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Working at a computer all day can cause strain throughout your body. Most pain and injury from sitting all day is because of any number of poor body positions. Good posture is the key to minimizing pain and maximizing productivity. The chair you use has the greatest impact on your posture, whether good or bad.

Check out these important pointers in choosing a desk chair that supports good sitting posture and minimizes discomfort:

First, consider the seat pan, or the place where you sit. As you sit in a chair, your hips should fit comfortably, with at least an inch of additional space on each side. Your weight also needs to rest evenly across the pan to eliminate individual areas of pressure, and the chair should still be comfortable after one to two hours of sitting. The seat should not be too deep that it touches the back of your knees.

Secondly, look at the height of the chair. Any good office chair must have height adjustment capability. It is also best if you can adjust the height while in a seated position, to get the correct position. For good posture, you chair height should allow both of your feet to rest firmly on the ground.

Thirdly, evaluate the backrest. The lumbar support is vital to a comfortable work chair. The chair is more flexible if the lower back support can be adjusted. But if it is not adjustable, make sure it properly fits the contours of your body. It is also helpful to have a chair that will easily recline for different positions; it is hard on your body to be in a single position for an entire day.

Lastly, determine if you need armrests. For computer users, it is important to properly support the weight of your arms, without adding strain to your wrists. The more movement you have in the armrests, the better positioning you can achieve. The height of the armrests should definitely be adjustable. When set correctly, your bent elbows should rest on them while your arms are in a relaxed position at your sides. It can also be helpful, but is not necessary, to be able to move them entirely out of the way. Occasionally typing without the armrests can decrease the pressure on the ulnar nerve in your elbow.