The Healthy Office Worker

As an Ergonomics Specialist who primarily focuses around office workers, I’m often asked “What’s the best office chair?” or “What’s the most ergonomic chair?”

This is a valid question because most of the chairs on the market are absolutely terrible on the human body for long duration sitting.

When you’re shopping for an office chair, consider the following:

1. Don’t automatically look for the word “ergonomic” in the title. Office furniture companies have caught on to the marketing magnet of this word. What the consumer usually fails to realize is that anyone can use this word on their product and get away with it.

2. Don’t assume a chair is high quality because of its looks. Many companies have taken quality brands and tried to mimic the look of them, yet failed to include the adjustability features to make the chair comfortably fit you.

3. Never judge a chair by its price. Some of the thousand dollar chairs out there aren’t all they’re hyped up to be!

So what do you want to look for in an office chair? Try to look for adjustability features. Because we all have differently shaped bodies, it is highly unusual for one chair to perfectly fit you. By allowing adjustments for height, seat pan depth, lumbar support, backrest height, and arm rest height and width, you will be sure to allow your chair to fit YOU, not the other way around. Also try to find a chair that has the ability to recline. RECLINING IS GOOD as it will allow a more comfortable and less fatigued sitting position throughout your work day.

So which chair would I pick?

My personal favorite is the Steelcase Leap. It’s very intuitive, has all of the adjustments that one would need and it’s also hailed as the favorite from all of the clients I’ve dealt with. I especially love the arm rest adjustments as they will allow you to fit almost any shoulder width and forearm length.

My second favorite is the Herman Miller Aeron. This seems to be the most widely known “comfort chair.” It has many of adjustment features needed to maintain comfort. A big draw to many is the mesh material used on the seat pan and backrest. It allows for better “breathing.” It also has a very comfortable lumbar support adjustment which can be moved vertically to fit the small of your back. The only drawback in my opinion is the limited arm rest and seat pan depth adjustability. Doesn’t beat out the Leap in my opinion, but still an excellent chair.

My third favorite is the ErgoGenesis Bodybilt. This seat works great for individuals who are larger in stature. They have big memory foam seats (good for tailbone discomfort) and all of the adjustability features you’ll ever need. One of the features that I really like is the lumbar support. There is an air bladder within it that you can pump up / release on the back (like the old school Reebok pumps).

Please email me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for any other seating questions you may have. I know there are a lot of options out there and I would be more than happy to help you make the right choice.

Stay Safe,

The Healthy Office Worker

The term “ergonomic” has been overly exploited by product advertisers in the past and present.  Thousands of products on the market claim to be “ergonomic,” but many fall short of the true meaning. 

To me, “ergonomic” means comfort and increased productivity to a large range of people.  Because we all have a different genetic makeup, limitations exist due to longer or shorter torsos / legs/ arms, wider shoulders, and varying degrees of strength and range of motion (just to name a few).  Do these products marketed as “ergonomic” help solve these limitations?

As an ergonomics consultant who has worked with thousands of computer users, I can say with certainty that sit to stand desks get my ergonomic stamp of approval!  Here are a few reasons why:

1.       Enhances Movement – Sit / stand desks increase movement by allowing end users to consistently change postures throughout the day.  If your back begins to fatigue from sitting, with the touch of a button you can raise your desk and stand up.  This helps increase circulation and delivers oxygen to fatigued areas.  I wouldn’t advise standing the entire day either, so when this position becomes uncomfortable, you can lower the desk and sit down again.  This constant change is posture and position is great for your musculoskeletal system!

2.       Reduces Muscle Tension – The second most frequent reason that my clients request an ergonomic assessment (behind low back discomfort) is due to shoulder and neck strain.  The primary root cause of this issue is shrugging and reaching while typing.  Most of the time, they are doing this because their desk is too high for them.  A sit to stand desk allows the end user to lower the desk to an appropriate level in which they can type with their shoulders relaxed and their elbows close to their body.  This reduced muscle activity will drastically reduce strain and fatigue to these areas.  As a rule of thumb, your keyboard and mouse should be at a level that your shoulders are relaxed and your hands are parallel or slightly below the level of your elbows.

