How to choose a comfortable office chair

I WAS recently asked about the best chair to sit in for a day of office work. It’s a tough question because there are lots of answers – not all of them practical.

For example, consider the fit ball. It’s a great way to ensure you are sitting upright, and the instability of it keeps your core muscles firing and active, rather than encouraging them to switch off.

Unfortunately, a fit ball isn’t allowed in many offices due to health and safety rules, so it’s often out of the question.

The next step is an ergonomic chair, but everyone selling office chairs these days is selling an ergonomic one. What does that even mean now?

Here are some tips:

● Find a chair that encourages you to sit back into it. Sitting forward for a prolonged period at your computer can lead to considerable back and neck strain.

● Lumbar support is crucial. When you are sitting back into your chair, you want something that encourages your back to maintain its natural curve.

● Also important is an upper back support that doesn’t encourage you to lean too far back, or you will find you start to slide down in the chair.

If you find your work posture is causing you pain, or if you want to avoid this being the case, see your local chiropractor for a professional assessment of your posture and the health of your spine.