Sitting Less

More and more medical professionals are warning us against sitting too much.  When you add up all the hours we sit to eat, work, and even relax, it's not really a big surprise that we spend the vast majority of our day sitting.  Sitting this much puts tremendous strain on our muscles and our backs and makes us uncomfortable throughout the day and achey by the end of the day.  

Some solutions to sit less are to take breaks, of course, as well as to be creative about finding ways to stand.  One way to do this is to stand while returning phone calls or drinking a cup of coffee.  If you need to chat with a co-worker about a project, do it while standing or walking somewhere to give your muscles a much-needed break.  Alternatively, you can use an adjustable height desk which allows you to raise or lower your work surface with one touch.  Thus, you can work in the traditional sitting posture, or you can stand.  An added bonus is that collaboration is made much easier in a standing position than in a sitting position in which your co-workers bend over your screen and crowd you at your desk.

However, there are many times you will still need to sit.  Thus, it's important to sit ergonomically and in a neutral position, which minimizes movements and therefore strain and even injury.  The best tool for helping you maintain good posture is a well-adjusted, ergonomic chair that is physically designed to support and encourage ergonomic sitting.

Tips for Adjusting Your Ergonomic Chair

Many people have an ergonomic chair and just don't know how to adjust it properly.  Or, maybe you're in the market for one- either way, here are some tips for ensuring that your chair is doing to work for you and fits you specifically.  

• Evaluate your chair.  If purchasing or choosing a chair, check the seat pan, where you actually sit, to make sure it's not too small.  Ideally, you need at least an inch extra on each side of your hips.  Additionally, after 30 minutes of sitting, you shouldn't feel sore spots on your bottom.  If you do, you may be dividing your weight unevenly.  Lastly, make sure the seat depth is fitted for your height; the seat should not touch quite the back of your knees. If this evaluation reveals any problems, you should strongly consider finding a better ergonomic chair that is the right size for you.

• Place your feet flat on the floor. Raise or lower your chair until you feet are firmly on the floor. You should be able to set your feet flat on the ground without having to angle them downwards or, conversely, have your knees in your face.  If your desk is higher or you need additional height,  use a foot rest to provide proper support. Don’t pull your feet under your chair or cross your legs; this will put pressure on your back and knees.
• Recline a little. Don’t try to sit straight up. Your body relaxes better when you are slightly reclined. Move the back rest to lean back at a small angle from a straight-up position. This will decrease pressure on your spine.
• Adjust the back support. If your back rest moves up and down, try several heights to find the best fit to the natural shape of your back. You can also easily add portable lumbar support if you need more padding for your lower back.
• Move your armrests. Keep your armrests completely out of the way while typing. Resting your elbow on your armrests can compress the ulnar nerve at your elbow causing pain or injury.  Only use your armrests to take the weight off your shoulders while you are not actively mousing or typing.
• Position your keyboard properly. The most comfortable place for your keyboard is about an inch or two off your lap, with your forearms almost parallel to your legs, the keyboard tilting slightly downward  away from your body. A keyboard tray allows this adjustment to happen quickly and easily.

Good posture is the key to healthy, more comfortable sitting. Start with a good, ergonomic chair that is adjusted to fit you. Add a foot rest and additional lumbar support to minimize muscle loads. Adjust your chair and correcting you posture can have a huge impact.

Back Pain at Work?

Does your back hurt by the end of the day?  How about after a whole week of work?  By the weekend, you may feel ready to just throw in the towel and lay down.  While constant back pain, soreness, or achiness may seem an inevitable part of having a desk job, the good news is that you're wrong!  Just because you work on a computer and from a desk does not mean that have to suffer from back pain.  In fact, most cases of back pain {other than actual injuries} are due to sitting too much at work.  Again, it may feel that there's not much you can do about too much sitting.  However, there are several ways to reduce the amount of sitting at work.

First, make sure you take breaks to stand up and stretch.  Besides normal break times, try returning phone calls on your feet, too, so you can stretch out your back and give it a break from sitting.  