3.       Burn Calories – Studies have been conducted that prove that the body burns more calories standing than sitting.  This is due to an increased Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (or NEAT).  Now, we’re not talking about rapid caloric expenditure, but who wouldn’t mind burning an extra 30 to 50 calories an hour?

These are just a few of the benefits that I’ve found that have helped my clients.  There are tons of brands out there for sit/ stand desks and after dealing with many of the manufacturers, I would put The Life Desk at the top of my list.  They are the easiest to deal with as far as customer service and their price point is awesome for the quality of desk you get.  The main reason I started using The Life Desk to order sit / stands for my clients is because they can build a customized desk to fit an individual’s specific need or situation.  If that’s not “ergonomic,” then I don’t know what is!

Stay safe,

The Healthy Office Worker

How could a small device such as a laptop or smart phone have such serious long-term effects on your body?  Could computers and technology really be negatively affecting your wellbeing?  Absolutely!  Although these devices may seem harmless (as I’m sure your using one right now as you read this), they can have a serious repercussions over time.

As an ergonomics consultant and a fitness & nutrition enthusiast, I have the opportunity to notice and uncover the HUGE negative impact that computers have on human health.  How, you might ask? 

There are many risk factors, but I’m going to touch on the most important one which is lack of movement.  Your body requires movement.  By getting up and regularly moving around, you can solve a lot of these developing issues.    One type of risk that develops from lack of movement is musculoskeletal risks (muscles, tendons, joints, bones, eyes).  Movement helps increase circulation.  The enhanced blood flow delivers fresh oxygen to fatigued areas as well as removes lactic acid that causes discomfort.  Movement also keeps your spine healthy.  Every time you sit down, your spine begins to lose fluid, leaving you more susceptible to injury.  As you get up and move around, your spine regenerates this fluid which reduces compression of your spinal discs and prevents them from rubbing against each other.  

Not only can lack of movement cause musculoskeletal risks, it can also affect your cardiovascular system.  Technology has continually allowed the human race to become lazy.  Instead of walking, we drive cars.  Instead of manual labor, we type on computers.  Instead of walking in the park, we play video games.  Just as the musculoskeletal system requires movement, your cardiovascular system also requires movement (if not more)!  The more sedentary lifestyle that one leads, the more susceptible they become to diseases such as coronary heart disease, diabetes, obesity and atherosclerosis.

The final risk factor brought on by lack of movement that I wanted to mention is stress.  Many studies suggest that physically active individuals have lower rates of anxiety and depression than sedentary individuals.  Unfortunately, if you work at a computer 40-50 hours a week, and watch TV another 10-20 hours, you could already be considered sedentary, even if you exercise regularly.  The brain requires movement and caloric expenditure for proper functioning and wellbeing.

These are just a few of the issues that I see every day working with individuals in an office or technology-based job setting.  The solution?  Get up and move around!  Park in the furthest parking spot, drink lots of water to force more bathroom breaks, plan “walking meetings” when possible, and walk or go exercise during your lunch.  If you think these risks are going to suddenly disappear, you’re wrong unless you do something about it!  Be proactive with your health.  Incorporate plenty of movement throughout your day, exercise regularly, and watch what you eat.  

Stay safe,

The Healthy Office Worker

As an ergonomics consultant, I’m often asked by clients, “How can I become more ergonomic in the office?”  Working in this field, I see all of the misuses of the word “ergonomic.”  Most of the time, it will show its head on an advertisement for a product that they consider “ergonomic.”  What exactly does that mean?  To me, the term ergonomics means fitting a task with a worker.  So, going back to the original question, “How can I become more ergonomic in the office?”  

