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Health Hazards
Your Computer Chair
Your chair is probably the single most important component of your working
environment. As a writer, you will spend as long stuck to your seat as you spend
in bed, so it is worth investing some attention in the choice and care of both.
You should select and adjust your chair first as it
will affect the keyboard and monitor position. Pull the chair away from
the desk.
 | Start with your chair at the highest setting, |
| Sit down and lower the seat until your thighs fit easily under the
desk and your feet rest on the floor. |
| You might need a footrest or stack of old phone books to rest your
feet on. |
If the seat is too soft, you might 'sink in' putting pressure on
your knees and nerves. |
There should not be significant pressure on the back of your knees. The
seat surface itself should be flat. Some padding is nice but not
essential. |
| Contrary to popular belief, good posture
does not mean sitting upright.
| Sitting erect or leaning forward increases the strain on the lower
back. This is fine for short term use but not recommended for
prolonged periods. |
| Leaning slightly back at an open angle is more relaxing, easing
pressure on your lower back. |
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But here are some guidelines:
| You should be able to sit comfortably in the chair with as much of
you in contact with the chair as possible. This allows the pressure
to be spread. |
| The part which you sit on should be just a little larger than you.
If you overlap, add a cushion. |
| The lumbar support should fit comfortably into the curve of your
lower back, and your feet should be flat on the ground (use a
footrest if necessary). |
| Your legs should be able to rest on the floor or something solid
without applying pressure to the back of your knees. |
| Use a footrest if your feet cannot rest comfortably on the floor.
A few old phone books are not a good substitute, as they are not easy
to move out of the way. |
| There is nothing wrong with wriggling about. Adjust your
sitting posture and stretch from time to time. |
| Your thighs should be roughly parallel with the floor. Some chairs
have a recline adjustment which allow you to change the angle of the
seat. For most people the seat should be horizontal. If it slopes
back, you are resting on your back, and if tilted forward, you place
more pressure on your legs. |
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There are 2 key components of a seat,
- the bit you sit on and
- the back (lumbar) support.
Both can be adjusted:
the height of the seat and the position of the
backrest. (Most office chairs have to be allowed to rise to their full
height without you sitting on them).
A swivel facility is valuable. It makes it easy to enter and exit from
your desk. Swivelling makes it easy to turn to face an adjacent work
surface.
Most chairs have wheels but apart from the Christmas Party
chariot race, the wheels are of little value. Cheaper chairs have slides
and these work fine on most surfaces.
Your body mass, gender, work-space and 'old injuries' affect your
sitting arrangements. There is no perfect position. What you are looking
for is a relaxed writing environment. |
Arm rests are a problem as they can be
good but are often 'bad news'.
| Arm rests should not be used while typing or using your mouse. Arm
rests inhibit your movement and tempt you to adopt postures which are
damaging in the long run. |
| If you choose a chair fitted with arm rests, see
if they can be swung out of the way when not in use. Arm rests should
only be used between typing sessions, when phoning or talking. For
a serious writer, chairs with arm rests are probably best avoided. |
| If your chair has
arm rests, they should comfortably support
your elbows during rest breaks. |
It is at last, possible to find office chairs with adjustable arm
supports. These can be positioned to provide support or swung out of the
way if the task requires.
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Non-Adjustable Chair
If you don't have an adjustable chair, consider buying one. It is a
crucial element in your workspace.
Otherwise, think creatively:
| Use cushions to raise the height of the chair. |
| If you are too high, rest your feet on a few phone books to bring your
thighs parallel. |
| An old pillow can make an excellent, makeshift backrest for lumbar
support. |
You don't sit still.
So it is pointless identifying a 'perfect' position. If
you observe yourself wriggling about too much, it is either time to take a break
or to adjust your seating arrangements.
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