Are you experiencing back pain from sitting in your gaming chair? Or are your legs perhaps going all numb while you are enjoying your favorite game? Proper gaming posture might just solve this lumbar curve issue for you for good.
This is a pretty common issue with cheap gaming chairs that might not be suitable for your body type. For many, it is better to invest in a premium gaming chair that is designed to support the correct posture. A lot of serious gamers enjoy a lot of pain relief when they find out How to Sit in a Gaming Chair properly.
Buying a new game chair can be expensive. This is exactly why you want to make sure that there isn’t some way you can improve your sitting posture in your current chair.
In this guide, we are going to show you some great tips to prevent poor posture when sitting in a neutral position in your ergonomic office chair.
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How to Sit in a Gaming Chair
Modern gaming chairs come with all sorts of ergonomic features that allow you to adjust the chair to suit your body weight and size better so you can sit comfortably but in a healthy position. You can have the best chair in the world but if you don’t set it up correctly or if you don’t adopt a healthy sitting position, you will always struggle with body pain.
Here is a quick look at the right way to sit on a chair.
Correct Knee and Foot Position
You can sit with your knees correctly in any cheap office chair if you just adjust the seat height properly. When you sit down on your chair, your feet should be placed straight forward next to each other on the floor. Your entire foot should be flat on the floor with a firm fit but softly without adding any pressure onto your ankles. When you sit down on your chair, your knees should be bent at a 90-degree angle. In this sitting position, pressure on the knees and hips is reduced and your blood can easily circulate through your legs.
Adjust the seat height of the chair until you can sit in this position with your knees at a 90-degree angle. If your chair is too high, then you can consider a footstep. If the chair is too low then it might be time for a chair height extender or a new standard office chair.
Correct Back Position
When you sit down on your chair, your back should be positioned against the backrest. The chair’s lumbar support should be positioned in the center of your lower back. If the chair lumbar cushion isn’t providing enough support to keep your tailbone slightly off the chair then you should adjust the chair incline a little bit. While reclining your backrest, you should be careful not to incline it too much. Your head shouldn’t be leaning forward. Your back should be nice and straight with most of the pressure resting on your lumbar support region.
If the chair isn’t offering enough integrated lumbar support then you can buy a loose lumbar support pillow and install it on your chair. There are many different lumbar pillow types including memory foam and cooling gel pillows or mesh lumbar pillows that can help eliminate poor posture. A higher-quality gaming chair with built-in lumbar support might also be a healthier solution for those who want to strengthen their abdominal muscles despite sitting in sitting in a neutral position.
When your lumbar is fully supported, it reduces pressure on your spine and shoulders. This neutral sitting position can also help reduce lower back pain, tailbone pain, or shoulder pain.
Correct Lumbar Support
Quality gaming chairs usually have a lumbar pillow that is about 6 – 10 inches above the seat level or that is height adjustable. It is also important to find lumbar support that is going to support the natural curve of your back without pushing your back into a deep s-position. If the pillow is too thin, it won’t offer the needed support. It is usually better to invest in a lumbar pillow that is thicker because they usually flatten over time.
If you are going to buy a new ergonomic gaming chair then you should look for one that offers adjustable lumbar features. These are terrific for maintaining the perfect position even in a reclined position.
Correct Hip Position
It is unhealthy to sit on the edge of your chair because it allows you to slouch too much in your seat. Instead, your hips should be tucked deep into the chair so the lumbar support of the chair can do its work and create that healthy s-shape in your spine. It is also important to sit straight in the chair with both hips at the same angle.
If you have a tendency to move around in your chair then it might be better to invest in a gamer chair with a bucket seat and faux leather. These are specially developed to keep your hips aligned.
Correct Recline Position
Most people find sitting at a 90-degree angle extremely uncomfortable. It just feels too upright and usually results in you bending your neck forward into a poor posture position.
Many believe that a reclined angle of 110 – 130 degrees is a much healthier sitting position when you are busy working in front of a computer. With this recline angle, your lumbar region is fully supported, the spinal muscles are reduced and your body starts to adopt a better-seated posture.
An ideal ergonomic gamer chair should also be able to recline back into a deeper position like the zero gravity position. This way you can take a break from work or gaming without adopting a bad posture position while you rest.
If your chair doesn’t have a seat tilt feature or recline feature then it is better to start shopping for a better gaming chair that will be good for your back.
Correct Elbow Position
If you are working at a desk in front of a computer then you should also be mindful of the chair and office desk height. Ideally, there should be a 90-degree angle between your elbows and the desk you are working at and your elbows shouldn’t touch the desk.
If the desk is too high then you should raise your chair seat up until your elbows are no longer touching and a 90-degree angle forms in your arms.
This chair height can make your chair seat too high to allow your feet to reach the ground. If you cannot position your feet flat on the ground then you should opt for foot support or footstep.
An office chair with adjustable armrests – especially those with height adjustment – can be very helpful for preventing muscle strains in your shoulders. Padded armrest designs can also help reduce elbow pain.
Final thoughts
Once you learn how to sit in a gaming chair, you can easily determine when you have the right gaming chair or if you should look for something better like a racing-style gaming chair that might offer more There is a wider range of comfortable gaming chairs to choose from in many different price ranges. On ChairsWiki, you can use our guides to help you find a good gaming chair with an ergonomic design that will allow you to sit down comfortably and in the correct posture position.