Next, try an adjustable height ergonomic desk. As you know, an ergonomic desk is designed to fit your and your body comfortably and to house all your essential items within close reach for less strain.  So, an adjustable height desk is one that allows you to change the position of the work surface, and therefore your own position, by raising and lowering it as needed or desired.   

Tips for Relieving Back Pain

Preventing & Relieving Back Pain

The majority of office workers experience back because of long hours sitting at a desk. While there are several work-related causes, and many people suffer as a result of a previous injury, one of the major causes of back pain is poor posture at your computer. Here are some tips to help relieve pain and to prevent future soreness.

Evaluate your posture. How are you sitting right now? Don’t move; just take a second to think about your current posture. Are you sitting up straight, or slouching? Are you practicing good posture? A “neutral,” ergonomic typing posture is achieved when the strain on your muscles is at an absolute minimum and your body is in a neutral position. Doesn’t that sound relaxing?

Adjust your chair. The base or foundation of good posture is a well-adjusted ergonomic chair. First begin by lowering the height of the chair until your feet rest firmly on the floor; for best back support, don’t crossed your legs or pull your feet under your chair. Next, raise or lower the back rest until it best fits the curvature of your spine. You can also add a rolled towel or portable lumbar support to help your lower back. Lastly, move your armrests out of the way, so that you have free arm movement when typing.

Stand up. Get out of your chair and stretch at least every hour. If you don’t have time for a break, look for ways to stand up while you work, maybe while talking on the phone or thinking through a problem. One of the best solutions, especially for people with a back injury, is an adjustable height desk. These  ergonomic desks allow you to elevate your entire computer interface – keyboard, monitor and mouse – so that you can stand while working.

Move your keyboard. The optimum placement for your keyboard and mouse is about one to two inches above your lap, just below the height of your elbows. An adjustable keyboard tray provides fast and easy adjustment of your keyboard and mouse. Most keyboard trays also tilt the keyboard slightly away from your body to further reduce tension and pressure in your shoulders and back.

If you experience back pain at work, take a moment to consider your posture, desk and chair. A well-adjusted ergonomic chair gives better back support and helps you maintain good posture. An adjustable height ergonomic desk allows you rotate between sitting and standing while working at your computer.  Upgrading to ergonomic tools can help restore good posture and prevent back pain.

Do you ever feel like your day is gone and you don’t know where it went? Most people find they lose sometimes two hours or even more each day due to lack of focus, distractions and discomfort. Here are some tips and tools to help you make the most of your day.

Sit Up Straight. Did you know that slouching can actually drain your energy? Good posture helps you minimize the work load for your muscles, and stop wasting valuable energy. Start with a well-adjusted ergonomic chair to help you maintain good posture; this give you better concentration and lowers your stress levels.  For best results, use a neutral typing posture to guide your body position.  Make sure your feet rest firmly on the ground and that your armrests are out of the way. Also, if your chair is somewhat lacking in back support, try adding portable lumbar support.

Stand up!  A recent study showed that standing can increase brain function by 5% to 20%. Find some creative ways to work while standing, like while answering phone calls, or just take a break from your chair. For even better results, maybe its time to try a sit-or-stand ergonomic desk. This device it attaches directly to your current work surface to provide easy height adjustment for your monitor, keyboard and mouse, allowing you to stand up ergonomically while still using your computer.

Prioritize your day. Start the day with your most important tasks. Don’t even open your email or pick up your phone until you have accomplished one or two priority tasks. This way your most important work is done while you are fresh and focused; afterward you can spend a few minutes on email or phone calls, before launching into the next high priority. Don’t let low priority tasks interrupt you and consume your entire day.

Upgrade your keyboard. Just as slouching wastes energy, poor hand posture wastes time and can cause muscle strain. Try using an ergonomic keyboards that is specially designed to improve hand posture, eliminate muscle pain and strain, and make your typing more comfortable and efficient. Sample several different keyboard designs and sizes to fine one that fit best.

Try these tips and upgrade to some ergonomic tools to help increasing your concentration and productivity at work. Use a well-adjusted ergonomic chair to help you maintaining good posture and a upgrade to a ergonomic keyboard for better hand and arm positioning.  These tips may seem simple, but small changes  can have a significant impact your productivity.