The first step to becoming more ergonomic in the office is to IDENTIFY YOUR BEHAVIORS!  Try to notice your postures throughout the day.  If you are feeling pain or discomfort, what are you doing to cause those issues?  There is ALWAYS a root cause.  If your neck is hurting you, where are you looking most often?  Does your monitor or paper document require you to turn your neck or do you have to look down at your laptop?  Maybe you notice low back pain occurring every day.  Do you have to reach to type or mouse?  Is your screen too far away from your eyes causing you to lean forward to read the text on it? 

As humans, we are very good at developing bad habits.  Unfortunately for all of us, the more we practice these bad habits, the better we are at executing them.  A majority of the injuries I see are not caused by repetitive tasks, but rather bad habits.   Do you cross your legs when you sit?  Do you keep possessions such as a wallet in your back pocket while you’re sitting?  Habits such as these can affect the positioning of the spine which compromises its resilience. 

Once you’ve identified your behaviors, the second step to becoming more ergonomic in the office is to IDENTIFY YOUR LIMITATIONS! Let’s go back to the neck pain example.  Maybe you’ve identified that your neck is hurting because you’re staring downward at your laptop screen all day.  The limitation here is that the screen is set at a fixed height which happens to be too low for your viewing angle to maintain a neutral neck position.  This is the bread and butter of ergonomics.  By setting your laptop onto a stand (or even a few books) and connecting an external keyboard and mouse (because your laptop keyboard will now be too high), you’ve now solved the behavior and limitation by incorporating a solution that FITS YOU TO THE TASK.  Even better, it doesn’t always take an expensive “ergonomic product” to solve the problem. 

To recap, ergonomics is no more difficult than identifying your behaviors, identifying your limitations, and then coming up with a solution.  For more ways to improve your health in the office, visit www.getofficestrong.com

Stay safe,

The Healthy Office Worker

Hello everyone!  My name is Patrick Lohman.  I work as an Ergonomics Consultant for a safety firm in Indianapolis, IN.  So how does one become an Ergonomics Consultant?  Or better question...what in the world is an Ergonomics Consultant?! Well, I come from a fitness background.  As a former athlete, I was always enthralled with the human body, more specifically human performance and health.  Whether it was losing weight, building muscle, or increasing speed and agility, I always wanted to know THE HOW and more importantly, THE WHY?  Why does the body physiologically adapt to exercise or movement?  Why are some athletes stronger or faster than others?  

To answer these questions, I decided to pursue an undergraduate degree in Exercise Science from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana.  They have one of the top programs in the nation and almost all of THE WHY questions were able to get answered.  After I graduated, I moved out to San Diego where I trained athletes from the ages 6 through pro.  My favorite part of this job was the biomechanical assessment.  I learned that by firing the muscles in the correct sequence and using correct form, I could INSTANTLY get athletes to run faster, lift heavier weights, and jump higher just by making small adjustments.  This concept really resonated with me...I think of it as a shortcut to reaching one's MAXIMUM POTENTIAL. 

