Importance of good ergonomics in sim racing

Did anyone say ergonomics and sim racing?!

We all have been there when you get out of a car and the 1 hour trip that you just had, felt like an eternity because of how badly you had to change your natural position to fit in. That’s why I felt it was even more important to talk about today’s topic for our blog.

Ergonomics? What is that exactly?

Without going into definition, ergonomics revolves around making sure your body is in the least strain-inducing position possible. We are talking about making sure your weight is as evenly distributed as possible when sitting down so that no part of your body is not pressed too hard, angles for your joints at your hips, knees, ankles, rotator cuffs, elbows and wrists are allowing you for the most amount of freedom of movement without inducing any unnecessary strain on them.

You all probably have seen the educational drawings of what a correct position behind a desk is:

 

https://www.healthandbalance.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/posture_desk.jpg

First things first. How does one get into an ergonomically correct position?

You may be thinking “All I need to do is just find something that feels comfortable”. You wouldn’t be wrong but you might not be entirely right. It is very close to slouching, it may feel very comfortable. So much so that you don’t even realize that you are doing it until someone points it out and we all know that slouching is bad for your back and spine. 

Being in an ergonomically correct state is divided into two aspects: Static and dynamic.

Static revolves around getting in a good position with your entire body and putting the least amount of strain on your body, possibly evening out pressure on your body in a position that you are in.

Once you have that sorted out your next most important thing is sitting down with your body axis as straight as possible so that there are no turns in your spine, head is not leaning towards one side or another, your legs are in line with your body while resting.

The very moment you have that you can start thinking about getting your dynamic ergonomics sorted out and that revolves around you being active, moving in your cockpit while using your input controls which in this case are pedals, shifters, steering wheels.

Everything should be within reach and shouldn’t require you to shift your weight significantly by moving your whole body or overextending your limbs. The less is more in that case and if everything you wish to use while sitting in your cockpit and driving is within reach and operating them feels natural and it is not causing any strain on your muscles and joints, that’s the correct setup for your kit.

Do some hardcore racing. Both sprints with high intensity and very long endurance races where methodical approach with smooth movements are needed. If after that you feel fresh as a daisy and nothing is bothering you with your body, then you have found your sweet spot for the best experience and you should stick to it. 

Trak racer believes that getting the right seat for your needs and body type is essential to get the most out of your passion which include long hour sessions in your favorite sim. That’s why we have a bucket seat designs which can be found under Rally type seat and GT type seat

Rally seat (SA-09)

 

GT seat (SA-10)

It is very important to know your body type and size as forcing yourself into a seat that is just simply too small for you is going to do a lot of harm to your body and it’s not worth it, no matter how much more you like bucket seat designs over something like more open design of a reclining seat.

 

SA-06 reclining seat

SA-07 reclining seat

 

SA-08 reclining seat

Our lineup of reclining seats has proven a great alternative to all the people who might need a less restrictive place to be in that is also far easier to get in and out of. If comfort is paramount for you over bucket seat style which might look more race-ready but definitely offers that in exchange for something.

Lastly, our newest addition to the seat options, the TRX seat. It has evolved a lot during the development which was tested by the real life race drivers. Their mission was to ensure the seat is extremely supportive and ergonomically correct to ensure not only fantastic feeling while driving but also minimizing any risk of strain on your body due to incorrect sitting position.

Just to better illustrate what we are referring to when we talk about the correct sitting position, here is one of the examples you can find on the internet that in many ways shows you the general idea behind what was discussed above.

https://www.xsimulator.net/community/attachments/73688/

Having your pedals a bit lower or higher than this line is not wrong as long as it feels comfortable for you in the long run. Your back, hips and thighs should be in constant contact with the seat so there is maximum weight distribution on the largest possible contact patch.

In conclusion, many beginners and even experienced sim racers often overlook or are simply not aware that optimizing the “workspace” that you live in sometimes daily for hours can bring major improvements not only to your health but also to your driving. 

Don’t let your body pay the toll when there are suitable ergonomics seats out there for you to race in :)

Your body and pace will reward you in the long run!

We will see you all on a virtual racetrack soon!

Yours sincerely,

Trak Racer Team