How many hours do you spend on a regular day, sitting at your PC or Laptop? How you do this also has implications on your health as well as your productivity. There are a lot of physio-therapists out there, preaching everyday on “How to Sit Straight” or “How to maintain a good posture”. Many of us tend to ignore them and carry on with our life, working on computers at least half of the day.
It is NOT about Sitting Up Straight – You may be head over heels following those postures prescribed by your chiropractor, but still visit him every month complaining about neck pain or back pain. You are not alone, and do realise that, however you adjust your computer chair for the height and stiffness of the back support, it is not so simple to follow these instructions on your body.
We all know that we need to sit up straight, but what does that actually mean? Many people have forced their backs to a straight position for 8 hours and made matters worse. So what is the right thing to do?
DOs and DONTs – Here are some basic ‘Do and Donts’ for Computer Ergonomics:
DO:
Check the position of your screen
Have your chair at the right height so your eyes are level with your screen and your knees are slightly lower than your hip joints
Let your wrists rest on the desk
Let your feet sit flat on the floor and not tucked under your chair
Keep your shoulders and back relaxed
Take regular breaks away from your PC
DONT:
Try to sit up straight
Fix your eyes on the screen
Lift your shoulders when typing or clicking the mouse
Have any equipment where you need to twist constantly to access it (eg: printers/phone)
Collapse your neck as you read the screen
Use your PC in low light conditions
I happened to stumble upon these videos on You Tube which made me think about writing this post and making myself and others aware of these basic computer ergonomics.
Video1: Using a Laptop at Home or Office:Â
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Video2: Using a Laptop during transit:Â
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Great blog, Just wanted to comment that i can not connect to the rss stream, you might want install the right wordpress plugin for that to workthat.
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Great article. Really like how you used video to illustrate what good and bad posture is. Taking care of your back is so important to your overall health and having good posture is the simplest way to start.
Enter your name… recently posted…Eliminate Posture Problems In Your Life with a Posture Brace
My chiropractor gently reminds me to get up from behind my computer and take a ‘stretch break’ every 20 to 30 minutes. I’m getting into that habit.
Good article Praveen. There are also alot of ergonomic desks and chairs these days that can help correct your posture if you happen to work in an office all the time. I have a desk at work that can be electronically raised and lowered, allowing me to stand at my desk. I recommend anyone who has to sit all day to try one of these.