Saturday, April 1, 2023
Chair & Desk Sales
ChairsFX
  •  
  • Gaming Chairs
    • Gaming Chair Brands
    • Single Chair Reviews
    • Gaming Chair News
  • Office Chairs
    • Office Chair Brands
    • Single Chair Reviews
  • Ergonomic Advice
  • Ergonomic Trends
  • Accessories
No Result
View All Result
  •  
  • Gaming Chairs
    • Gaming Chair Brands
    • Single Chair Reviews
    • Gaming Chair News
  • Office Chairs
    • Office Chair Brands
    • Single Chair Reviews
  • Ergonomic Advice
  • Ergonomic Trends
  • Accessories
No Result
View All Result
ChairsFX
No Result
View All Result
Home Computing Chair Advice

Gaming & Ergonomic Office Chair Neutral Posture QuickStart

March 23, 2023
Reading Time: 9 mins read
  • Written By Anil Ramsey
ChairsFX is reader-supported. Buying through links on our site may earn us commissions (as an Amazon associate or from furniture brands). This has no influence on our editorial content. See our Affiliate Disclosure for details.

Every ergonomic chair has three essential features. These are adjustable lumbar support and armrests & a reclining backrest. With proper use, this combo supports healthy neutral sitting postures. These relieve stress on the spine and surrounding muscles. As a result, users enjoy long periods of comfortable sitting. With less muscle energy burned, the brain gets more to play with. That sets the foundation to supercharge performance. Here’s documented proof. Learn how to sit in any type of ergonomic chair to boost health, happiness, and productivity.

Neutral sitting posture examples
Neutral sitting postures in a Herman Miller Mirra 2 (left) and Secretlab Titan Evo 2022.

Every ergonomic chair is designed to support healthy neutral sitting positions. With proper support and technique, this will ideally produce a 25-45° lower back curve and 0° neck tilt.

Aeron gaming chair ergonomic support
Used properly, all ergonomic chairs should support a 25-45° lower back curve and a 0° neck tilt while seated.

Achieving a 25-45° lower back curve while sitting will align the entire spine. In mid-back office chairs, that should leave the head balanced atop the shoulders with a 0° neck tilt.

In full-back gaming chairs, a 100° backrest recline + a supported lumbar curve lets the neck maintain a 0° neck tilt by bracing against the headrest.

Neutral posture side sitting view in 4 premium ergonomic chairs
Healthy neutral postures L-R: Steelcase Gesture; Herman Miller Aeron; Secretlab Titan; DXRacer Craft.

In both types of chairs, using proper technique yields similar results.

A well-executed neutral posture aligns the spine as if it were in a healthy standing position. Then, the musculoskeletal system works efficiently to hold the body up against gravity.

Gaming & Office Chair Sitting Quickstart

It doesn’t matter if you use a gaming chair or an ergonomic office chair. In both cases, usage is the same. To get started, adjust the seat height so your feet can plant firmly on the floor. Then, tuck your hips deep into the seat.

Titan and Aeron chair demo: sitting with tucked vs curled forward hips
Tucked vs curled hips in Herman Miller Aeron and Titan 2022 Evo chairs.

Tucking the hips maintains a lower back curve. It also puts your spine in direct contact with your chair’s lumbar support. In contrast, curling your hips forward will flatten your lower and upper spine into a ‘c’ shape.

With tucked hips and planted feet, the chair’s ergonomic components kick in. Adjustable lumbar support maintains a 25-45° lower back curve (the same as a healthy standing posture).

Neutral posture in Herman Miller Aeron chair
Healthy sitting fundamentals in a Herman Miller Aeron.

Then, adjustable armrests provide extra bracing to hold the spine upright. Meanwhile, a tilt-lock reclining backrest lets you customize angles. For upright support, 100-110° recline angles work best.

Neutral Sitting Posture Technique 101

  1. Adjust your seat height so you can plant your feet firmly on the floor.
  2. Tuck your hips as deeply as possible into the seat.
  3. Adjust your lumbar support to apply mild pressure to your lower back curve.
  4. Rest your forearms on the armrests.
  5. Push up with your forearms until your back is straight.

Neutral Posture Physical Benefits

Mastering neutral sitting techniques yields physical and then cognitive benefits. First, practitioners will be able to sit for long periods without discomfort. Then, those with poor posture will notice cosmetic changes.

