The battle of the sexes has come to the office.
When spending eight hours a day in an office space, the setup is crucial for being as productive as possible — and it turns out men have the advantage.
But women can improve their well-being by upgrading a few simple items to boost focus, energy and more during the 9 to 5.
The one-size-fits-all approach to office design is a disservice to women, as they have different needs than men when it comes to working comfortably, according to board-certified ergonomist and Global Vice President of Humanscale Consulting Jonathan Puleio.
“I have seen no indication that the architecture and design community is working to balance gender needs from an ergonomics perspective,” Puleio told The Post. “Men and women differ in size and therefore require different ranges of adjustability, particularly with respect to work surface height.”
An ergonomically-friendly office can benefit employees and employers in the long term, resulting in fewer workplace injuries like carpal tunnel and boosting productivity.
“Organizations benefit from reduced churn, reduced injury claims and associated costs, fewer lost workdays, increased employee engagement and increased worker output,” Puleio previously told The Post.
Now, Puleio shares his top four swaps women can make for a better working environment and improved physical health.
An adjustable desk
Adjustable desks are all the rage right now, and while they don’t completely offset health issues, they can offer benefits, especially for women.
“The standard work surface height of 29.5 inches correlates to the seated elbow height of a 95th percentile male,” Puleio explained. “That said, traditional work environments are much less appropriate for female workers, simply because males are, on average, 5.5 inches taller in stature.”
While many computer users set their chairs at the highest level, this can result in a hunched posture while typing.
An adjustable desk can help women find the right height for them and improve back problems from hunching all day.
The right seat shape
It’s not just the desk that makes a difference, but also what you’re sitting on.
Women have a distinct pelvic structure compared to men, especially in terms of size and fat distribution. Women typically carry more fat in the hips, thighs and butt.
“The distance between the sit bones is significantly greater in females,” Puleio said. “This impacts pressure distribution and implies that a one-size-fits-all seat pan design is likely to cause more discomfort for one gender.”
He says women can benefit from a wider and softer U-shaped seat to better support the hips and improve pressure distribution.
On the other hand, men might find comfort from firmer, V-shaped seat designs to support additional weight.
An adjustable backrest
The pelvic differences in men and women also come into play when it comes to the back, according to Puleio.
“Females generally exhibit a more forward pelvic tilt when seated, which is often accompanied by a more pronounced low back curvature,” he said. “In contrast, males tend to sit with a more backward tilt and greater lumbar flexion, leading to a flatter lower back profile.”
This tilt difference means women should swap out their chair for one with an adjustable curved backrest, in addition to the wider seat shape mentioned above.
Higher temperature
Men may be from chilly Mars, but they typically run hotter than women for several reasons, including lower metabolic rate, body composition, blood flow regulation and more.
“Hormones like estrogen and progesterone affect temperature sensitivity,” Puleio explained. “Fluctuations during the menstrual cycle, use of hormonal birth control and menopause can all influence how cold a woman feels at a given time.”
Women also tend to have a slightly higher core body temperature than men, which, ironically, “can make chilly air feel even colder,” he added.
Studies have also shown that excessively hot or cold environments can affect productivity, with an ideal temperature range between 69 and 73 degrees.
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