How to recline? Pull the leaver,put your feet up,the footrest will rise and then place your hands on the armrests of the recliner and in conjunction with pushing forward on the arms lean back wards using your body weight to recline the chair. How to get footrest latch down? Lean your shoulders forward,the back will return to its original upright position,gently push the footrest down with your legs and the chair will lock back into place.