Top 5 Benefits Of Sitting in a Kneeling Chair
Sitting for too long in the same position could be bad enough for your health. If you are supposed to sit for long working hours at your home or workplace, you might find yourself uncomfortable with aches and pains.
Besides other regular chairs, kneeling chairs grab the attention of people as it offers an entirely new way of sitting for a good posture proper. Are you still confused about the benefits of kneeling chairs? Or some questions might pop up in your mind about the correct way to use this chair.
In this article, we are going to discuss the benefits of the kneeling chair along with its cons and the proper way to sit in this chair for your good health and posture.
What is a Kneeling chair?
A kneeling chair is designed to promote active sitting. When you are sitting in the kneeling chair, your body is slightly shifted forward due to the angled seat. This helps to take the pressure off your buttocks and lower back.
There are padded knee support below the seat for your shins. This unique style helps to stop giving a C-shape to your spine.
This chair is considered pain relief because when you are sitting in this chair, it distributes your whole body weight evenly and lessens the stress on the disc of your spine.
Most of the chairs are adjustable and you can easily adjust the seat height and curve according to your desk.
History of Kneeling chair
The original kneeling chair was invented in the 1970s by Hans Christian Mengsheol. Three Norwegian designers developed the chair with wood on the same principle.
In this advanced technology era, kneeling chairs come with Metal frames but the style is almost the same as the original one. The main idea behind the chair was to improve bad posture and uncomfortable sitting periods.
Modern kneeling chairs are equipped with a backrest. But it is not necessary to have this component. For more support, some chairs have padded armrests. These additional components are for comfortable long sitting sessions.
The proper way to sit in a Kneeling chair
If you want to get maximum benefits from this chair, then you must know the proper way of sitting in a kneeling chair. Some people experienced aches and pains even after using this chair. The only reason is that they use it in the wrong way.
While taking the seat in your kneeling chair, first sit on the seat, take a moment to adjust then place your knees on the knee pad. It is important for stability. Don’t ever place your knees before sitting in the chair. If you are using the kneeling chair for the first time. It would take time to adjust.
Once you get used to it, you won’t ever experience shin, back, or shoulder pain. Just make sure that you are sitting correctly in the chair or else it may cause issues like back pains and new aches. We have gathered some possible sitting options for you. Try to switch between these positions throughout your workday.
3 Possible Positions to sit on a kneeling chair
- Sit on the seat and place both your knees on the knee pad.
- Sit on the seat and place your one foot on the floor and outstretched other feet.
- Sit on the seat and place your right/left knee on the knee pad and place your other feet on the knee pad.
5 Benefits of Kneeling chair
The principle used in the designing of the Kneeling chair is to reduce health issues that are caused due to sitting for too long. It can help you with back pains and other posture problems.
1. Improve posture
After long working hours, people usually get poor postures. The Kneeling chair improves your posture as you can’t slouch in the chair which reduces the pressure on your backbone. It provides a 110-degree angle from the back to the thighs and a 60 to 70-degree angle from the thigh and shins that offer a natural sitting position for the body. The seat is slightly curved to take the pressure off your spinal cord. Bad posture is due to a C-shape of your spine.
A kneeling chair helps to stop making this shape through an angled seat. Your neck, shoulder, and back are aligned to give the best posture to your body.
2. Breathing and digestion
A kneeling chair provides a comfortable and natural position to the body that offers the body organs to work in a better way. When you are sitting in the kneeling chair, none of your organs are compressed so your digestion improves. This style of sitting opens up your pelvis that helps to improve your breathing as well.
3. Muscles strength
After using this chair, your muscles gradually strengthen. It is because there is usually no backrest in the kneeling chair that offers an active sitting. This makes your core muscles strong and stable.
4. Reduce back and hip pain
While using the kneeling chair, your hips are shifted forward due to the angled seat. This helps the body to distribute the weight evenly. Therefore, there is less stress on your hips and lower back.
5. Improve Circulation and Increase creativity
Due to discomfort and back pains, your productivity level might slow down. When you are using the kneeling chair, all of the organs work in the way they should. It ensures good blood circulation as it encourages good posture. Because of better blood circulation, your brain is full of energy and it works well to increase your creativity at work.
Disadvantages of Kneeling chair
This chair has some minor drawbacks as well.
- As you have to place your knees on the knee pad, your legs are restricted to move around. This may cause circulation problems in your legs.
- A kneeling chair is very different from a regular chair. It is a little complicated to sit down or get up in a short time.
- Due to the angled seat, the pressure is on your shins. This may cause pain after using it for prolonged periods.
Pro Tips to overcome the disadvantages of kneeling chair
Every problem has its solution. We can overcome or minimize the weaknesses of a kneeling chair through some tips and tricks that are as follows.
- Most of the drawbacks occur when you use this chair for a long time period. Keep your traditional chair as an alternative. Try to switch between both chairs during your working hours.
- If you are in the office and can’t interchange between the chairs again and again, just switch between the sitting positions that we mentioned above.
- Try not to use the kneeling chairs with backrests because it can cause back pain over time. Using armrests is preferable for your comfort level.
FAQs
What is the purpose of a kneeling chair?
A kneeling chair is designed to provide ergonomic support and comfort by positioning the user in an upright posture with their hips slightly forward, while their knees are below hip level. This reduces strain on the spine, shoulders, and neck, providing better posture and circulation throughout the body. Kneeling chairs also encourage active sitting which can help improve core stability, balance, and posture.
Are kneeling chairs better than sitting?
Kneeling chairs can be beneficial for people who experience back pain when sitting in a traditional chair. They provide support and reduce pressure on the spine by adjusting posture to an upright position while allowing the user freedom of movement.
Are kneeling chairs good for sciatica?
Kneeling chairs can provide ergonomic support and help reduce tension in the spine which may be beneficial for those suffering from sciatica.
Is kneeling chair better than standing?
Kneeling chairs are beneficial for people who have back and posture problems as they offer more support, while standing can lead to muscle fatigue.
Conclusion
With a number of amazing benefits, a kneeling chair is a good option for those people who are supposed to sit for a long time at their workplace.
A kneeling chair is much better than other regular chairs but it doesn’t mean that you can sit on this chair for the whole day without moving. To get good results, you should probably switch positions.
With correct use, this chair will eventually reduce back pains and digestion problems and improve blood circulation throughout the body.
