Better ergonomics with Backforce while working from home

11.03.2022

Better ergonomics with Backforce while working from home

You have an ergonomic chair - in the best case a Backforce - and think you have set up your workstation optimally? In the following, we'll give you a brief overview of further tips and tricks to help you work even more ergonomically in your home office.

That's not to say you're doing anything wrong with your current setup. It rather means that many of the setups we see are quite a workable solution, but only for the short term as a temporary interim solution. This works well if you only work in your home office every now and then. However, if you're going to be in the home office for a longer period of time, the following tips can be quite helpful:

Tip: the correct placement of your workstation

If possible, the desk should be placed in a separate room to create the best possible atmosphere for working. If this is not possible, you can also use another type of separation, such as partitions.

If the workstation is located in your bedroom, there is a risk that you will not be able to mentally get into work mode, because you are in an environment that you do not normally associate with work, but with relaxation and rest. This puts your body in a relaxed mood, which can be counterproductive for your work.

Tip: Optimize lighting

A very simple but very effective measure to improve ergonomics. You can adjust the lighting relatively easily - firstly the quality and secondly the orientation.

Daylight is best, of course. Therefore, your workstation should be placed as close as possible to the window. A little tip: The viewing direction should be parallel to the window and the light should come from the side. This prevents a high difference between screen and daylight as well as glare and other stresses.

If there is no daylight or you simply do not have the possibility to position your workstation in this way, you will have to resort to artificial lighting. Here we recommend a mix of indirect and direct lighting. A desk lamp is always recommended. However, make sure that the work surface is properly and above all evenly illuminated with at least 500 lumens.

Tip: Basic ergonomic equipment

The basic equipment in the home office, which strongly influences the ergonomics are desk, chair, mouse and keyboard.
The desk and chair must allow you to sit ergonomically correct at your workstation in the home office and should still be comfortable even after sitting for a long time and not restrict you in any way. This also means that a sofa, coffee table or dining table are no substitute for a proper desk or chair.
Important: height-adjustable desks and ergonomic chairs for the home office are purchases for life!
Mouse and keyboard are not lifetime purchases. However, ergonomic alternatives can be chosen here as well. Classic mouse and keyboards have the disadvantage that they force our entire arms, shoulders and hands into unnatural postures, which can lead to long-term health problems.
Here you should inform yourself well and possibly "test typing and clicking"!

Tip: More movement

Everyone should have heard it at least once by now: we sit far too much and no longer move sufficiently in our (working) everyday lives. In addition, many of us sit incorrectly! Sitting too statically and, above all, too one-sided is the biggest problem here. This leads to tension, back pain and other complaints. There is a simple antidote: dynamic sitting! A good, ergonomic chair allows you to constantly move your upper body. Like the Backforce One, which allows constant movement thanks to its adjustable synchronous mechanism. In addition, we recommend - if you have the possibility - that you also work standing up from time to time.

But even with the most ergonomic chair, we recommend that you take breaks from time to time and make use of them. The best breaks are active breaks, which you can use to move (home office workout, walk, sports, etc.).

Tip: Ergonomic work with the laptop

Many of us have a laptop to work with in the home office. Laptops are great for mobile use on the go. Less so, however, for working at a fixed workstation at home. The screen, keyboard and mouse should be separated from each other and a little bit away from each other to meet the requirements of ergonomic working. Therefore, we recommend you to work with a docking station / laptop holder and separate input and output devices when working on the laptop for a longer period of time.