Assessment of the Effect of Four Kneeling Chair Angle Combinations on Muscle Activity and Perceived Discomfort

The kneeling chair has an advantage over the traditional chair in that it promotes lumbar lordosis, while findings regarding muscle activity and subjective (dis)comfort evaluation between the two are inconsistent. Furthermore, there is a lack of studies focusing on the angle combinations of the kneeling chair. This study investigated an unsupported traditional sitting configuration and four unsupported kneeling configurations with different angle combinations through measurements of surface electromyography (EMG) signals, body part discomfort (BPD) scores, and seat configuration evaluation scores. A significant decrease in lumbar erector spinae (LES) muscle activity and perceived discomfort was observed in the kneeling configuration compared with the results for the traditional sitting configuration. Among the four angle combinations, the optimal arrangement was identified, which resulted in significantly less LES muscle activity and perceived discomfort. Our findings provide guidance for the design and future studies of the kneeling chair.