

This mat really encourages “subconscious movement,” explains Jaffe, ensuring that you don’t stay in one position for too long, which can lead to a decrease in blood flow, poor posture, and more pressure on your joints, especially your knees. Material: Polyurethane | Thickness: 0.85 inches | Size: 26.2 x 2.7 x 29 inches So I asked three chiropractors about the best standing-desk mats to add to your work-from-home setup. It will “aid in increasing circulation, improving posture, and decreasing joint compression in the feet, ankles, knees, hips, and lower back, thus decreasing pain and discomfort.” Sometimes called an “anti-fatigue” mat, it will help you use your standing desk for longer periods of time because it’s more comfortable than standing on a hardwood or carpeted floor without one, adds chiropractor Dr. That’s where a standing-desk mat, which can help you stand comfortably for a lot longer, comes in. But while working at a standing desk does take pressure off your back, standing for long periods can put some strain on your feet, knees, and legs. Below, we’ve rounded up the footrests the three chiropractors recommend to their patients.Wherever you’re working from, switching to a standing desk can help alleviate the aches and pains that come from sitting down all day. Since holding one position for a long period of time is a common cause of pain, Huang and Lefkowitz both say that a footrest that allows for small movements - like one that rocks, pivots, or lets you move your feet around - is also a good idea. “Because the footrest is static, this will force you to sit back against a desk chair in proper posture,” he says. “One of the biggest problems with sitting is the restriction of circulation, which increases strain on your heart and causes fatigue.”Įven if you already have a great chair, Daniel Huang, a certified chiropractic sports physician at Level Up Sports Chiropractic, still recommends buying a footrest to make sure you’re not just slouching forward in your seat. Chiropractor Jan Lefkowitz of Body in Balance Chiropractic says using a footrest helps with circulation, even if your feet do hit the floor - but especially when they don’t: “A footrest improves your circulation by taking pressure off the veins in the back of your thigh where the chair compresses your legs,” he says. “The goal is to be in a position that imposes the least amount of stress, and a footrest is a great solution if you don’t have that perfect configuration,” Paul says. Compressing the nerve can lead to pain everywhere, from the back to the glutes, hamstrings, and IT bands.

When your feet don’t reach the floor, she says, that puts extra stress on the sciatic nerve, which extends down from the lower back and branches out to the back of each leg. Along with ergonomic chairs and lumbar-support cushions, chiropractors say a simple footrest can make a big difference in getting you into alignment.Īs chiropractor Cariann Paul explains, your hips and knees should be level with each other, and both should form 90-degree angles while you’re sitting. Poor seated posture can lead to aches and pains from head to foot. This might have been fine in the early pandemic days (remember Tiger King and toilet-paper hoarding?), but by now you’re probably feeling the ill effects of all those hours spent hunching over your laptop. Even though many of us have been working from home for nearly a year now, you might still be using a not-so- ergonomic desk setup, whether that’s your kitchen table, couch, or - no shame - bed.