Adjusting to sitting with good posture
Once muscles adapt to neutral sitting, massive wellness and productivity benefits emerge.

As muscles adapt to neutral sitting postures, standing postures will also improve. Then comes a slew of noticeable physical benefits:

  • Fewer headaches: good posture reduces the neck tension that causes migraines.
  • Reduced joint stress: awkward sitting misaligns the hips. That puts stress on the joints.
  • More oxygen: good sitting posture opens the chest cavity and increases oxygen intake.
  • More energy and focus: an aligned body works muscles efficiently. That leaves more energy for brainwork.
  • Improved digestion: efficient bodily operation speeds metabolism and waste passage.

Ergonomic Seating Physical & Mental Benefits

Neutral Sitting Mental Benefits

Sitting unsupported for long periods places a massive strain on the musculoskeletal system. A good ergonomic chair + proper sitting technique can reverse that. Then, expect your energy levels to soar.

Good posture improve brain functioning
Good posture energizes the brain to power peak performance.

This is the biggest neutral posture benefit of them all. A body with excess energy powers a sharper brain. As a result, users also enjoy sharper focus — and enhanced productivity — while computing.

But excess energy also supercharges discipline. That can be parlayed into maintaining neutral postures. It can also power self-improvement projects beyond the computer.

Gaming chair posture therapy
My gaming chair-powered transformation from 2017-2018.

For example, after mastering neutral postures, I gained the energy to hit the gym, clean up my lifestyle, and lose my beer belly. In fact, these side projects are an integral part of the modern esports performance optimization formula.

How to get rid of technostress forever!
Exercise + good nutrition + sound sleep = esports method to perform at peak levels.

Beyond using good ergonomic chairs, elite players take frequent standing breaks to keep muscles active. When away from the computer, exercise, clean eating, and sound sleep give high-achievers a performance edge.

Summary: Esports Performance Model

Neutral Sitting Posture Fundamentals

Here’s a breakdown of each step in the neutral sitting process:

Keep Feet Planted Flat On the Floor

The first step to healthy sitting in a gaming chair is to adjust your seat height. Set it so that you can keep your feet planted firmly on the floor. This provides all of the power your back muscles need to hold the torso upright.

Gaming chair feet usage

If used to dangling your feet or curling them under the seat, you’ll need practice and discipline. Expect around 2-3 days of effort for that habit to lock in as muscle memory.

Ergonomic footrest to boost height at a desk
Short users should use a footrest for a good fit with a standard desk.

If your desk is too high to sit with planted feet, add an ergonomic footrest. That will let you sit taller in your chair and reduce pressure on your thighs as you sit.

Constant movement while sitting
Easy seated movement: change recline angles and use a footrest.

Another big benefit is that ergonomic footrests make it easy to move while you sit. Imagine the blood-boosting benefits of working your ankles and calves while you play video games!

Sit Taller And More Dynamically With A Footrest

Tuck Hips Deep Into The Seat

The fundamental problem when sitting without support is that the back flattens and the hips curl forward. When upgrading to a gaming chair, muscle memory causes many to continue sitting this way!

Sitting without lumbar support
Unsupported sitting flattens the lumbar curve and curls the hips forward.

Break this habit by replacing it with a new one. Every time you sit down in your chair, make it a habit to tuck your hips as deep as possible into the seat.

Secretlab Titan posture support tips
Tucking your hips ensures that you get the best back support benefits from your chair.

That will keep your hips in a healthy alignment while you sit. It will also ensure that your spine makes optimal contact with the backrest. That’s where the posture magic happens!

Apply Lumbar Support

Based on the feedback we’ve received over the years, this is the part people struggle with the most. Most people make the mistake of setting their lumbar pillow too low or too high.

How to adjust gaming chair lumbar support
Setting a lumbar pillow too high or too low will encourage slouching instead of good posture.

In both cases, those positions will curl the hips forward and curl the upper spine. The trick is to position your lumbar support to fill your lower back curve.

Lumbar support set too low will curl your hips forward. Lumbar support set too high will encourage upper body slouching. Aim to adjust your lumbar several inches higher than the seat pan.

