Why Alternative Seating Options For The Office Are Beneficial For Your Health

Have you noticed recently that your employer is offering alternative seating options for the workplace? Having access to soft seating and other alternative seating arrangements is a growing trend in many work environments. Various university studies conducted over the last decade indicate that sitting in one position all day at work can lead to chronic health conditions such as obesity, heart disease, migraines, and repetitive motion disorder.

Additionally, being in an office chair for more than a few hours can also cause ongoing back and neck strain. Therefore, companies who wish to help their employees experience health and wellness on the job are turning to various alternative seating options. Having other seating options can be beneficial to your health, as a working professional. Here are just a few of these benefits.

Gives you a reason to get up and stretch while at work. Depending on the type of job you have, you may currently be forced to spend hours sitting in one position for long periods of time. When you have an alternative seating option, you can get up periodically to stretch tense muscles and reduce stress on your body.

Provides alternative seating positions for body muscle groups. Being stuck in one place for a day’s work can cause your muscles to cramp up and not function as well as they should. Over time and misuse, your muscles may even atrophy, leaving your limbs weak and prone to injury. Alternative seating gives you a chance to sit in different positions and use all your muscle groups equally.

Encourages more group connection and collaboration. Emotional health is something that can suffer while stuffed into a tiny cubicle in a bad chair all day. Instead, the workplace should opt for more open work areas so that employees can work together on projects, communicate freely, and share the load.

Promotes better circulation and oxygen transfer. Having access to alternative seating at work can also provide more circulation to the body. This, in turn, increases the body’s ability to get energy enhancing oxygen to all body systems, which improves productivity and health.

Helps to whittle the waistline while at the office. It’s common for office workers to carry around too much weight in their middles. This is mostly because they have little options for using their abdomens while sitting 40 plus hours a week. Alternative seating in the office gives workers the ability to use these muscles, which can tone them and burn more calories.

Reduces toxins and digestive ailments. When employees are able to switch up their seating options throughout the work week, this helps them to be less stressed. Being less stressed can prevent stomach acids from building up, which aids in digestive problems. The body naturally sheds unwanted toxins with added activity.

Alleviates stress on the back and neck. One of the worst positions for the back and neck to be in is forward sitting. Yet, this is the position that most people spend the majority of their work day doing, especially since the advent of computer workstations. Being able to have alternative office seating gives employees the ability to find more conformable positions that take stress off the back and neck.

Makes better use of total office resources. Instead of limiting employees to one small area to be productive, alternative seating arrangements offer a wide range of meeting and working areas. This can greatly enhance creativity and innovation in a company, which leads to greater work satisfaction. Ultimately, this enables employees to feel happier and more appreciated; two factors that contribute to emotional health and well-being.

So, before you scoff at the idea of trying out new seating arrangements in the office, consider how this can help you to be a healthier working professional. For more ideas on different chairs that might work for your space, check out Seats and Stools’ site.

About the author: Lisa Steele is a respected freelance author within the home and garden industry that has gained a wealth of knowledge over her 10 years of experience. When she’s not writing, you can find her covering Seats and Stools commercial seating.