When setting up an office space, many people forget about the benefits of acquiring a footrest or think it is just a gimmick.
However, this small yet powerful tool should be a no-brainer in the workplace due to its many benefits. Hopefully, by the end of this post, we will help you see this device differently.
Today we will highlight some benefits of using a footrest as well as a recommendation for an excellent product that’s on the market.
Let’s begin!
Avoiding health issues
Lower back pain is common in the workplace and adding a footrest to your workstation instantly improves your ergonomics, ie the way your body interacts with your work equipment.
Footrests allow you to sit at your desk for long hours without feeling the strain as it naturally aligns your posture in the correct way. Some desks and chairs aren’t an appropriate height, so making sure your space is ergonomic can often be challenging. This is especially so for shorter people who can’t or struggle to reach the floor with their feet, with the effect that the full weight of the upper leg rest on the chair.
These sustained positions can lead to cramps and issues with blood circulation to your calves and surrounding muscles. Years in these maladaptive positions can lead to secondary complications like chronic inflammation and thrombosis.
Having a footrest means you can adjust your sitting position so that your feet are resting on an appropriate surface instead of your legs hanging or balancing on your toes. This helps ensure you automatically sit upright.
To avoid long-term issues related to incorrect posture at your office desk, it is vital to sit correctly.
For an excellent and extremely detailed overview of the perfect workplace ergonomics, we refer to the chart below from the University of Toronto.
Breathing
Our sitting position also has a significant effect on how well we breathe. Leaning too far forward can result in shallow breaths, decreasing oxygen to the brain, which can hamper workplace performance. Working with the correct posture means your diaphragm isn’t impeded during breathing.
A Footrest’s adjustability naturally enables you to lean backwards and allows you to change and adapt your seating posture for comfort as the day wears on.
Having a break
Adequate breaks during the day should always include standing and moving away from your desk. If possible, stretches should be performed so that muscles get a chance to lengthen and reset during each break.
Prevention is better than cure.
Enormous amounts of money go into consultations, therapy, and medication to sort out problems related to bad ergonomics at the workplace due to badly designed work equipment, desks and chairs.
It’s always best to prevent potential longer term musco-skeletal and circulatory issues through awareness of ergonomics and to ensure you have the right tools to combat preventable injuries.
An exercise slant board’s benefits can assist you if you have or want to prevent longstanding leg pain. If you have leg pain, you want to consider the following:
- The board’s ability to assist with correct positioning means that no undue stress is placed on the calf or upper legs. Doing stretches on a slant board means that you can alleviate tightness and cramping that may form.
- If you suffer from plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, and patellar tendonitis, you may find that your chronic pain increases after long hours of sitting. Using a slant board limits strain on leg joints while enhancing any stretches you perform during the day.
- Rehab becomes easy. With all the deadlines and meetings, people often forget to do their exercises during the day, which can lead to further complications. Your Physiotherapist will rest easy, knowing that you can increase the frequency of your rehab program by getting in a few reps in the office.
The multi-purpose SpaceSave Ergo Adjustable Footrest & Exercise Slant Board offers numerous health benefits in one portable item. Improve your health in one easy go.
SpaceSave Ergo Adjustable Footrest & Exercise Slant Board is environmentally friendly. It is made in South Africa using eco-friendly, durable Melawood from local renewable sources.
The SpaceSave Ergo Adjustable Footrest & Exercise Slant Board is not just a normal footrest but has been designed to work as a calf stretching slant board as well, making it ideal for easy muscle lengthening and strengthening exercises in-between work and during your lunch break. You can place it at your feet while you work and quickly move it next to your workstation to perform light stretches throughout the day.
Yes , it is advertised as a 4 seater but can easily place 6 people if needed.
The table is sturdy so easy to use, its the best buy in a while.
I was looking for something like this for a long time.
I sent an email and advised them that it was for my birthday, they replied the same day saying they will make a plan. and they did.