Here are the top eight features you should consider when buying a desk chair:

Feature 1: Does the Chair Support Good Posture or Bad Posture?

First, good posture is a critical feature to look for when buying a desk chair. The chair should be adjustable to a height where your feet can rest on the floor comfortably. The thighs should be square in relation to the floor and fully-supported meaning that they do not slope down as you sit. A very important aspect of this is the back lumbar support. As you sit, there should be a 90 to 105-degree angle formed by your torso and upper legs. Of course the chair should tilt back but not so easy that you fall. And overall, the chair should allow posture changes easily and frequently.

Some chairs are created just for the purpose of helping you strengthen your core posture support muscles and reverse bad posture. The most common form of these is the exercise ball chair (see below), which can be a great way to get a core work for improving posture while at work. If you want a more traditional office chair, here are some more features to take into account.

Feature 2: Chair Type

Second, the type of desk chair is important too. There is the heavy use chair that should be a first choice among those who sit at a desk for very long hours. Typical occupations benefiting from the heavy use chair are computer programmers, web designers, and receptionists. The key to a chair like this is that the person sitting in it can tilt it in any direction while the entire chair moves with the tilt. The end result is that there is constant back support. This has the effect of reducing fatigue.

Another type of chair is the moderate use chair. This chair is good for those who are not constantly at their desk but moving throughout the office. This would be characteristic of a middle manager or line supervisor. Some of these chairs have knee-tilt mechanisms that allow one to lean back in the chair but keep the feet on the ground–unlike the heavy use chair where all parts of the chair move. Without this mechanism, there would be a lot of discomfort over extended periods of time. The moderate use chair typically has a more-stylish look than that of most desk chairs.

A third type of chair is much more elaborate and that is the executive chair. The executive chairs are somewhat like the moderate use chairs but much more plush and comfortable. They have an executive “look” about them. Of course these chairs focus on style and comfort but they are not for extended periods of sitting and are good for executives who are running in between meetings as well as spending a significant amount of time on the phone and computer. Executive type chairs give a look of authority in their style.

Feature 3: Back Lumbar Support

The back rest of the office desk chair should be studied closely prior to choosing your chair. Many don’t know the term lumbar but they do know about the curvature of their spine at the lower back. This is known as the lumbar region and the back rest of the chair should support it while seated. You will find that you will become very fatigued without this support. See if there are mechanisms to maintain the lumbar support irregardless of the chair position.

Feature 4: Chair Height

There should be a mechanism to quickly and easily adjust the chair height. The height of the chair should be such that the thighs are horizontal with the floor. Some older chairs make you have to twist a cylinder at the neck of the chair to adjust the height. The problem is that you cannot quickly adjust it like those with convenient levers. Improper chair height will quickly cause you to get fatigued plus cause circulation problems. If the chair is too high, you’ll find yourself bending forward to see the computer screen and keyboard. If it is too low, you’ll find you will have circulation problems in your legs and will have to raise your arms too high to type.

Feature 5: The Seat Pan

The best type of seat pan for a desk chair is one that has a rounded or waterfall edge at the front. The seat pan is basically where you sit. The seat pans with rounded or waterfall edges take pressure off of the legs and help with circulation. There is a mechanism known as a forward slider that will adjust the depth of the seat pan. You are trying to adjust to three to four fingers between the back of the knees and the front edge of the seat pan so that there is optimum circulation to the legs. The width of the seat pan should extend at least one inch on both sides in order to have the best comfort. There should also be a tilt adjustment so that one can keep the pressure in check at the back of the thighs. Optimum leg circulation is the key here.

Feature 6: The Arm Rests

Arm rests are critical to taking tension off of the shoulders and neck. The arm rests should be quickly adjustable for different tasks such as one position for reading.

Feature 7: Fabric

You will want to choose a fabric that “breathes” well so that you don’t sweat a lot. Of course you will also want to choose a fabric that is appealing to the eye.

Feature 8: Stability

This goes without saying. You don’t want a desk chair that is unstable for safety’s sake. This chair should tilt with you but not to a point where it easily topples over. Casters should be hard for carpeted floors and be coated with rubber for hard surfaces.