Aeron gaming chair ergonomic support
A 0° cervical tilt + 25-45° lumbar curve produces a picture-perfect neutral sitting posture.

The textbook definition suggests you place your lumbar support around 4 cm deep into the lower back curve. But at what height? A fully-grown adult spine averages 30″ long for men and 24″ long for women.

Gaming chair lumbar pillow height
A gaming chair’s lumbar pillow should sit around 7 inches higher than the seat.

To reach the lower back curve, an average man should position his lumbar support around 7.5″ above the seat. In comparison, an average-sized woman should set her support around 5.5 higher than the seat. Learn more about the technicals:

Ergonomic Lumbar Support Biomechanics For Beginners

Best Lumbar Support Types

In 2022, ergonomic chair shoppers have several types of lumbar support systems to consider:

Lumbar Type Positive Negative
Height x Depth Adjustable Most precise support type Tricky for some beginners to figure out
Height-adjustable No depth-adjustability means less precision Easier to use than 4-way systems
External memory Foam Pillows Super-easy to use and effective Needs constant readjusting
Gaming chair pillow Cheap and effective Tricky for ergonomic beginners to master

Get a closer look at the pros and cons of each type (plus some gimmicks to avoid):

Best And Worst Lumbar Support Types 2022

Recline and Tilting Functionality

Based on updated 2022 ergonomic parameters, these are the key recline angles that health-conscious desk workers should be using:

  • 100°: ensures good back support and a straight neck. Best for intensive deskwork.
  • 110-120° recline: delivers a more relaxed posture with a slight rearward neck tilt. Good for casual gaming or web browsing.
  • 135° or deeper: for napping, resting, and non-computing tasks.

Updated Institutional Ergonomic Standards

Ergonomic standards were recently updated at the institutional level. Since the early 1990s, the focus had been on providing good back support to desk-bound PC users.

Text neck kyphosis damage
Excessive text neck habits can deform the spine and make people physically shorter.

However, the average person now spends around 3 hours daily using a cell phone(1). Most do so with a sharp forward head tilt.

Recently, while researching the harmful effects of Text Neck Syndrome, I was shocked to discover myself a victim of it!

Using a gaming chair with no headrest
My posture test revealed ugly distortion caused by Text Neck Syndrome.

With the help of three famous esports doctors, I was able to address this condition using a Secretlab Titan 2022 Series chair.

Neutral postures in Embody and Titan chairs
Perfect neutral postures: in a $1700 Embody and $560 Titan chair.

The trick: tuck your hips, plant your feet, adjust the lumbar, and set the backrest recline to 100° degrees. Then, the Titan provides the same level of biomechanically-precise support as a $1700 Herman Miller Embody!

How To Achieve Perfect Neck Posture In A Gaming Chair

Deeper recline angles

A sharp 100° backrest recline supports a 0° neck tilt. Even so, most people tend to use their gaming chairs with a relaxed 110-120° recline. This creates a slight loss of postural accuracy plus a mild rearward head tilt.

Mid back seat versus full-back seat with headrest
Using a seat with a headrest creates (and fills) a greater psychological desire for relaxed comfort.

Despite the loss of postural integrity, deeper gaming chair reclines are insanely comfortable. While working from home, this delivers all-day support for a range of activities. Beyond upright deskwork, users can also kick back for casual computing or even napping!

Gaming chair versatility
Full-back gaming chairs provide versatile all-day sitting support.

The problem: using deeper, less posturally-accurate positions too often can degrade your posture. The body adapts to the positions it holds most often. By sitting willy-nilly too often, a gaming chair might cause pain instead of support!

Poor gaming chair sitting style
Gaming chairs are very comfortable — even when used improperly.

Luckily, since the body adapts to frequently-held postures, it’s possible to fix pain issues using a postural reset. That means forcing yourself to sit in strict upright postures for 2-3 days until new muscle memories develop. Learn more:

Troubleshooting: Fix Gaming Chair Back Pain

Seat tilting functionality

Seat tilting functionality isn’t useful while mastering a neutral sitting technique. Rather, it’s a relaxation method that lets you work your hips. Office chairs typically come with a feature called ‘synchronous tilt’.

