Is kneeling at your desk good for you? [Detailed Guide]

Are you one of those diligent office workers who, while maintaining a healthy routine, experience physical aches all day long and lose energy while completing office tasks? 

This may be due to slouching or sitting on your desk for prolonged hours. 

Yes! It goes without saying that sitting for prolonged hours is adversely associated with health outcomes, including cardio-metabolic risk biomarkers, type 2 diabetes, and premature mortality. 

Adopting the same posture for long hours affects health and work productivity by putting pressure on our lower back. It is important to preserve the natural posture of the lumbar curve. That being said, there should be some way to avoid these risks and improve your posture while working, right?

One way to do that is by using a kneeling chair.

The question arises in your mind: Is kneeling at your desk good for you?

The answer to the question is YES!

Even the Research studies suggest that ergonomically designed kneeling chairs set at more than a 20 degrees inclination maintain standing lumbar curvature to a greater extent than sitting on a standard computer chair which helps reduce lower back pain, neck pain, improves blood circulation and overall energy levels.

???? Let’s discuss about kneeling at desk.

Kneeling vs. Sitting – The way you rest matters

Have you ever explored that many of us spend more than half of our day sitting? Sitting in the office, driving back home, at a dinner table, watching our favorite show, and the list goes on. 

Office workers are more likely to spend long periods sitting and frequently complain of backaches, lack of concentration, and lack of vitality. Is the solution to stop sitting? NO! But to adopt a correct posture while sitting. 

Sitting 90 degrees straight for long hours in an office chair is more likely to put a long-term adverse effect on our health by placing pressure on the lower part of the body. The condition worsens even more when we spend most of the time hunching on the desk as it adds strain on our shoulders and affects blood flow. 

The kneeling at desk offered by an ergonomic office chair works the best in this regard. A kneeling chair distributes body pressure by supporting it by the shin and offers the natural S- curve to the spine.   

Why kneeling at a desk works better 

You already know that slouching posture and a straight sitting posture for extended hours have negative repercussions on our spine. It is often recommended that office workers switch between kneeling and sitting to maintain their health. 

Let’s discover whether is kneeling at your desk good for you, and the positive outcomes of adopting kneeling at the workspace.

Natural Spinal Posture

Many office workers don’t pay attention to their spinal alignment as they work. Switching to a kneeling posture at my office desk helped preserve the spine’s natural S-curve by supporting the body weight by the shins and modifying the pelvic angle to lessen back and hip pain. 

Strengthen muscles 

The kneeling posture adopted activates the core muscles due to the absence of back support and allows you to work in harmony. The activation of muscles leads to better balance and stability in your daily routine. 

I found Birch Ergonomic Kneeling Chair a handy resource for achieving great benefits with kneeling. As it can be adopted for the soft and comfy cushions to keep the curve maintained throughout the sitting time. 

Energy and productivity

If you’re wondering whether is kneeling at your desk good for you! You may consider the fact that working in a kneeling posture helps to stay focused and more productive.

Indeed, it is impossible to do the best at work while mentally and physically down. Kneeling at desk helps to reduce the pressure on the back and makes it easy to work by not getting distracted while trying to adapt to a comfortable posture comfortably. 

This healthy impact of kneeling makes one feel energetic and promotes work efficiency. 

Breathing and digestion improvements

The kneeling posture takes off the pressure from the internal body organs. This reduced pressure activates the metabolic system resulting in improved digestion. 

After considerable lessened pressure from the diaphragm, the breathing is enhanced too.

Maximum Comfort 

Sitting long hours on a traditional office chair causes pain in the back. The kneeling posture helps relieve the back pain, offers maximum comfort to the seater, and enhances work efficiency. 

Is sitting on ergonomic chairs a bad thing?

No, an ergonomic office chair offers the best posture to adapt to a healthy sitting. Ergonomic chairs offer a full package, from increasing productivity and maintaining the spine’s natural shape to burning calories. 

But, nothing is perfectly perfect! 

An ergonomic office chair gives a comfortable feel, making the office workers lazy. This laziness affects their work efficiency and allows them to sit on the chair for prolonged hours. 

So, Is kneeling more healthy than sitting?

The answer is a big YES! Kneeling at your desk helps you avoid the health risks associated with sitting for long hours

How often should you kneel on desk?

Excess of anything is not good, and the same applies to using a kneeling chair. As the kneeling chair restricts leg movement, it badly affects the blood circulation in the body and places undue pressure on the shin, leading to knee pain when used for prolonged hours. 

After spending 30 minutes seated in kneeling chairs, it is preferable to take a stroll. A little body stretching and taking deep breaths can give the best outcomes of kneeling at a desk.

FAQS

Is kneeling for long bad?

Using a kneeling chair excessively is not a smart idea in any situation. Kneeling for long is bad because it puts excessive pressure on the shins, causes joint stiffness, restricts leg movement that can affect blood circulation, and cause knee pain. 

Is kneeling chair good for back?

If you’re suffering from back pain and wondering whether Is kneeling at your desk good for you?

Yes, it is (but also discuss with a physiotherapist for a better course of action).

The ideal approach for your back is to switch to a kneeling chair since, in comparison to a flat chair, it encourages an anterior pelvic tilt and improves lumbar lordosis (the low back curvature of the spine).

What’s the healthiest way to sit?

The healthiest sitting position is one that places the least strain on the lower back and maintains the spinal disc’s natural S-curve. An ergonomic kneeling chair best offers this posture.

What is the most ergonomic way to sit at a desk?

The most ergonomic way to sit at a desk is to maintain a natural curve of the spine and keep a distance between the knees and seat of the chair to ensure proper blood flow. The frequently used things should be in reach and the computer screen at an eye level so that you do not slouch at your desk and put a strain on your neck and shoulders.

Do kneeling chairs help hip flexors?

By relieving some of the pressure from your glutes and hamstrings, the kneeling chair aids in treating hip flexors. It lengthens the hip flexors, which become stiff from sitting in a conventional chair for long periods.