In summary, take the time to carefully shop for your desk chair. Injuries due to poor posture can be very painful and counterproductive. You need to remember you will be in your chair a lot. If you are uncomfortable or even just slightly irritated by the chair you are sitting in, it will most likely increase over time so that you will find that it interferes with your productivity and even your mood. Being just a little unhappy about your chair will affect you every time you sit in it. And any back pain form your chair can affect you 24/7 not just when you are sitting.

Useful Resource for Better Office Posture

Get Fit While You Sit

FitBall Exercise Ball Chair – with Choice of 55cm Ball

Ergonomic Office Chair at a Great Discount

High Back Mesh Ergonomic Task Chair With Adjustable Arms [BT-6001-GYBK-GG]

Improve Your Existing Chair With Lumbar Support or a Pillow Wedge

POSTURE PERFECT MASSAGING BACK SUPPORT CUSHION WITH MEMORY FOAM. YOUR SEAT SOLUTION.

Angel Sales PosturePro Lumbar Support

Stress Wedge – Office Chair Pillow, Pillow for Chair, Chair Pillow, Chair Cushion

Edwin Passorio
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/top-8-features-to-consider-when-buying-a-desk-chair-92003.html

Technorati Tags: back lumbar support, Bad Posture, desk chair, good posture, office chair

Building core strength is the second important step to improve your posture. If you’re struggling with bad posture, you have probably had this experience: it’s easy to straighten up and stand tall, but it’s exceedingly hard to stay standing straight and tall for more than–say 10 seconds.

The reason? Well, as we shall see in later posts, there are many, but a major one is lack of core strength. Proper core strength is what gives your body the support it needs to stay in good posture, not just hold it momentarily until you sink back into your usual bad posture. We once read somewhere that the force of gravity pulls on the body at a rate of 33 lbs per square inch. That’s a lot of downward pull! Without proper core strength, there is nothing left to hold your body up other than the spine. Without core strength, the weight of the body begins to hang on the spine, and this gradually pulls the spine down, exaggerating its curves and pulling you into a slump. The result: chronic bad posture. We see that a lot in people who don’t have a regular fitness program and don’t have the posture support afforded by strong core muscles: as they reach their 40s and 50s, the spine gradually begins to give in to the pull of gravity, the upper part of the chest caves in and they slump into a forward head posture. If not halted early on, this can easily develop into hyperkyphosis, that unflattering dowager’s hump, over time.

While there’s lots of information out there about building core strength, most of it focuses on creating abdominal strength. The kind of core strength you need to improve posture and prevent forward head posture is not the kind you get from building that ripped six-pack ab look. The core strength training needed to reverse bad posture must involve all core muscles. And, for proper posture support, the training you engage in must also train the muscles to work together in a coherent, integrated manner.

So what exactly are the core muscles involved in improving posture? Your core muscles consist not just of the abdominals, but of your entire trunk musculature: The muscles of the spine (back extensors) the muscles between the vertebrae (the multifidi), and of course, the abdominals. Most abdominal strengthening focuses on the more superficial abdominal muscles, but for people who want to build posture support and reverse bad posture the abdominal that’s most important is the Transversus Abdominis, the deepest of the abdominal muscles. For best results, corrective posture exercises must engage the whole trunk musculature in an integrated, holistic way.

The great thing about strenghtening core muscles is that it will do a lot more than simply help reverse bad posture. A weak core is one of the leading causes of back pain, especially lower back pain. The core is also the center for all your movements and the seat of power for your entire body. Building a strong core affects us not just physiologically by creating greater posture support and preventing back pain, mentally and emotionally even, a strong core affects our inner well-being and strength.

Strengthening the core should never be a painful and tedious workout–if you hate crunches, you’re not alone. We’ve collected some fun resources that can help make core strengthening and corrective posture exercises more enjoyable and even let you do it while you sit at your desk at work. Follow this link to view our selection of posture support and core strengthening resources.

For more information on core strengthening, also see this article.