Herman Miller Embody chair sync-tilt specs
Sync-tilt functionality on the Herman Miller Embody chair

Sync-tilt automatically tilts the seat as the user reclines. In contrast, premium gaming chairs usually come with a manually-activated multi-function seat tilt.

Gaming chair tilt lock feature in pictures
A multifunction mechanism lets you tilt and lock the seat at angles.

Like office chair sync-tilt, this lets you tilt and lock the seat at upward angles. Significantly, both seat tilting systems angle the user away from a work surface. That means disengaging from your work in order to use it.

Synchronous tilt functions vs stretching on a yoga mat
Circa 2023, fancy tilting functions offer an impractical way to take a movement break.

However, circa 2023, if disengaged from work, walking breaks breast flopping around in a chair. Thus, new users should focus on mastering neutral sitting techniques before fiddling with extraneous luxury tilt functions.

Why You DON’T Need Sync-Tilt For Good Posture Support

Conclusion

Mastering good neutral sitting techniques is easy and intuitive. After a few days of sitting this way, expect your muscles to adapt. Then, long periods with near-perfect neutral form will feel effortless.

Neutral postures in pricey office chair vs DXRacer gaming chair
My (experienced user) posture in a $1300 Mirra 2 versus newbie George in a $500 gaming chair looks almost the same.

The above photo shows myself (an experienced ergo chair user) using standard neutral form in a $1300 Herman Miller Mirra. Next to me is a first-time user in a DXRacer Craft gaming chair.

With proper technique, we’re both able to use the chair’s support to maintain good-looking neutral postures.

The bottom line is that proper usage is more important than the type of chair being used. With good form, any chair with adjustable lumbar + arms + recline can do a similar job.

Neutral posture poses in Herman Miller, Steelcase, and Secretlab chairs
Healthy neutral postures: Herman Miller Aeron vs Steelcase Gesture vs Secretlab Titan.

So it ultimately doesn’t matter which type of chair you use. With proper support and neutral sitting techniques, any model can do the job just fine.

Herman Miller Aeron vs cheap office chair
$1800 Herman Miller Aeron vs $45 office chair + cheap lumbar pillow.

In brief, mid-back office chairs better preserve good postures by limiting recline options. In contrast, beyond supporting upright postures, full-back gaming chairs also let you kick back and relax.

Gaming Chairs Vs Ergonomic Office Chairs: Comfort vs Focus

Related: Gaming Vs Ergonomic Office Chairs: Neutral Postures Compared

Footnotes

  1. Pablo Robles. ‘Why your smartphone is causing you text neck syndrome’. January 25, 2019. https://multimedia.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2183329/text-neck/index.html, (accessed 10 April 2022).

Secretlab Titan gaming chairs on sale in March 2023

Details: Secretlab March 2023 Sales Guide

Table of Contents

  1. Gaming & Office Chair Sitting Quickstart
    1. Neutral Posture Physical Benefits
    2. Neutral Sitting Mental Benefits
  2. Neutral Sitting Posture Fundamentals
    1. Keep Feet Planted Flat On the Floor
    2. Tuck Hips Deep Into The Seat
    3. Apply Lumbar Support
    4. Recline and Tilting Functionality
  3. Conclusion

Popular This Week

Best AFFORDABLE Ergonomic Office Chairs For Short People

Best Gaming Chairs For Big Guys: Slim to Obese Over 177 cm+

Best Ergo Office Chairs For Big Guys: 400+ lbs, 5’4″ – 6’6″

Related Posts

Computing Chair Advice

Dynamic Neutral Postures: Best For Healthy Desktop Computing

2022 Human Factor and Ergonomic wellness priorities for 2022
Computing Chair Advice

2022 Deskwork Priorities: Fitness + Posture Beats Technostress

Passionate pro esports gamers
Computing Chair Advice

Esports Doctor Advice: How to Improve Your Computing Performance

  • About
  • Affiliate Disclosure
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Best Article Map
Gaming chair trends, reviews, advice.

© ChairsFX 2018-2023

No Result
View All Result
  •  Home
  • Gaming Chairs
    • Gaming Chair Brands
    • Single Chair Reviews
    • Gaming Chair News
  • Office Chairs
    • Office Chair Brands
    • Single Chair Reviews
  • Ergonomic Advice
  • Ergonomic Trends
  • Accessories

© ChairsFX 2018-2023