Recently I had a zoom call with someone who was also working in her home office. Midway through the call she ducked down under her desk briefly and explained that she was just adjusting her footrest. I’d never used a footrest when working at my desk, so it got me wondering, why use a footrest at work?
Using a footrest at work can help to reduce back strain and discomfort which allows for increased comfort during long stints sitting at a desk. Having a footrest under your desk can also help to align your posture, ease any pain or discomfort in your feet, ankles, knees and legs, as well as reduce fatigue.
Now that you know that using a footrest can be so beneficial to your home office or working life, you probably have some more questions about using a footrest at work. Hopefully we have some answers for you!
What do Footrests Do?
As explained above, footrests can be beneficial in reducing back and lower limb pain and discomfort when sitting at a desk for prolonged periods of time. Simply by allowing you to shift your weight around, footrests can help to ease discomfort and improve your posture.
A footrest will basically bring the level of the ground up to meet your feet and make you feel more comfortable.
Do Footrests Help Posture?
Yes, footrests can help with posture, but they are mainly beneficial in this area for people who are not vertically blessed!
People under average height might struggle to have their chair go low enough so as to have their feet reach the floor properly. This dangling of the legs can cause pain, discomfort and also poor posture.
An ergonomic footrest allows the person to have their two feet firmly planted which allows them to keep the correct, upright posture required so as not to cause pain and discomfort throughout the body.
Who Should Use A Footrest At Work?
Anyone can use a footrest at work if they find it more comfortable and easier to get their work done. However, anyone shorter than average in height, should definitely consider using a footrest to help maintain better posture while seated for prolonged periods of time.
Considering that desks and office chairs are not usually designed gender specifically, most will be suitable for a male of average height. This means that most women will benefit from the use of a footrest as the majority of women will be shorter than the average height of a man.
How Does A Footrest Help?
- Using a footrest helps to evenly distribute your body weight over the soles of your feet and allows you to shift your weight around easily.
- Especially for shorter people, using a footrest can help to improve posture and alignment by effectively raising the floor height up to meet their feet.
- Using a footrest will usually stop people from sitting with their legs crossed which is bad for both circulation and posture.
- A footrest encourages movement of the feet and ankles which is important in the prevention of circulatory problems and deep vein thrombosis.
- A footrest can prevent legs from hanging uncomfortably which can result in poor posture and circulation.
What’s The Best Home Office Footrest?
There are a few different types of footrest to choose from, the favorites these days seem to be made from memory foam like these options:
Or, if you prefer a more traditional style footrest, there are still some good options out there like these:
If you’re still working in a traditional office, I’d probably be more inclined to get one of these platform style footrests as you can easily rest your shoes on these without fear of them becoming dirty.
Meanwhile, if you’re looking to purchase a footrest for your home office, I’d suggest trying a memory foam one as you might be working in your slippers or at least not have dirty shoes on, so you can enjoy the comfort of a nice, squishy footrest in your comfy home office.
