FitSugar

Sitting 101: Desk Ergonomics

FitSugar — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 14:30:00 PDT

I consider myself an active person and am definitely happier strolling about than sitting, but I sit for a large portion of the day. I blog – how could I avoid a chair? Like most things, there's a technique to sitting. A well-designed workstation can help keep you pain free while you toil away during the day.

Here are a few things to consider about how and where you sit:

Adjust the height of your chair so your hips are between 90 and 120 degrees. If adjusting your chair means your feet no longer rest comfortably on the floor, use a foot rest.
Your keyboard should be in line or lower than your elbow joint. The open angle of the elbow will help reduce elbow, wrist, and shoulder pain.

I have a few more suggestions, so

Keep your wrists straight and never bend them up to type. I find a good wrist rest to be invaluable for maintaining correct wrist alignment. Check out these stretches for your wrists – they will help, too.
The top of your monitor should be at eye level. If it is too low you could be setting yourself up for neck pain. Put a book or two under the screen to raise it adequately.
You should sit with your back straight. Use a pillow if you need low back support. Do not lean forward because that will close you hip joint down and stress your low back and neck.

Don't forget to move around as much as you can during the day. Adding little walks throughout your workday is an effective way to relieve pressure you might feel on your bum and spine.

Give Your Desk a Healthy Makeover With These Tips

Leta Shy — Wed, 02 May 2012 13:44:46 PDT

Since you spend so much time at your desk, it's important that you make it a healthy environment - especially since there are so many ways your job can make you fat. Here's how to make over your desk to stay healthy while you work.

Stash snacks: Vending machines and office candy jars can be too much temptation, especially when your grumbling stomach is egging you on. Instead, stock your desk drawer with a few filling snacks, like almonds, trail mix, all-natural homemade fruit and nut bars, and green tea bags to satisfy tummy and taste buds before you give up and reach for the leftover break room doughnuts.

Use a reusable water bottle: Nothing reminds you to drink more water than a filled water bottle living on your desk. Drinking enough water throughout the day is crucial for both your health and your mood, since dehydration can lead to fatigue and irritability, so fight that afternoon slump (or the urge to snap at your fellow co-workers) by drinking up. Find out how much water you should be drinking here.

Deal with germs: Many times, lunch at your desk is just inevitable. Those days dining in front of your monitor can make things a little messy at your desk. Keep your area germ-free with desk wipes and all-natural hand sanitizer (find out how to make your own hand sanitizer here).

Adjust that chair: You're sitting there for most of the day, so make sure you keep your chair and computer comfortably aligned with the position of your body to prevent back, wrist, and neck pain. Not sure if your monitor is too low or if you are sitting correctly? Read our tips for creating an ergonomic desk here.

31 Days of Spring Cleaning: Get Ergonomic

Kristy Korcz — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 06:26:21 PDT

Sitting for hours in front of your computer - whether you're at an office or working from home - is bad enough, but throw in the poorly positioned monitor, a chair that's not supporting your back, and a desk that's too small for your stature, and you have a cocktail for body aches and pains. Check with your HR department to see what kinds of ergonomic assessment services are available to you so you can get your desk in tip-top shape. Working from home? No sweat - let this Osha ergonomic evaluation checklist help you set up a healthy home office.

Keep up with all of our Spring cleaning tech tips here or at our 31 Days of Spring Cleaning Pinterest board!

Source: Flickr user jpoesen

Healthy Computing: How to Create an Ergonomic Desk

Anna Monette Roberts — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 01:39:47 PDT

You might not be able to swing a professional ergonomic evaluation, but you can make simple changes to your desk environment to sit up a little bit straighter and avoid neck, wrist, and back strains. While ergonomics is about proper seating position, it also includes common habits you might be unaware of, like your line of sight toward a computer screen and how you type. Try out these adjustments to your work space and your moving habits, and tell us if you notice the difference.

