If you have to sit in an uncomfortable, non-ergonomic chair every day, it can cause many problems for your health. Whether you’re working from home, working in an office, or even working at your kitchen table, the chair you choose is important. 

Not only is your chair choice vital in making sure you don’t cause any damage to your body, but it’s also vital in making sure that you stay focused and motivated at work. A bad chair could cause your body pain, distracting you from your tasks at work. 

Unfortunately, upgrading your office chair is expensive, and you could pay hundreds of dollars for a chair that doesn’t meet your standards. The best, most affordable way to upgrade your office or home desk chair is to purchase a seat cushion. 

The Importance of Seat Cushions

A poorly designed office chair (or any type of chair) puts too much pressure on your tailbone, hips, and lower back, causing damage over time. The longer you sit on a poorly made chair, the more likely you are to have ongoing pain associated with that pressure. 

Sitting for long periods of time has shown to be linked to mental health problems like depression, as well as various health issues, even early death. Unfortunately, if you work an office job or an occupation that requires sitting for long periods, there’s not much that you can do about it. 

Sure, you could opt for a standing desk or make the point to get up and walk around frequently, but this doesn’t solve the problem. Taking brief walks throughout the day is a great way to get your blood pumping, but it won’t prevent you from developing pain from an uncomfortable or poorly made office chair. 

Side Effects of Poor Posture

Poor posture can cause all sorts of problems throughout the body, including: 

• Spine curvature: Over time, your poor posture can cause changes to the natural curve of your spine. This is because you’re putting an excessive amount of pressure on it while sitting in the wrong position. Bad posture may deteriorate your spine’s ability to absorb shock. Not only can you cause damage to your spine with poor posture, but your spine may be more susceptible to damage later in life.
• Back pain: If you’re not sitting up straight, you may experience pain in your lower back, upper back, and neck muscles. 
• Headaches: The strain that you put on your neck by sitting with poor posture can lead to tension headaches. If you frequently experience tension headaches, you may want to evaluate your sitting position. 
• Poor sleep: If you’re unable to relax your body at night because of all the pain you’re experiencing in your back and neck, you may not be able to get a proper night’s sleep. 

Sitting with poor posture and prolonged sitting, in general, may also be worse for people who experience or have the following issues: 

• Sciatica
• Diabetes
• Hemorrhoids
• Varicose veins
• Chronic back pain 
• Leg numbness 

How a Seat Cushion Can Improve Your Overall Health

Approximately 80% of the entire population is affected by some kind of spine-related disorder. Spine health, back pain, and tailbone pain are all too common throughout the population. Whether it be from sitting with poor posture or from a poorly designed office chair that doesn’t give you the support you need. 

Adding a seat cushion to your chair will give you the support that you require. You can get seat cushions for the base of your chair (such as a seat cushion with a coccyx cutout to relieve pressure on the tailbone) or for the back of your chair, such as lumbar support back pillow. 

There are so many options out there; did you know that adding a seat cushion to your chair helps with more than posture and comfortability? There are actually many other benefits associated with seat cushions, including: 

Posture

We’ve talked about bad posture and the issues that it can cause your body. If you’re experiencing issues with good posture, spine curvature, or coccyx pain, a seat cushion can help relieve those issues. Memory foam seat cushions will provide the contoured support necessary to make your posture better. 

Less Compression

Inadequately designed seats put way too much pressure on your hips and tailbone, causing pain and compression in those areas. A high-quality seat cushion will help redistribute the pressure to protect your body from deteriorating in those areas. 

Circulation

Compression from regular seats not only causes pain but restricts blood flow throughout your pelvis, legs, and back. Because of this, your tissues don’t get as much oxygen as they need to function properly. By using a seat cushion, the compressive force will be redistributed, allowing blood and oxygen to flow correctly. 

Digestion

Poor digestion can also result from the compression of your lower body, causing constipation, heartburn, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). When your body isn’t as compressed, your digestive tract has more room to properly take care of business. 

Comfort

Of course, comfort is key. Having a comfortable place to sit will help you stay on task without distraction and prevent you from developing pain. 

Energy

If you end each workday feeling like you’re in pain from sitting in a non-ergonomic chair each day, you likely won’t have much energy to do much else. Sitting comfortably will prevent that pain from occurring, meaning you’ll have more energy to take on the rest of your day after work. 

Make Your Chair More Comfortable with a Seat Cushion

Our seat cushions are made out of memory foam and gel infusion, meaning they’ll contour perfectly to your body, giving you the perfect amount of support. The gel infusion will keep you cool throughout the day while also allowing the fabric to be breathable. 

If you’re dealing with a poorly made office chair, your best bet is to add a seat cushion or two to make it as comfortable as you can. 

Sources:

Sciatica: Causes, Signs, and Diagnosis | Healthline

Tension Headaches | Web MD

The Rising Prevalence of Chronic Low Back Pain | US National Library of Medicine