How do I sit comfortably in my office chair?

The Office for National Statistics states that as work hours increase, reported back pain in the general population is also rising - so much so that over 70% of us suffer from back pain at some point in our working lives.

But it doesn't end there. Without ergonomic and supporting seating systems we can develop long term bad posture, repetitive strain injury, eyestrain, carpal tunnel syndrome, increased stress, headaches and tension. It's enough to send you back to bed- and the doctor.

When we address bad seating issues, we increase productivity by contributing to a healthier, happier working environment and significantly reduce time lost to sickness amongst the workforce.

How to choosing the correct chair

Chair usage should be taken into consideration - when the same chair is used every day, it should allow the user to change and adapt the seating position frequently.

Firstly, and crucially, we need a chair that allows us to site in a position that offers the right support for our back, so we can achieve a well-supported and natural balanced position for our spine.

Secondly, we need to sit so that our pelvis is rotated slightly forward and our thighs are angled in a gentle downward direction, encouraging good blood flow to the feet, which should be flat to the floor, or perhaps on a well-adjusted footrest.

Next, we need to sit close to our desks and have our workspace intelligently arranged so that everything we need is within easy reach of both our eye and hand. Computer monitors should be set so that the top of the screen is flat on to our eye line. Computer keyboards should be placed parallel to and at the correct distance from the edge of the desk, and should be about 10cm from the desk edge so your fingertips rest comfortably on the keys. Your mouse and wrist should be supported and the mouse should be within easy reach, to avoid stretching for it or twisting at a damaging angle to reach it.

Also, arrange your work so that you are mostly looking straight ahead. Sit back in your chair and rest your upper body against the backrest.

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