Can footrests and chair adjustments substitute for work surface adjustability? Why not just raise and lower a chair to address work surface height?
It’s not that easy. People have a particular low back curve they like to maintain, and many experience discomfort if they lose or exaggerate that curve. That “perfect posture” curve is best supported when we sit with our feet on the floor, feel uniform weight pressures along the chair seat, and feel comfortable low back support. We lose the curve when we sit too low, e.g., when our knees are higher than our hips. That happens when we adjust a chair to fit a low desk. We exaggerate the curve when we sit too high, e.g., when we perch on the edge of a chair seat so our feet still touch the floor. That happens when we adjust a chair to fit a desk that is too high.
