Let’s be honest; living a healthy lifestyle is something that we all want to achieve. By making better lifestyle choices, you will be able to gain the confidence you need along with the comfort you deserve. Getting your hands on an ergonomic chair makes it possible to accomplish all these.

We at APOL, are passionate about your health and happiness. The founder of APOL used to face many back and neck pain issues from prolonged hours of sitting.

 

 


He tried numerous ways to reduce the pain by changing chairs to find one that is affordable and provides a decent amount of ergonomic support.

After feeling frustrated for years, the founder and his partner decided to work together to come up with customised chairs that cater to customers who are cautious about their body posture and health conditions.

It was then the founder decided to launch APOL in the Singapore market. The purpose of APOL chairs is to provide users with the ultimate comfort to maximise their long sitting hours at an affordable rate.

In addition, ergonomic chairs also help to support the spine, decrease stress on the bones and joints while keeping you alert and motivated.

 

That being said, how effective is an ergonomic chair?

Firstly, you must know a base definition of what ergonomics means. The term implies the process of designing a product that is tailored to fit the needs of the users.

It also aims to learn about human abilities, limitations and apply this learning process to improve people’s interaction with the product and the environment. 

Many of us who have desk-bound jobs are aware of the risks from prolonged sitting for 8 hours straight.

This includes back and neck pain, weight gain, developing type 2 diabetes or heart disease and experiencing depression and anxiety.

Sitting for hours at a time also increases the likelihood of slouching, which impacts the muscles in your back and can lead to chronic lower back pain problems. It is proven that chronic sitting without lower back support can cause short and long-term effects on your health and body such as a loss of motivation, slower metabolism and low energy expenditure.

Despite being reasonably active, prolonged periods of sitting - such as reading a book, working on the computer, or watching TV - tightens the hip flexor and hamstring muscles and stiffen the joints themselves. 

 

 

If you’re not obtaining enough physical activity daily, it’s not too late to turn it around.

Thinking of these health issues should be just enough to get us out of our chairs and start moving. With today's office environment, this is definitely possible.

Sometimes, taking short stretch breaks or walking around your office may help to alleviate some of your worries. Furthermore, engaging in regular exercise obtains numerous health benefits.

Some health benefits would include keeping your heart, lungs and bones healthy, improvement in mental health and keeping diseases at bay.

However, if you're fully engrossed in a task or project, these minor acts of self-care can be easily forgotten.

Investing in a quality chair that supports your back such as lumbar support in an ergonomically designed chair is the antidote to your chronic back pains and your personal health.

The swivel in an ergonomic chair helps users with their mobility, making it easier to reach out to different points of their desks without having to strain excessively.

Consequently, this benefits individuals by improving overall job performance, increasing stamina throughout the day, and can even help to build better professional relationships.

Nevertheless, a good ergonomic chair isn't one that fits all sizes. You are required to make some tweaks when sitting down and ergonomic chairs are best used when they are adjusted according to your personal needs.

Since most desks cannot be adjusted, it is important to be familiar with the ways to adjust the ergonomic chair to be able to get the best sitting experience. 

 

 

So, how can we sit better to improve our sitting posture in an ergonomic chair? 

  • Sit up straight and look ahead without straining the neck

  • Maintain a good distance of at least an arm's length away from your screen. 

  • Keep the shoulders relaxed.

  • Rest your back against the chair. Use a backrest (Lumbar support) or cushion if your back does not meet the chair.

  • Forearms and knees should be parallel to the floor when possible.

  • Maintain a small gap between the back of the knees and the chair.

  • Keep your feet flat or rest them on either the floor or a footrest.

  • Ensure your ankles are positioned in front of the knees.

  • Avoid crossing knees or ankles while sitting.

 

Combining these good postures with ergonomically designed chairs, you now have a recipe for comfort.

Plus, you'll be less likely to feel fatigued and your attention span will remain sharp as you work for hours.

Thus, it is crucial to follow the fundamentals of good posture and use it as an active sitting instead of a passive one.

A good quality ergonomic chair is the solution to provide you with the support you need as you make it through another workday.

- APOL, 11.05.2021