No one would argue that sitting behind a desk all day is the best thing for your health. Luckily, there are steps you can take to minimise any side effects, one of which is mastering the art of dynamic sitting. When combined with the appropriate office furniture, this could lead to you becoming more comfortable and therefore more productive at work.

Dynamic sitting

One of the big dangers of office work is remaining stationary for such long periods of time. Lack of movement is damaging to both physical and mental health. You can develop stiffness, backache and repetitive strain injuries. Research has shown that sitting for long periods causes the body’s metabolism to slow, which in turn is damaging to your blood pressure, blood sugar levels and ability to break down body fat. This can weaken your bones and muscles. Sitting for long periods can also lead to tiredness and loss of focus, which in turn makes you less productive.

The ideal solution is to avoid remaining seated for extended periods of time; stand up and go for a brief walk at regular intervals. If, for whatever reason, that is not an option, dynamic seating is a way to keep your muscles active even when seated. Dynamic sitting involves movement whilst sitting at your desk, particularly through the hips, torso and legs. Twisting, stretching and bending (preferably in all possible directions) engages your muscles and skeleton so you do not become locked in place.

Office chairs

If you want to practice dynamic sitting, it helps to have a supportive office chair. An operator chair such as those at Best Buy office chairs is designed to be highly adaptable to your needs, with adjustable armrests, seat slides, lumbar pump and weight tension control. Every person has a different physique with different needs, so the ability to adjust your chair is essential.

The aim when practicing dynamic sitting is to keep your centre of gravity the same, even as you move other parts of your body. Adjustable armrests can help when you twist your hips from side to side, whilst a tilting chair back allows you to move your torso back and forth. Even just a minute or two of movement regularly through the day can help.