What happens when you sit on a wrong chair?

With the steady advancement of digital technology, more than half of us spend long hours on our chairs, - be it at home, at the office, or anywhere else. The fact is, we spend most of our waking hours sitting down on a chair. 

With our lives often revolving around extended hours of sitting, it is important to choose a good chair that offers the needed comfort to our bodies.

Sitting on a bad chair is like smoking as it increases the risk of chronic health issues such as heart problems, cancer, etc. A lot of health researchers suggest that sitting for extended hours can impact your health adversely, especially if you are using the wrong chair.

Uninterrupted sitting for long hours on the wrong chair can make your muscles rigid or tense which eventually results in causing bouts of chronic pain.

Well, we probably can’t ditch our desk job as our bread & butter entirely depends on it; but we can definitely invest in a comfortable chair to escape the dangers of sitting on a bad chair.

By using a comfortable chair for sitting, you can strengthen your core & back muscles, and maintain proper posture.

To help you understand the sheer gravity of sitting on a bad chair, we’ve rounded up some of its consequences.

#1. Poor blood circulation

It may sound horrific, but sitting on a bad chair can kill your nerves. Sitting for extended hours on a bad chair can result in causing poor blood circulation throughout the body. Sitting down slows down circulation so it is important to ensure that your chair supports dynamic sitting.

Moreover, insufficient blood flow can build pressure on the thighs & makes the muscles prone to injury. You can offset this risk by using a chair that has a dynamic seat & backrest to promote movement in your body.

#2. Back pain

If you’re suffering from lower back pain, your chair may be the culprit. Sitting on a bad chair could be the root of your back pain as it doesn’t provide the proper support that your back requires to maintain a good posture.

When you don’t provide enough support to your back, the pressure of the disks in your back increases, causing a sharp pain sliding towards the nerve roots of the spine. The disk damage can result in causing chronic back pain as it compresses the spinal nerve root.

#3 Increase body fat

Sitting on a cheap & bad chair can also increase your body fat as chairs lack flexibility, resulting in limiting our body movements. Lack of action & movement in the body can cause fat accumulation & heightens the risk of obesity.

According to the Washington Post, “The pancreas produces insulin, a hormone that carries glucose to the cells. However, when we sit idle for prolonged hours, our muscles become idle & don’t respond to insulin, so the pancreas keeps on producing more & more, increasing the risk of diabetes & other health issues.

Sitting down for long hours can harm your health, but this danger increases when you use a bad & uncomfortable chair.

#4 Decreases concentration

Sitting on a bad chair just not affect your health but your productivity too. If your productivity & concentration is significantly reducing then you should do yourself a favor & get yourself a new chair. 

A bad chair can reduce your concentration level simply because it lacks proper comfort which keeps distracting you.

The worst the chair, the more you will spend your time readjusting your sitting position to feel comfortable & relaxed. Just like a good & comfy mattress is required for sound sleep, a comfortable chair is required for proper concentration.

#5. Increase fatigue

Have you ever experienced fatigue after prolonged hours of sitting on a chair? Well, when your chair is unsuited to your body proportions, it increases the feeling of fatigue in the body. 

A bad chair that doesn’t provide proper alignment to your spine makes your body uncomfortable & restless. This can lead to an increase in the feeling of physical fatigue in the body.

#6. Digestive problems

Many people are not aware of the fact that sitting on a bad chair can also lead to digestive problems. Sitting idle in a poorly designed chair can slow down the digestion process & contribute to many digestive problems such as acid reflux or heartburn.

Sitting on a bad chair can also harm your posture. And surprisingly, your poor posture can alter the position & orientation of our organs, especially the relationship of the esophagus to the stomach.

#7. Anxiety

Believe it or not, being seated on an uncomfortable chair not only takes a toll on your physical health but may also increase the risks of mental health issues such as anxiety, stress, etc. We spend most of our time sitting on a chair- from working in the office, watching television all night to shopping online.

Sitting on an uncomfortable for long stretches can make you feel anxious, and may also cause disturbances in sleep patterns. Sitting in a poorly designed chair can cause eye strain, headaches & chronic fatigue which can further lead to neuropathic disorders.

Final Thoughts

Sitting on a bad chair can bring so much trouble & health issues in your life, and can overall affect your performance in day-to-day life. Well, quitting a desk job may not be possible for everyone, but investing in a good & comfortable chair can surely ease your life & keep all these health issues at bay.