Studies have confirmed that sitting for longer durations could trigger back pain or repetitive strain injuries. These days, when most of us are moving back to offices, we find it extremely tiring and stressful to sit for 8 to 9 hours. In recent times, kneeling chairs have been a hot topic among professionals.
Everyone on the internet is talking about Kneeling chairs and their magical benefits. While going through some articles, we found that the information published on various websites only contains the positive sides. There are a lot of theoretical assumptions made regarding the kneeling chair.
None of these articles talks about the actual impact of kneeling chairs if used for a longer duration.
In this guide, we will talk about these kneeling chairs and their pros and cons. We have tried to present neutral facts about these chairs without sugar-coating any statement.
By the end of this content, you will clearly understand “whether the kneeling chairs are actually helpful for you or not.” Besides that, you will also be able to figure out “whether these kneeling chairs are comfortable enough to replace your traditional ergonomic office chairs.”
Let’s begin with a brief introduction to kneeling Chairs.
What is a Kneeling Chair?
The first kneeling chair was made in 1979. However, the concept is pretty old. Back in the day, Buddhists used to use the concept of these kneeling chairs to meditate for extended durations.
Earlier, kneeling chairs were built using wood; however, these days, metal has replaced the wood, and for extra ergonomics, some manufacturers have also started adding armrests to the chair.
These chairs have a sitting posture where your thighs are inclined towards the floor at 60-65 degrees. To support your knees, you also get a knee-rest.
Kneeling Chairs reduces maximum strain from your back and hips and move it to your core muscles.
These chairs ensure that all the most powerful muscles are active throughout the sitting session, especially muscles near the shin and stomach.
While sitting on a kneeling chair, you will find that your whole body weight is towards your legs, and your shins are holding your body.
Benefits of Kneeling Chairs
In this section, we have tried to list all the kneeling chair’s benefits:
- First and foremost, the Kneeling chair enhances your productivity in many folds.
- Your core and shin muscles get more robust, which improves your body’s weight balance.
- Since your tilt towards the floor, i.e., forward, your stomach gets a proper blood supply that improves digestion and reduces gastric problems.
- A kneeling chair eliminates even the minor pains and numbness in the lower back that occurs while sitting on a traditional ergonomic chair.
- If you are suffering from Vitamin B12 deficiency and feel numb at the bottom of your feet, a Kneeling chair is the best option. It increases muscle strength.
- The tilt posture on a kneeling chair helps reduce the pain for people suffering from lower back or disc problems.
Office chairs for back pain are a crucial investment for those seeking relief and comfort. These specialized chairs provide ergonomic support, adjustable features, and lumbar support to alleviate discomfort.
In short, Kneeling is a miracle that can do wonders for people spending hours sitting in front of a desk.
Now, let’s quickly have a look at the shortcomings of these kneeling chairs:
Cons of Kneeling Chairs
No doubt, kneeling chairs have tons of advantages that could have multiple health benefits in the longer run. However, “nothing is perfect.” Kneeling chairs also have their set of cons, some of which are mentioned below:
- While sitting on a kneeling chair for hours, you might suffer from numbness in your shin muscles due to high pressure and poor blood circulation.
- Kneeling chair posture restricts the lower body’s movement; therefore, you might not feel comfortable while walking for some time after an extended sitting session.
- Getting up from the chair and sitting down could be tedious because of the design.
- Reaching out to desk items could be challenging.
Summary
No doubt! Kneeling chairs are a great invention, and the whole world needed them. However, replacing your traditional ergonomic chair with a kneeling chair might not be appropriate.
Quantitively, the cons might seem less in comparison with the pros. But, these cons directly indicate the fact that your lower body might suffer due to poor blood circulation or least movement. Therefore, blindly throwing away the traditional chair from the workspace could be wrong.
We recommend you find a balance between both a kneeling chair and a traditional chair. It is because, after using a kneeling chair for some time, your body would need a more flexible sitting option. Therefore, using both an ergonomic office chair and a kneeling chair alternative would be wise. This way, you will be able to enjoy the best of both worlds.