Week 2: Clear on Ergonomics

ERGONOMICS

Taking care of your health may be a major issue in the business workplace. Many people are forced to use the computer throughout their workday, and may not even notice that they are hurting themselves in the process.

 

"Ergonomics 101" by Oza Meilleur

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ozameilleur/3991107754/lightbox/

Creative Commons License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

Proper ergonomics helps you increase productivity, reduces risk of illness or injury, and also can decrease your risk of carpel tunnel syndrome, and many other poor posture related injuries.  Prolonged awkward posture is not normal, and will eventually become a problem. This is important in the workplace because many people are left at their computers for hours, and may need to seek surgery for the strains they've accumulated after several hours hovered over their computer incorrectly. Quick fixes to your posture can really make a difference.

Don't worry just yet, I'm here to help you make the necessary changes today, to ensure a healthy tomorrow.

• The first thing you need to do is buy the correct hardware. Ergonomic keyboards and mouses will help your hands lay naturally, and will decrease the strain instantly.
• The second thing you should do is buy some software assistance. Speech recognition software such as "Dragon-Naturally Speaking" is a great alternative to typing out everything. Dragon adapts to your voice and will type everything you speak, and even carry out commands you say. Another great option is RSI Guard. RSI guard is an injury prevention software that alerts you when you've worked too long, and helps you take breaks to prevent repetitive strain injuries. 

Proper posture is another huge aspect of proper ergonomics. Basic posture to decrease strain on your body parts includes:

• Maintaining an alignment of your ears, shoulders & hips.
• Maintaining an alignment of your wrist and back.
• Maintaining a neutral position of your wrist.
• Keeping your weight evenly distributed.
• Keeping your shoulders naturally relaxed.
• Keeping your forearms horizontal with your wrist, leaving enough space for you to rest comfortably, but not so much as to where you are hunching over the keyboard.

Another resource that I found particularly interesting while researching ergonomics was:

http://www.ehs.ufl.edu/General/ergo.htm

On this page, you can find general tips on ergonomics, as well as numerous links to exercises you can complete to help reduce everyday strain on your joints!

I hope you started fixing your posture as you read this blog post! Thanks for reading! I'll catch you later! :)