Friday, May 7, 2010

Desk Ergonomics - Boring but HUGELY important

Desk work isn't the coolest thing to talk about. We all probably resent the amount of hours we spend staring at a computer screen, so talking about how to best stare at a computer screen just sounds terrible, doesn't it?

The problem is that we spend 8-12 hours a day sitting in front of some sort of screen, and for some people, it's more like 16 hours.

Sitting is one of the worst positions you can put your body into. Ever notice, when you are watching National Geographic or the History Channel or something, that all the wild men and women, blessed - in a certain way - to not be slaves to the desk and modern civilization, squat rather than sit. Squatting pushes your chest out, and rounds the lower back. But sitting forces the natural curves of your body to reverse. Sitting over time improperly remolds the spine, due to the spines plasticity.

Think about it, the next time you sit down. Your low back collapses, your neck straightens and leans forward, your shoulders sag. No wonder chiropractors are so busy these days!

If you are going to spend 6-8 hours of your day in one spot, shouldn't that spot function with your body rather than against it?

Make sure your monitor is eye level and that you aren't looking down - the top of the monitor should be 2-3" above your eyes. Buy an ergonomic key board so that you can feel your hands again. Make sure your chair can elevate and descend if necessary so that your legs are bent at approximately a 90-degree angle - if you are sitting lower than that you are shortening your hip flexors. By a chair with a head wrist and tilt your chair so that your elbows are at a 100-degree angle, so that your upper body is more relaxed. Use wrist rests. Take breaks every 20-30 minutes, stand and stretch, moan if you need to:) If you can buy a standing desk, do it.

You were made for motion. Energy begets energy, remember? If you sit all day long, do you feel rested at the end of the day or tired. Tired, right? You were made to move.

We must conform to the modern era, but don't be tricked into thinking you were made for it. Make your environment (your work station) mold to you, not you to it.

No comments:

Post a Comment