Skip to main content

Straighten Up!


Have you considered ergonomics in your office or home work space?  I noticed that to have my feet on the ground, my chair needs to be pretty high (I have long legs for my height). As a result, I had to look down at the monitor, rounding my shoulders and putting greatly stressing my neck and spine. It creates a serious risk of pinched nerves and a permanent hunched look as I grow older. So I purchased computer monitor stand to raise my monitor slightly and improve my view. This was a pretty inexpensive change that makes a significant impact on my health. It also benefits my relationship with my chiropractor as it improves my tight muscles in my neck and shoulders! ☺ More than 80 percent of neck and back problems are the result of tight, aching muscles brought on by years of bad posture, the Massachusetts Chiropractor Association reports.

It doesn't cost an arm and a leg for a decent chair.  If you aren't using a proper chair, head over to Staples and try out some of the options or do some do-it-yourself adjustments to improve the ergonomics of your seating.   A decent cushion is really important, especially if you are sitting for a long time. Arm rests are helpful to reduce strain when you are not typing. Keep them low enough so they don't put stress on your shoulders. Decent lumbar support should be considered, allowing a slight curve to support your lower back.

Your keyboard and mouse need to be a reasonable distance in front of you on your desk or slide out tray. If the keyboard is too close, your arms will be awkward and cause strain. If too far, you will lean forward causing strain on the shoulders and spine. The keyboard should within a distance that allows your elbows to stay close to your body with your forearms approximately parallel with the floor. Also look at the wrist angle when your fingers are on the keyboard. The wrist is at risk for issues with repetitive motion (carpal tunnel syndrome) and awkward angles. You may wish to invest in a wrist rest for your keyboard and mouse to keep your wrist in a neutral position.

Give your eyes a break! It is high recommended that to reduce eye strain you should follow the advise of the Mayo Clinic to use the simple 20-20-20 rule.
A good rule of thumb is to follow the 20/20/20 rule: Every 20 minutes, take your eyes off your computer and look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds.
There are some great free utilities for those that spend a lot of time in front of the computer. Check out WorkRave (Windows and Linux) and EyeDefender (Windows). Mac users, you may want to check out Time Out.  You should also stretch regularly.. and you can download Stretchware to remind you to pause for a short break and do slow stretching exercises while sitting in their chairs. Doctors therefore suggest that breaks should be taken every 30-45 minutes for at least 5 minutes. This is to help prevent repetitive stress injuries, keep you healthier and less likely to have long term issues related to poor posture and repetitive motions.


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Typing Exercises

You took typing but need to increase your typing speed? Job interview or just because? Typing has become critical in this computer based world, not only from the workplace but also resumes and communication now rely on the keyboard instead of pen and paper. I took typing in high school before corrective ribbons were on the electronic typewriters. I was lucky to get to 15 WPM, and that was on a very good day. My typing teacher was awesome. It really wasn't her fault that I just was not that coordinated and often made mistakes reducing my numbers to single digits. Fast forward to today, I teach Microsoft Office and often encourage my students to start or refresh their typing skills by increasing their speed. The website I use for  "learning to type" is typingclub.com where you can easily learn the basics to more advanced techniques. Yes there are advertisements although you can pay for an ad-free premium. I don't benefit from this suggestion, but found the 684 lessons ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Google: Now you know!

Google has released clear information on how to perform better in search engines. Provide useful, legitimate content!  This update is called the " Helpful Content Update " and it is clear that original, informative information is king.  A new sitewide ranking system is being added which awards people with good quality content.  Now, this isn't really new, but it clarifies that your ranking can be impacted and if you are a subject matter expert in your field or business, make it shine!  Utilize your website as informational, not just a short brochure or a business card.  Show your knowledge and experience and make it work for your organically. 
Post a Comment
Read more

Is Your Website Ready for the Search Engines?

  Photo by sarah b on Unsplash Let's be clear. When it comes to search engines, keep in mind that SEO is an experiment, there are no rules. The  algorithms changes regularly (estimated 400 times a year) and Google doesn’t share specifics on those changes except general guidelines on their site.  That being said, there are some best practices to help improve the rank of the website. We can't cover all of them here, but there are some obvious ones. This applies to the majority of search engines, so don't feel like you need to cater to each one individually.  Most of all, if this is greek to you, consider hiring someone to handle your SEO. Also, if they make promises of specific results, run far away. SEO is a slow, continuous process. Make Your Content Clear According to Google, they want to "see your page the same way the user does". That being said, when you see a search engine entry, you notice the title and a brief description. These are...
Post a Comment
Read more