Affiliations: Department of Physical Therapy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
Correspondence:
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Address for correspondence: Alexander S. Aruin, Ph.D., Department of Physical Therapy (MC 898), University of Illinois at Chicago, 1919 W. Taylor St., Chicago, IL 60612, USA. Tel.: +1 312 355 0904; Fax: +1 312 996 4583; E-mail: [email protected].
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Sitting is a common and familiar position used daily as a platform for many motor activities in the workplace, at school, or at home. OBJECTIVE: To investigate how difference in the chair design and selected sitting manipulations contribute to reach distance in sitting. METHODS: Ten healthy subjects were required to reach forward as far as possible while sitting in an adjustable chair with 0°, 10° forward or 10° backward inclination of the seat, with and without footrest and leg support, with legs crossed, and when holding the edge of the seat with the contralateral arm. RESULTS: In comparison to sitting with feet on the footrest, the maximal reaching distance decreased significantly when sitting on either forward or backward inclined seat (p < 0.05) and it increased when the subjects held the edge of the seat while seated with footrest and the posterior leg support (p < 0.05). There was no major effect of crossing the legs or the use of anterior leg support on the maximal reach distance. CONCLUSIONS: Modification of the chair design could increase or decrease reaching distance in sitting. The outcome of the study provides a background for future investigations of the effect of sitting positions on reaching distance in the workplace, at home, or at school.
Keywords: Sitting, maximum reach, inclined seat, footrest, leg support, arm support, legs crossed