To sit ergonomically, your knees and ankles and shoulders to wrists should be positioned in 90-degree angles to your keyboard. If you are on the shorter side, keep a footrest underneath your desk, so your feet aren't dangling. Your back should remain neutral, with something supporting your lumbar spine. Here's a helpful diagram of correct sitting and typing ergonomics.
Keep your keyboard, mouse, and phone within your forearm's length. When you are typing or clicking on your mouse, your wrists should be in a neutral position (not angled up or down) and up in the air rather than rested on the table or on a squishy "wrist support." Resting your wrists actually places greater strain on the sensitive tendons. Also, your elbows should remain close to your body throughout the day.

Find out more tips by clicking here.

10 Bad Habits of Tech Users (and How to Break Them)

Kristy Korcz — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 10:49:44 PST

As we get overwhelmed with work, kids, school, extracurricular activities, and social events, it's easy to forget about the maintenance and health of our tech . . . and ourselves. Since Spring is the time to refresh your home, it's also the perfect time to refresh your habits where your tech is concerned. Are you guilty of these 10 bad habits? Find out what they are, and how to turn things around below!

Working in poor ergonomic conditions - Sitting for hours in front of your computer - whether you're at an office or working from home - is bad enough, but throw in the poorly positioned monitor, a chair that's not supporting your back, and a desk that's too small for your stature, and you have a cocktail for body aches and pains. Check with your HR department to see what kinds of ergonomic assessment services are available to you so you can get your desk in tip-top shape. Working from home? No sweat - let this Osha ergonomic evaluation checklist help you set up a healthy home office.
Letting your tech get dirty and grimy - Your tech is pretty disgusting. Sixteen percent of phones have feces on them, while home keyboards hold 60 times more germs than a public toilet seat. Make a habit of cleaning your tech once a day, or even once a week with proper cleaning agents to cut down on viruses and bacteria that could make you sick.
Obsessing over your phone at improper times - We've grown quite accustomed to our smartphones helping us in our everyday lives, but they can easily drive a rift between you and your friends, family members, and fellow earth-dwellers at large. Keep your phone off the dinner table, don't chat in the bathroom stall or the gym, and keep your voice down when having a conversation on the bus. You know, just use common sense.

See the rest of the list after the jump.

25 Great Geek-Approved Desk Items

Anna Monette Roberts — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 03:11:52 PST

A boring, predictable desk simply won't do for a savvy geek. These 25 items are guaranteed to make the inner geek in you swoon. We've got just the right items for you, whether you are looking to organize your wires more efficiently, make your space ergonomically friendly, or add a little irreverence to your cubicle.

Earn More Money By Changing Up Your Office Space

LearnVest — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:15:07 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

Most of us spend about 40 hours per week at work - in other words, the majority of our waking hours.

And nearly all of those hours are spent sitting at our desks. It’s a definite problem - and not just because we’re missing happy hour or quality couch time at home.

There’s no shortage of discouraging research pointing out the evils of a sedentary lifestyle and claiming that sitting will actually shorten our lives.

But, conversely, making a few tweaks to the way you sit - and the space you sit in - all day has been proven to make you a happier, healthier worker, busy earning your killer salary.

And, scientists say, the happier you are, the more you tend to earn.

In an effort to make the time spent at our desks as productive (and as profitable) as possible, we’ve combed the research for the easiest, most effective tips to soothe your mind and body when trapped in a cubicle . . . or corner office.

Just follow these four steps.

1. Make It Comfy

When we say “comfy,” we mean “ergonomic.” It’s an unfriendly word for a friendly concept: basically it means “intended to provide optimum comfort and to avoid stress or injury.” Friendly, right? Besides, an awkward workspace can lead to major health issues, including disorders in your joints or tendons, so a little tweaking of your cubicle can go a long way for your well-being. Line up your body correctly by following these two principles:

Your feet should be flat on the floor and your elbows should be even with your desk. This can be achieved either through adjustable chairs or - if chairs are a hot commodity at your office - a combination of step stools and pillows.

Read on for more tips.

