however. You are still sitting and that doesn’t help keep your bones and muscles strong with regular movement. It’s also not uncommon to forget to take your desk into account resulting in your feet being nice and flat on the ground but your desk is now at an uncomfortable height for your arms and shoulders. This brings us to the standing desk.
Pros And Cons of a standing desk
Just like ergonomic chairs, standing desks let you work at a comfortable level. However, there are significantly more health benefits associated with standing desks according to studies by Dr. Lopez Jimenez, Harvard Medical, and a team at PubMed. Collectively, it’s been discovered that if you frequently have to get up from your desk, a standing desk will help prevent excessive wear on your intervertebral disks. Standing more prevents heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even obesity. More than 40 studies conducted by Dr. Jimenez and his team have shown that standing will help you burn off 54 Calories every 6 hours or 5.5 lbs per year. That might not sound worthwhile, but for simply standing, it’s quite significant. According to Matthew Edlund, M.D., standing will naturally lead to the desire to walk since you’re already up and if you’re stressed, standing during or after your lunch can prevent Gastroesophageal reflux disease because it more easily allows gravity to keep the acid from entering your esophagus. Making yourself stand while working will even slow down osteoporosis because you are “bearing weight” on your bones and keeping them strong. Finally, the last physical benefit I found came from the owner of Momentum Fitness in Concord, CA, Kian Ameli, who states standing more boosts your metabolism.
But even the standing desk isn’t perfect for everyone. Eventually, standing will become uncomfortable and cause back and/or leg pain for many people. According to Matthew Edlund, M.D., the “muscular rings” in the legs of some won’t work well if they stand all day, causing swollen legs and feet. Lastly, a standing desk won’t be very effective if its at a level like this:
Conclusion
In sum, whichever option you choose, each uses principles of biomechanics that are important to follow to reduce the risk of bodily damage. In the long run, however, a standing desk has been proven to have more health benefits. This shouldn’t prevent anyone from investing in ergonomic chairs because we can’t stand up all day. They’re especially useful for those who can’t stand up for 6 hours every day, such as the disabled. All good things are enjoyed in moderation, and standing desks are no exception. It’s recommended that you gradually increase the amount of time you stand until you split up your work day 50/50 between standing and sitting. So, don’t overlook ergonomic chairs; get the best of both worlds with an ergonomic chair and adjustable desk.
If you need a large amount of ergonomic furniture for your office, then you can check out wholesale office chair offers suitable for your business. Some ergonomic furniture companies like Autonomous also offer an employee purchase program where you can provide your employees with affordable ergonomic furniture for their personal use. The Autonomous employee purchase program is very suitable for your employees if they are working from home and need some good ergonomic furniture.