Getting to the Core of Exercise

Technorati Tags: Bad Posture, Corrective Posture Exercises, Forward Head Posture, good posture, Improve Bad Posture, Posture Support

Everyone knows the cute little children’s song about the leg bone being connected to the hip bone. In an illustration of this point, the back and abdominal muscles are all affected by one another as they form a girdle around the lower torso. As a consequence, your posture and posture support muscles affect how your tummy looks. To improve your posture, start by improving the strength of your abdominal muscles.

Bad Posture, Big Belly
This first step to losing a belly is to stand and sit up straight. This actually has a few different effects. First of all, slouching accentuates belly fat, so simply sitting up will make you appear slimmer. Second, improving posture helps improve the strength of your back, which of course makes it easier to maintain good posture longer. Third, bad posture leads to back pain, which makes abdominal exercises difficult. Having good posture will make it easier for you to work out your abdominal muscles and whittle down that belly. Lastly, a nice straight posture enhances blood flow throughout the body, particularly to the legs and lower back, both of which are involved in many abdominal exercises. So, if you are trying to lose a belly, the first step is to simply sit and stand up as straight as possible as often as possible. Do that, and you are already on your way!

Back Extension
For the reader familiar with the crunchless crunch, this move will seem similar but backwards. For this exercise, you will need to start by lying on your stomach with your forehead on the floor. You may use a mat or towel to cushion your pelvis and head. Position your arms by your sides, palms up. Contract your back muscles to lift your torso off the floor. Hold the contraction briefly, then release and slowly lower your torso back down to the floor. Repeat for an entire set.

The next part of this exercise begins by extended your arms out above your head (picture a superhero flying through the air). Now lift your legs off the floor simultaneously while keeping your head and arms held in place. Try to imagine your legs growing longer as you are lifting them up. Hold your legs up briefly, then slowly lower them back to the floor.

Doing these two things will help you strengthen your back and improve your posture, which are great first steps to losing an unwanted belly. You will also want to continue working on your back muscles and other core muscles, such as the transverse and rectus abdominus. Abdominalexercises that work the core will help you straighten up your posture, lose belly fat, and gain muscle tone in both your back and tummy. As with any workout routine, be sure to consult a professional before beginning and always warm up properly to avoid injury.

Li Ming Wong
http://www.articlesbase.com/weight-loss-articles/lose-your-belly-by-improving-your-posture-209930.html

Technorati Tags: Bad Posture, good posture, Improve Bad Posture, Posture Support

A strong, healthy back and good posture plays a tremendous role in how well you age. We’ll even go as far as saying that it is one of the most overlooked secrets to healthy aging. If you keep your back healthy, you’ll not only avoid the long painful back pain episodes that 80% of the population is cursed with at one time or other. You’ll also keep the rest of your body healthy and well functioning in more ways than you can imagine.

How?

First of all, your structural balance or posture—that is, how well-aligned your spine, pelvis, and hips are—determines how the force of gravity is distributed through your body. This in turn affects the health of your joints. Those aching hips, knees, or tight shoulders and neck many people develop after they enter their 50s? A lot of that can be avoided by keeping you back well-aligned so your joints are not exposed to the extra wear and tear that comes from poor spinal alignment.

Good posture creates structural health and balance, which is a key to healthy aging. A strong, flexible, and well-aligned back not only gives you a tall, confident bearing that makes you look much younger than your years, the health of your back also influences numerous aspects of your personal health, including your digestion, your breathing, and you energy. No matter how old you are, the health of your back exerts a tremendous impact on your overall health, your well-being, and vitality.

Improving back health and reversing bad posture is not just about creating a healthy, more integrated alignment that will protect your from falling victim to the kind of chronic aches and pains that otherwise mar the ability to enjoy life. It is about unlocking your body’s full potential for health, for longevity; it’s about forging a foundation for full expression and happiness all through your life.

A strong, healthy back gives you a strong, integrated center, which allows you to move effortlessly and fluidly through life. Moreover, the improvements you make to the health of your back today will not only make a difference in how you move and feel today; they will determine how fit and agile you are 20, 30, and 40 years from now.

It’s never too late to invite greater structural balance, grace, and ease into your body. Use the resources on this website to explore ways to develop the strength, flexibility, and alignment of your back.

Technorati Tags: Bad Posture, good posture, healthy aging