I decided to go back to grad school at Indiana University and came across Ergonomics in the Kinesiology (the study of human movement) program.  I remember at the time thinking...what a strange word.  The more I looked into the field, the more I realized its need and importance.  There are so many people out there who work every day and come home in discomfort, fatigue, or pain from the tasks that they are performing all day long.  After my "aha" moment, I pursued the degree and specialized in Human Biomechanics and Motor Control.  Once I graduated and entered back into the workforce, I immediately began working as an Ergonomics Consultant.  Most of my contract work has been through a large company in Indy. There, I run and manage the ergonomics program. When someone is suffering from pain or discomfort caused from their work tasks (whether they work in a lab, at a computer, or in an industrial setting), I come in, assess the risks that are causing the pain or discomfort, and engineer out the root cause through equipment solutions and behavioral changes. This saves the company hundreds of thousands of dollars by preventing these costly injuries from occurring or progressing and also helps to improve employee morale, but the BIGGEST savings is in PRODUCTIVITY.  If you can allow tasks to be done more comfortably, you're usually going to allow an increase in productivity. Believe it or not, most of the injuries that I see occur with individuals who sit in front of a computer all day. Poor posture and lack of mobility are causing these serious musculoskeletal issues.  In addition to these injuries and illnesses, there are a multitude of health issues (poor cholesterol, high blood sugar, ect.) that are associated with these low-mobility jobs. In a perfect world, everyone who works at a computer would have an Ergonomics Consultant to improve their workstation set-up, along with a Personal Trainer / Nutritionist to keep them motivated and in good health.  Well, in these tough economic times, we all know this isn’t very realistic.  For every company who doesn't have a robust ergonomics and wellness program, where someone like myself magically fixes their problems, employees or free-lancers are left to fend for themselves, scouring the internet for useful data to improve their own health.  THIS is the reason that I decided to start this blog.  Everyone out there deserves GOOD information on keeping themselves healthy, rather than all of the fluff brought on by marketers.  On the ergonomics side, I will share with you information that goes way beyond what you can find in a book.  With over 1,000 office ergonomic assessments under my belt, I’ve dealt with just about any situation you can think of.  I’ve learned to work with so many different types of people…some young, some old, some with pre-existing health conditions, some healthy, some very appreciative, and some demanding and rude!  Through all of these dealings with individuals, I’ve been able to find ways to ALLOW them to work in a healthier office work environment.  This is accomplished through identifying bad behaviors and finding ways to improve these behaviors.  In order to accomplish this goal, it’s my job to find the best arrangement or equipment solution that fits a specific situation or individual.  Ergonomics is certainly not a one size fits all concept!  Due to my experience with office ergonomics, I’ve found what works and what doesn’t work for individuals in specific situations, and there’s a reason for that…it’s because I LISTEN to my clients during my assessments and ASK QUESTIONS to uncover the root cause.  I never throw the “Ergonomics Book” at anyone.  I want to find a solution that’s going to fit them and that they are comfortable with.  Through the experience and feedback that I’ve received, I’ve been able to uncover the WHY of what’s causing a client’s shoulder fatigue or wrist pain (believe me, the list goes on and on…).  The concept that most people can’t grasp is that if your body is in discomfort, SOMETHING is causing it.  To go along with this, ANY discomfort is preventable (or at least minimized) with the proper solution.  On the exercise and nutrition side, I have always kept an eye out for new and interesting information.  Knowing how the body functions (all the way down to the cellular level), I can usually see through “the smoke” of all of the inaccurate MIS-information that we all come across each and every day. 

If you have questions or problems regarding exercise, nutrition, ergonomics, or office ergonomics, PLEASE email me and I will do my very best to give you useful, candid feedback.  I would be more than happy to review any information that you come across and assess the validity or claim it makes.  I usually have a very keen eye for BS! As for office ergonomic products, I’m always looking for new products that will help improve health and productivity.  If you have a product that you think helps accomplish this goal, send me a demo and I’d be more than happy to let my clients and colleagues try it out for future recommendations.

If you are experiencing office ergo issues, please provide me with a picture of YOU working at YOUR DESK (someone else will probably have to take the picture).  Also provide me with the type of problem or discomfort that you’re experiencing and the tasks that you are performing.  If you would like me to showcase your picture / situation on my blog, please include in the email:  “I, (state your name), give you permission to post my picture and problem/discomfort on the blog, The Healthy Office Worker.”  I want to use your situations and pictures to help educate other readers (if you don’t mind!).  I will keep your name anonymous (unless you want me to share) if I decide to post.  Please direct emails to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  If you’re finding my advice useful, PLEASE click on the Facebook “Like” symbol on the right-hand side of this web page.  Also on the right-hand side of this page, you can sign up for my newsletter to receive my blog posts via email and receive exclusive product discounts and coupons.  Thanks for following me and I hope to provide you with plenty of useful information in the future!

Stay safe,

The Healthy Office Worker