It is common to have pain in the legs and back due to sitting at a desk for a long time. Humans are not inert substances, so they cannot sit on a chair all day. Movement is necessary for their body. People invest in a variety of equipment, including desk chairs, standing desks, kneeling chairs, etc., to give the body some relaxation and movement in between work. All the mentioned options are a bit expensive, which not everyone can afford.
So, a great option is a footrest, which is accessible to everyone. The footrest is a better option for relaxing your feet and legs for a while.
But, Are Footrests Good for You?
This question may arise in everyone’s mind while buying a footrest. So, here we will discuss the same topic. We will throw light on every aspect related to the footrest so that you can decide whether it is right to install a footrest under the desk or not.
Who Should Use a Footrest?
In almost all workplaces, standard-sized office chairs and desks are provided that are suitable for a person of average size or height. That is why if you are slightly shorter than average height, you may feel that your feet do not fit appropriately on the ground. And if your feet can’t touch the ground quitely, the size of the office chair will need to be adjusted.
It will be a challenge for individuals of short height to work long hours while sitting in a high chair. In the beginning, if your feet don’t fit properly on the ground, it won’t be that big of a problem. But, after some time, it can become a big problem. Excessively high desks and chairs can trigger strain on your feet, calves, and ankles.
These can cause a variety of complications, such as lower back pain. So, for those whose feet are not able to fit correctly on the ground for them, the only solution is a footrest. You can easily overcome this problem by adding a footrest under the desk. Hence, persons with a height less than the average height should use the footrest for sitting comfortably.
are footrests good for you? [Benefits of Using a Footrest]
Using a footrest can bring you surprisingly many benefits. Here the help of a footrest is described in detail.
1. Footrest Removes the Pressure on Your Legs
Everyone finds it incredibly uncomfortable to spend the entire day at a desk. So, you should get up from your chair and move around a bit. But regrettably, especially in the workplace, this is not always possible. Even the comfiest office chairs can cause the back of your thighs to begin to dig in after a while.
Moreover, it can strain your hips if you have to support your legs on your toes. However, using a footrest will remove the pressure on your legs as well as on your hips.
2. Footrest Boosts Your Body Energy
Footrest plays a role in boosting your body’s energy. You will feel energized if your legs are allowed to move freely. You don’t have enough power for work if you frequently want to curl up under your desk to take a nap. Being able to move your feet comfortably is vital, allowing the energy to be distributed evenly to your body.
You perform your duties as planned as your energy increases. Due to the wrong posture of your body, prolonged sitting can be uncomfortable as well as painful for your lower back.
You can significantly improve your comfort and prevent back pain by slightly lifting your legs.
3. Footrest Improves Blood Circulation
Your blood circulation is improved by using a footrest. It is detrimental to your blood circulation to sit all day. Blood will circulate normally because a footrest enables you to keep your feet slightly elevated.
It would be best if you modified your position regularly for more improvement. Even if you are unable to leave your desk, make an effort to move your legs as much as possible.
4. Footrest Reduces Back Problems
Straight-backed chairs are not as supportive of the human spine. Additionally, not every chair is designed using the exact mechanism. Only a few chairs can provide us with the necessary support.
It’s important to avoid leaning over when using an unsightly desk chair, but unfortunately, we often have a tendency to lean forward when we’re working hard. A footrest can help prevent slouching by reducing some of the pressure on our spine. And also, we should always sit straight on the chair.
5. Footrest Encourages a Relaxed Foot
Your office attire, including the high-hill shoes, sometimes may create issues on your feet. With time, high heels in your shoes seriously harm the feet. This harm is still done even if you’re working at your desk.
Wearing high heels while keeping your feet flat on the ground will put stress on the muscles and tendons in your feet. A footrest can be helpful in that case. You can ease the tension on your feet and lower legs by using a footrest under the desk.
6. An Ergonomic Footrest Makes Sitting More Comfortable
A footrest stimulates active sitting at the workplace by supporting the feet at a level that is pleasant for your body. You have other, cozier places to put your feet, even with a solid footrest.
A comprehensive platform that swings back and forth has an integrated footrest that can be adjusted in angle. Throughout the day, you can change your feet to rest at different flexion and extension angles. In plain sight, an active footrest promotes your active sitting.
Disadvantages of Using a Footrest
You have seen that using a footrest can provide us with many advantages; however, in some circumstances, using the footrest would not be ideal. Let’s find out the disadvantages of the footrest.
1. The Footrest is Not Good for Tall Individuals
Space is a factor to consider when using a footrest. There should be at least seven inches of space between your knees and the bottom of your desk surface to place a footrest. Hence, tall individuals might not require a footrest. There might not be sufficient space for tall people to use a footrest conveniently.
2. Footrest Can’t Replace Regular Movement
A footrest can be great for giving your feet and legs a rest. However, it cannot replace your regular movement as well as exercise. Even when you are using a footrest, you still need to get up and walk about occasionally while working.
Without other modifications to your working habits, simply adding a footrest to your desk is probably not going to be sufficient in order to remove your pains or discomfort.
3. Footrest Can’t Fit with Some Desk Set-ups
A footrest is an excellent option to be utilized in a variety of workplaces either continuously or sometimes; however, not all of them will be appropriate. For instance, if you use an exercise ball at your desk rather than a standard chair, you can experience balance problems if you also use a footrest.
Benefits of Footrest While Working a Computer
- The footrest shifts the weight between the legs and helps you comfortably lift one leg at a time.
- It helps in standing comfortably for a more extended period of time by shifting the weight between the legs. It engages muscles and improves blood flow.
- The footrest enables you to find your comfortable and natural posture, providing more options on working postures.
- It stretches your calves, ankles, and feet and relaxes you.
How to Choose an Ergonomic Footrest?
The good thing is that ergoCentric offers a variety of ergonomic foot rests, giving you the flexibility to choose the desk footrest that best matches your specific needs. An egocentric Foot Flexors is a better option, which provides comfort to your feet while allowing you to rotate the footrest back and forth.
It promotes movement. This ensures that the back of the tendons is not placed on blood vessels or nerves that can contribute to load on the immobilized muscles.
The Tall Foot Flexor is ideal for those with short heights whose feet sit above the floor. Similarly, by using the Foot Bar, you can find a space to relax your feet while sitting in an office chair. Its stable position is good in both you are sitting and standing positions, resulting in less pressure on your spine area.
Conclusion
Using a footrest is beneficial in most cases and is suitable for you. Even if you use a standing desk, extreme comfort requires a footrest installation under your desk. Comfort is very crucial while working. Your body movement is vital when you work for a long time sitting in a chair. Therefore, it would be best to set up a perfect desk that can animate you for free movement for some time.
We hope that now you have the answer to your question, are footrests good for you. We have tried to explain each and every aspect related to footrests. We would love to know your thoughts about desk footrests in the comments below.
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Hello there Henry Jones, senior editor of MyComfortHaven, consultant, and ergonomic specialist When I’m not writing or dealing with clients, you can find me outside or in the yoga class trying to counteract the negative consequences of prolonged sitting.