Friday, August 14, 2020

Ergonomic tips. Make sure your home/school work station is optimal

Ergonomic tips

I have a wonky shoulder. The issue most likely stemmed from a combination of doing something dumb a few months ago and age (sigh). With all of the quarantine stuff going on, I ignored it as long as I could, but finally ended up at the orthopedist (shout out to the amazing Dr. James Chen). Thanks to a cortisone shot (that I was a little nervous about, but it barely hurt) I am now getting some of my movement back. I am also starting physical therapy.

One of the things the PT was reviewing with me was my body mechanics when I am in front of the computer. I am tasked with having Sandy take a candid photo of me when I am working so that they can take a look at my habits and see if I am aggravating things with the way I am sitting. He hasn’t done it yet, but I know that I won’t need a photo to point out that I am probably not following the rules.

With more and more families working from home and many kids doing school through 'distance learning' we all need to be paying attention to our body mechanics.

Extensive time in front of the screen can lead to back, shoulder, and neck strain. When looking at the screen, your eye line should be level with the address bar on your web browser.
It may be easier to get a proper position if you can use an external monitor or laptop stand to prop up your screen. Have your kids sit in front of their device and see if their head is straight or if they need to tilt up or down. 

Elbows should naturally fall flush with your table/desk height. An external keyboard and mouse as part of your work station will promote better wrist alignment. Trust me, if you can avoid carpal tunnel stress, it is worth the effort! Kids are not spared from getting wrist issues from over use.

Make sure the chair you are using gives adequate support. If you don’t have a supportive office chair, putting a firm cushion or folded towel under your tush will raise your hips and increase the curve of your spine, This should make sitting more comfortable.

Your feet should not be dangling! I have been guilty about this.
Place your feet on a few books or boxes under your desk, so that your thighs are nearly parallel to the floor and your hips are slightly higher than your knees (the squatty potty is probably a little too high for an adult, but might be just the thing for your child).

If you are on the couch, hunching over your laptop, I am betting that you are NOT in a good position.

My son-in-law says that getting a standing desk was an absolute game changer for him. They are available from Costco and are fairly affordable.

Here is a CDC checklist for making sure your workstation is optimal

For those of you on the phone for much of the day, use a phone headset if you have one. Constant cradling the phone between your neck and shoulder can cause trouble.

Think of the 20/20 rule. For every 20 minutes spent looking at a computer screen, you should spend at least 20 seconds looking at something else 20 feet away. This gives your eye muscles a break and helps reduce eye strain. Even better, get up and move. My fit-bit gives me a reminder to move and then a little buzz if I get 250 steps every hour.

I have been on zoom meetings a lot lately. For at least a few minutes every hour, I turn off my video and get up and stretch when I get that nudge from my device. Set up some type of incentive or alarm to remind you to move. It is amazing how effective that can be.

Even more importantly, get outside! My awesome colleagues have identified some meetings that don’t really require us to be in front of the computer at all. We go outside and connect via phone while we walk. Be creative.

Kids need recess too!

Beyond the simple body mechanics, make your work station an easy place to concentrate. Having a television on in the background is not ideal.

Be mindful of glare.

Glasses that can protect folks from blue light have become popular.

I reached out to my favorite optometrist Dr. Vincent Penza to see if they were a worthy investment. He forwarded me this article.
My takeaway was that blue lights from screens are not actually dangerous. While some people feel like the glasses make their eyes feel less tired, the science behind that is lacking.There is certainly no harm in wearing them. The blue light experienced from the outdoor sunlight greatly exceeds what any device gives off. Please don't minimize the importance of wearing sunglasses when you or your kids are outside! Blue light does impact melatonin which is connected to your sleep rhythm. This is why most experts strongly recommend avoiding screen time for the period of time before you go to bed.

If you are wearing headphones, make sure the volume is not set too loud. Here is one of my blog posts that tells you have loud things are and when it becomes hazardous.


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