School chairs are a significant source of stress for people of all ages. Many get headaches, backaches, and general aches during those long school days. This article will examine how school chairs could be made more comfortable to reduce their effects on students’ health.
Most people know that a well-seated office chair can lead to severe backaches, but school chairs and their problems are often overlooked. School chairs have become a staple in the average classroom throughout the last 100 years.
Table of Contents
Why are school chairs so uncomfortable?
1. There Are No Armrests
The lack of armrests is an essential source of stress in school chairs. During the school day, students are forced to sit back in a chair with no support on their arms.
This moves students’ arms and hands into an awkward position (especially when they get tired) and often leads to muscle pain and other aches in these areas.
Students sitting this way for hours are forced to stand up and stretch, which adds to their daily stress levels by increasing the times they get up during a school day.
2. Lumbar Support is Nonexistent
The lumbar area is located deep within the lower back. It is essential to give back support, but it is also vital in allowing us some freedom of movement (such as when you get up from your seat and walk around the classroom).
While school chairs don’t have lumbar support, the way that chairs are designed can cause some severe damage to this area. This is because students tend to sit too far back in their chairs.
If children are all forced to sit back that close for too long, it will cause them a lot of pain around the lower back, so they should sit at least as close as possible to allow for extra room for comfort.
3. You Sit in a Chair Way Too Long
Another factor combined with the last two elements is that students tend to sit in school chairs for too long. This causes them chronic aches and pains.
This occurs because students are forced to sit in their chairs, which leads to them putting no effort into getting out of the chair.
Because of this, their arms get sore from having to prop up their body for these prolonged periods, and their legs get sore from supporting their body weight for an extended period, causing them constant aches and pains.
4. There’s Not Enough Movement
A common mistake many students make is that they typically restrict their movements in their chairs as if they are strapped in and unable to move, even though this is not the case.
Students do not have to sacrifice movement for comfortability, so being allowed to move around in your chair often will help keep your muscles from cramping up and your back from becoming stiff.
5. Seat Height is Too Low
Another factor that contributes to uncomfortable seating is the seat height itself. Schools often make seating arrangements such that chairs are too low for students to sit all day comfortably extended, which causes them pain below the shoulders.
A high-enough seat height should be available to all students so that they don’t have to stand up and sit back down repeatedly during the day because this will cause them a lot of stress.
6. The Seat Itself is Too Narrow
The width of a school chair’s seat also creates an uncomfortable chair. The schools tend to make chairs with extremely narrow seats, which forces students’ legs into an unnatural and awkward position that leads to strained muscle groups below (especially the lower legs).
This can cause muscle pain and damage the knees over time if not given any relief from this position.
7. The Seat is Too Firm
Lastly, the extent that a student’s chair is reclined (again, this is an essential factor to consider when trying to choose a seating arrangement that allows for maximum comfort) can contribute to causing aches and pains as well.
If a student’s chair is also wholly upright, but their feet barely touch the floor… no matter how long they sit in their chair. This can cause feet and legs to numb after sitting in them all day.
8. The Seat Itself Has Poor Cushioning
School chairs often use cheap cardboard or thin foam as seat material. These materials tend to be highly uncomfortable, especially when students are forced to sit for long periods.
Those sitting in these chairs for extended periods often find that the seat material presses on their lower legs and makes them sore.
9. The Seat is Too Hard
Finally, the height that a seat is can also contribute to making it highly uncomfortable. If a student’s chair is too high, their feet will feel numb if they hang out or don’t touch the floor (this can happen if they sit on top of other students’ feet).
This, combined with poor support on the upper body and limbs, causes aches and pains in different parts (especially arms and legs).
10. The Quality of The Chair Itself is Poor
Another significant negative factor that affects students’ comfort in chairs is the quality of the chair. Many schools use old, worn-out chairs (which can seriously risk students’ health).
The cheap materials used in these chairs can cause students to feel uncomfortable, while even worse made poorly, they will often break down completely over time. Investing in new quality school chairs made with quality materials is essential to give students the most comfortable seating choices possible.
Conclusion
Students’ comfortable seating choices are essential to give maximum comfort to all students. Allowing extra breathing room can significantly improve their ability to sit and learn while allowing for enough comfort to prevent muscle aches and pains, making it easier for students to sit in their seats for more extended periods and concentrate on their schoolwork.
Always choose a properly built chair that ensures the highest comfort possible so students can do their best work without getting hurt.