Tips To Keep Your Body Free Of Strain While You Sit At Your Desk
Whether you work in an office environment and sit at a desk all day or you spend much of your free time at home at the computer, an improper desk set up can cause you to have health problems. The wrong computer desk and office set-up can cause problems in such areas as your back, neck, legs, wrists, and eyes. Because you will want to make sure you stay as healthy as possible, here are some tips to help you select your chair and keyboard to create a comfortable set-up for you at home and at work.
Select Your Office Chair
Your chair can be one of the most important selections to your office workstation, as it supports your entire body for the duration of your work each day. The wrong type of office chair can cause pain and strain in your back and legs. And finding a chair that is made of a breathable fabric and sufficient cushioning helps make your working hours more comfortable.
Choose an office chair that has an adjustable lumbar support for your lower back. It can be best if you select an office chair that has an adjustable back that can be raised and lowered to place the lumbar support in the right position of your back. Not everyone's torso is the same size, which can place the curve of your back too low or high against the lumbar.
Look for a chair that has an adjustable seat so you can raise and lower it to properly allow your feet to rest on the floor in front of you as you work. You don't want to let your feet dangle from your chair. Also look for a chair where the seat back is adjustable to allow your back to rest on the chair's back but still have from two to four inches between the edge of the seat and the back of your knees.
Make sure your chair also has adjustable arm rests, which should allow you to rest your arms upon it while you type and sit at your desk without putting strain on them. The chair should also have a stable wheel base, providing you the chance to swivel back and forth, roll from one side of your desk to the other, and help you avoid straining your back and shoulders to reach areas of your desk.
Choose a Keyboard Set-Up
As much as you type and navigate around your computer with your mouse, your hands, wrists, and forearms can get quite a workout, either for good or bad. Carpel tunnel syndrome is a common condition caused by the improper positioning resulting in a compression of the nerve running within the carpel tunnel of your wrist. This syndrome affects between three and six percent of Americans, usually between the ages of 45 and 64 years, and can cause pain, numbness, and tingling in your fingers.
It is important to make sure your desk keyboard is positioned so your hands and arms can reach it while bent at the elbows at a 90 degree angle. This prevents any strain that can be caused by having to stretch your wrists and forearms upward or downward to reach and type on your keyboard.
If your computer desk is positioned too high for your arms to properly reach at this position, you should raise your chair and provide a footrest to support your feet. Otherwise, you can install an adjustable keyboard platform, which extends from your desk and can be raised, lowered, and positioned to provide your arms the best support.
Make sure your mouse is at the same position as your keyboard to provide optimal positioning for your right arm. It can also be helpful to select an ergonomic keyboard with a wrist support, which can additionally help avoid nerve strain within your arms.
Use these tips along with appropriately positioning your computer monitor and other desk tools to keep your body healthy while you work.
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