Do Chiropractors Recommend Kneeling Chairs?

Back pain is extremely prevalent, with more than 80% of people experiencing it during their lives. There are a variety of circumstances that lead to back pain, from sports injuries to psychological stress. One common cause of back pain is the poor posture from sitting for extended periods of time.

You may not realize it, but your chair may be the culprit of your poor posture. Many chairs don’t allow your body to sit in a good ergonomic position. Kneeling chairs allow your body to have better spinal alignment to avoid straining your lower back.

This guide will go over why chiropractors recommend kneeling chairs to help reduce any discomfort you experience throughout the day and enable you to sit with proper posture.

What’s a Kneeling Chair?

At first glance, a kneeling chair doesn’t quite look like a chair. They present you with a completely new way to sit. Their design is intended to ease any pains or aches that you experience from sitting in one position for multiple hours in a row.

The kneeling chair positions your body to have an open hip angle. Your thighs and bottom are supported by one of the pads. Your shins and knees are supported by another pad.

By sitting in a kneeling position, your hips are eased forward. That position encourages your body to align in an upright position. As a result, your shoulders, neck, and back are in better alignment.

Are They Good for You?

Adding a kneeling chair as a different seating option to your office or workspace is a great way to encourage additional movement. Regularly moving throughout the day is good for your body. It forces you to move out of static positions that will slow your body down.

Additionally, these static positions put pressure on your neck, shoulders, and lower back. When you sit for long periods of time, it can slow down your metabolism. When your metabolism slows down, it decreases your body’s natural ability to:

• Regulate blood pressure
• Break down body fat
• Regulate blood sugar

A kneeling chair helps promote active sitting. Since the chair doesn’t have back support, your core muscles are needed to keep your body upright.

When Should I Use an Ergonomic Kneeling Chair?

You should sit in a posture chair when you have short tasks that require you to lean forward, like drawing, sewing, or typing at a computer. The reason why short lengths of time are recommended is that the chair confines your legs to a single position. This can increase the pressure under your kneecaps and slow the circulation to your legs.

If you’re tall, then a kneeling chair might be uncomfortable for longer lengths of time. You can alternate between your regular office chair and kneeling chair to maximize the benefits of a kneeling chair.

You might feel awkward or stiff the first time you sit in your kneeling chair. Your bones and muscles are used to sitting in one seating position. It’ll take time for them to acclimate to a different position.

If you’ve been sitting in a poor position for a long time, your body has to build up its core muscles in the lower back. You can do different exercises to build back up their strength.

What’s the Right Way to Sit In a Kneeling Chair?

The bulk of your weight should be carried by your bottom. The knee pad is solely there to support your shins and knees.

As you first sit down in the kneeling chair, start by sitting on the kneeling seat. Then, move your body into a kneeling position, keeping your weight on the bottom.

It’s vital that you change up your seating position throughout the day. One way to sit is to put both of your feet directly on the floor, keeping your legs outstretched.

Another way is to keep your right knee on the pad but put your left foot onto the floor with the leg extended. Alternate the movement between both legs.

What Type of Kneeling Chair Should I Get?

There are many different types of kneeling chairs available for you to purchase. Each one is designed to help promote better body alignment and ease any discomfort you experience throughout the day.

Kneeling Chair/Stools

The classic design functionality of the Variable™ balans® kneeling chair allows you to easily vary your position throughout the day. You can shift between different positions to find your body’s perfect balance point. The chair has curved runners, which let you gently rock as needed.

With this chair, it’s vital to keep most of your body’s weight on your hips and 10 to 15% on your knees and shins. Your kneecaps shouldn’t touch the padding of the knee pads. Keeping them off the pads will help your body be more aligned.

Kneeling Chair With Backrest

What sets the Thatsit™ balans® kneeling chair apart from other kneeling chairs is the backrest. You can transition between using the backrest as support for your back or flipping the chair around to lean forward.

You don’t even need to use the backrest if you don’t want to. It functions as a kneeling chair whenever you don’t want to lean back.

This comfortable posture chair lets you switch up your positions throughout the day, which is vital to promoting whole-body health. You won’t have to worry about navigating multiple chairs throughout your office or workspace.

No matter what type of kneeling chair you select, you’re guaranteed to start feeling better in no time. Allow your body time to adjust to the proper sitting posture. Any aches and pains you’ve been feeling due to bad posture will start to diminish as you get used to your new chair.

Invest in Quality Kneeling Chairs Today

You shouldn’t have to suffer through daily aches and pains due to bad posture throughout your day. Chiropractors recommend kneeling chairs as they help your body maintain its natural curvature of the spine and ease discomfort in the lower back. We hear a lot of customers saying that their own chiropractor recommends kneeling chairs through varier.  We are sure your chiropractor will also highly recommend and endorse our ergonomic active sitting products.

To pursue our full line of kneeling chairs and other posture-related furniture, visit our online store.