If you spend the greater part of your day and night sitting on your behind while you study for exams, cram for a test, or complete assignments, you are in all likelihood a high school, college, or university student. You may be glued to the computer or tied to a desk, but sitting in a sedentary position for hours on end is part and parcel of being a student these days. The bad news is that while you’re earning your degree or getting all those good grades, you could be unwittingly creating havoc on your musculoskeletal system.
The medical evidence is in: Prolonged sedentary sitting or standing can lead to physical aches and pains and even more serious medical conditions. Students, secretaries, receptionists, data entry workers, and office employees are complaining to doctors about upper and lower back pain, neck and shoulder strain, headaches, stiff or cramped leg muscles and joints, and other aches and pains resulting from poor sitting posture and lack of mobility|Doctors, physical therapists, and chiropractors are reporting increasing numbers of patients – among them secretaries, receptionists, office workers, and students – reporting to them with back, neck and shoulder pain, recurring headaches, cramped leg muscles, and stiff joints}.
The answer lies in an ergonomic chair, a new type of chair design for students and office workers. What sets ergonomic chairs apart from standard chairs is their built-in adjustability mechanisms. Since each individual has a different physique, no one chair suits all. Depending on your body type – fat, thin, tall, short – your body requires a different type of support while sitting. Ergonomic chairs, such as a student mesh task chair, were created to meet these exact needs. They feature an adjustable height mechanism, an adjustable back tilt, an adjustable seat tilt, adjustable armrests, and a swivel option. Taking advantage of these options, you can essentially mold the chair to match not only your physique but to suit the surrounding furnishings, such as the height of your desk. If you are a student, you can’t afford to risk neck and eye strain and migraine headaches from tilting your head to look up at the computer screen all day. You also can’t afford the back pain which results from sitting slumped or slouched in a chair with poor lumbar support or which is clearly not the right fit for your build.
The area of your back which requires the most support for good sitting posture is near your lower spine. This is why many ergonomic chairs actually conform to the curvature of your spine, offering maximum comfort and support in all the right places! Many ergonomic chair backs are made from materials with some “give,” making them flexible rather than stiff, which alleviates pressure on your back and allows you some freedom of motion, such as leaning backwards to stretch while you sit .
Of course, if you’re investing in a new student chair, you want to buy from the best in the business, such as Office Master seating. Before you head to the checkout counter, be sure the chair you have chosen is functional and not just fashionable and comfortable. Beanbags may be great for decorating your dorm room or relaxing after a long day, but they don’t get the job done when it comes to studying and acing your assignments.
