There is a lot of buzz around gaming chairs, but are gaming chairs good for your back? Besides the flamboyant looks, how do these chairs help? This post discusses how gaming chairs provide support to the back leading to an improved posture and for better work performance. It also discusses how having better posture means overall wellbeing in the long run. 

Sitting in cheap office chairs for a prolonged period leads to poor posture.  Poor posture also affects your mood. A bad posture affects the position of your bones, muscles, and internal organs in the body. This exerts pressure on your muscles and tendons, leading to conditions that can be hard to reverse. You may experience trouble sitting for long hours or even sitting at all.  

Slouching also causes breathing problems, stiffness in the joints, and poor circulation. All of this can lead to chronic fatigue. It is a major concern, given the modern sedentary lifestyles. The journey of our ancestors from hunter-gatherers to farmers resulted in decreased mobility and lower limb strength. Today, an average American spends 13 hours sitting and 8 hours sleeping per day; 21 hours of sedentary time.   

A sedentary lifestyle is bad for your back, but it’s an inevitable outcome of modern work.

Slouching Hurts Your Back

It’s true that sitting for too long is bad for your back regardless of the kind of chair you use, but a cheap office chair increases the likelihood of health risks in two ways. 

Cheap chairs encourage sloppy sitting habits ii. A saggy spine causes severe strain on the neck, back, and shoulders.  

Over time, chronic strain may give rise to many health issues, such as: 

• Excruciating Muscle and Joint Pain 

Poor posture strains the muscles and joints, forcing them to work harder. The increased pressure results in chronic pain in the back, neck, shoulders, arms, or legs. 

• Migraines

Poor posture strains the back of the neck leading to migraines.

• Depression 

Many studies hint at a possible link between poor posture and depressive thoughts. Your body language speaks a lot about your thought process and energy levels. People with a straighter posture tend to be more energetic, positive, and alert. In contrast, people with sloppy sitting habits tend to be lethargic.  

Gaming chairs are an effective solution as they keep the spine aligned when sitting. The reduced stress translates into higher energy levels, and you can sit for long hours.  

How Do Gaming Chairs Work? 

Besides having a comfortable sitting experience, gaming chairs also provide support to your back, neck, and shoulders.  

Unlike the office chairs, gaming chairs are ergonomically designed, keeping in view the sedentary lifestyle. Even the padded chairs may do no service. A well-built gaming chair supports your lower and upper back, shoulders, head, neck, arms, and hips. 

A good gaming chair helps to maintain the correct posture. When your head is correctly positioned, the strain is taken off your neck. Also, properly aligned spine reduces the back pain. When your hips are in the right posture, you can comfortably sit for long periods of time. 

Gaming Chairs Support Your Back

Standard office chairs do not support your back and have serious ramifications. As per the American Chiropractic Association, back pain causes 264 million lost workdays in a year.   

On the other hand, gaming chairs provide adequate support for your back. Our OM5 Gaming Chair provides lumbar and neck support for users sitting long hours, making them perfect for gamers. As well as adjustable armrests, and in some cases, adjustable lumbar support.

Good Posture: The Many Benefits

A good posture helps to keep the spinal muscles aligned, enabling them to carry the body’s weight. The longer you sit correctly, the better your posture becomes. Correct posture yields many benefits, including: 

• Reduced Joint Stress 

Awkward sitting positions cause tension on the lower body and hips, thereby stressing the joints.  

• Increased Energy Levels 

The properly aligned body reduces the workload of the muscles providing ample energy for other productive pursuits.  

• Improved Digestion 

Slouching hurts your back and compresses your body organs, thereby affecting their functionality. 

• Reduced Migraines 

Poor posture strains the back of the neck leading to migraines. 

Correct posture helps to deal with all these issues; it elevates your mood, boosts energy, and increases productivity.  

Gaming Chairs Can Help With Posture Therapy 

While a gaming chair has many benefits, the key is to use the chair correctly. When you sit in a gaming chair properly, your body is trained to align into the correct sitting posture. It might be uncomfortable in the beginning as the muscles need conditioning.  

However, once you get used to a gaming chair, the muscular pain will reduce. This will strengthen the muscles in your core, back, and buttocks. A properly aligned body enjoys higher energy and overall wellbeing.

Follow these steps for using a gaming chair properly.  

1. Sit evenly across the seat; properly distributing your bodyweight.
2. Adjust the chair’s height to allow the knees to bend at a right angle.
3. Do not cross your legs; keep your feet flat on the ground.
4. Keep your chair closer to the desk and adjust the monitor level 
5. Let your elbows rest on the gaming chair armrest and relax your shoulder.  

Final Thoughts 

Perhaps, it is clear by now that gaming chairs are good for your back. They are the perfect solution for sitting disease. Whether you work for a few hours or longer periods, gaming chairs provide back support and straighten your posture. Gaming Chairs strengthen your core muscles, making you feel more energetic. A correct sitting posture contributes to overall wellbeing and enhances productivity.  

Souce: https://www.ergodirect.com/blog/gaming-chairs-are-they-good-for-your-back-and-posture/