Beginner's Guide: How to Sit on a Stability Ball

Anna Monette Roberts — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 16:24:32 PST

You may think it's all fun and games sitting on a stability ball while you work, but you should implement these important guidelines to help protect yourself from accidental injury. While the stability ball has its advantages, you should avoid using one if you have an acute back injury, especially if your quadratus lumborum, the major back muscle that runs from your 12th rib to the top of your pelvis, is compromised. The ball offers no back support, forcing you to heavily depend on the QL for support. If you notice any sharp or discomforting pain, forgo the ball for an ergonomic chair.

Five Rules For Proper Stability Ball Usage:

Right size: Buy a ball that is intended for your height. Inflate the ball enough so that when you sit down, your legs create a 90 degree angle, at both the hip and knee, and your entire forearm can rest easily on your desk when typing.
Wide stance: Place your feet flat on the floor about six inches from the ball. Open your legs to about the ball's width (wider than hip distance). You'll notice that if you place your feet closer together, your hip flexors will tighten up, and that lower back pain will creep up.

See more tips.

Easy Ways to Relax Your Stiff Neck at Your Desk

Susi May — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 01:17:35 PDT

Work can be a pain in the neck! Staring at a computer screen for eight-plus hours, steering through traffic to get to the office, and even sleeping in a odd position the night before, can all make for a stiff, tense neck. Creating an ergonomically correct work station can help, but in the meantime here are some simple ways to loosen up a stiff neck when you're stuck behind a desk.

Reduce Shoulder Tension
Tight shoulders often translate into a tight neck. One particular culprit in this equation is the trapezius muscle (learn more about the trapezius here). This muscle covers a triangle-shaped area in the upper back starting at the bottom of the shoulder blade, running out to the shoulder joint, then narrowing to climb the side of your neck. When the upper part of the trapezius is tight, your spine can feel compressed. A quick, desk-friendly remedy to release built-up tension is shrugging your shoulders in an exaggerated fashion: inhale and raise your shoulders to your ears and exhale letting them fall - really give into gravity and let your shoulders drop. Repeat this action four to five times. Follow it up with a self-massage: use your opposite hand to squeeze this muscle just like you would a wet sponge. Imagine you're wringing out the tension with each squeeze.

Create Some Motion
Stiff necks crave a little motion. I'm not suggesting headbanging to your fave Iron Maiden jam, but doing subtle neck stretches will certainly help. Swaying your head slowly from side to side can help ease tension through your neck. Make a half circle with your skull by bringing your right ear to your right shoulder, then roll the head forward bringing your chin to your chest, continue to the left bringing the left ear to your left shoulder. Reverse directions, dropping your chin and rolling your head to the right. Repeat a few times in each directions. I suggest doing this stretch throughout the day to prevent stiffness before it starts.

Learn one more way to relax your neck when you keep reading.

16-Year-Old Schedules Wrist Surgery From Too Much Texting

GeekSugar — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 11:00:39 PDT

How do you know when your texting obsession has gone too far? When you have to have surgery on both of your wrists for a severe case of carpal tunnel syndrome, that's how! Take it from Annie Levitz, a 16-year-old student from Chicago who sends an average of 100 texts a day - the obsession just isn't worth it. Annie began feeling pain in her wrists after sending a boatload of texts daily (hopefully she has an unlimited texting plan!), which then developed into numbness and loss of feeling in her hands. After visiting a doctor, who diagnosed her with carpal tunnel syndrome, she started receiving shots to numb the pain, has been fitted with braces on both wrists, and will undergo surgery to correct the damage to her nerves.

I'll be the first to suggest that it's time parents and teachers alike start educating children on the health risks of too much technology - from texting to chatting with strangers online - and they should be taught to know when to put down the phone for health's sake. I'll make the first move - want to know how you can prevent an extreme case of carpal tunnel syndrome like Annie's? Just

Besides limiting your texting time (let's get real - 100 a day? At that point, maybe you should consider calling or sending an email), I have a handy exercise regime you can perform at your desk, on the bus, or before you hit the sack to keep your wrists healthy. Additionally, consider making your work stations and desks ergonomic - wrist guards for your mousing hand and keyboards, and making sure you're sitting at the right angle with a good chair. Finally, consider investing in a voice-to-text app like ShoutOut to give your hard-working wrists a break.

Source: Flickr User eron_gpsfs