Day in, day out – our bodies tend to go through the same movements over and over again, especially at work. And, if we are repetitively performing these movements without proper posture, the cumulative effects on our health can cause serious issues.
The repetitive stresses we experience on a near daily basis at the workplace can contribute to or cause many physical problems that could easily be helped by practicing ergonomics.
What Is Ergonomics?
Ergonomics is the science of fitting workplace conditions to the employee so that they are compatible.Â
In other words, it’s how you set up a work space so people don’t develop a lot of posture-based health problems. This improves safety and productivity – which benefits not only the individuals involved but also the company as a whole.
Ergonomic principles include proper equipment, postures of least physical impact and regular breaks from repeated motions.
Below is a list of factors can start working with today to make desk work more ergonomic.
Top Factors for Proper Desk-Work Ergonomics
1) Desk height
Even with today’s standing desks, choosing the right height is important. The forearms should be able to rest on the desktop and all of your items should be within easy reach.
2) Feet placement
Your feet, when sitting, should be touching the floor and the knees at approximately a 90 degree bend. Adjusting chair height achieves this.
3) Monitor Position
Make sure your monitor is in front of you and at head height so you’re neither looking up or down and straight ahead.
4) Papers
When reading papers, have them on a stand or pushed away from the front edge so you’re not looking down.
5) Breaks
On your regular breaks be sure to take a short walk and get the blood flowing in your legs and stretch your limbs often when you can’t leave your desk.
We’ll have some stretching videos coming out soon to help you learn the essentials. Sign up for our mailing list here if you want to get alerts about new articles, free online courses and other awesome things happening at Evolve Chiropractic.
Next Steps In Making Your Work Space More Ergonomic
Applying just a few of these ergonomic principles can go a long way in improving your overall health in the workplace and reduce the physical strain of working for extended periods of time.
If you’d like a more comprehensive analysis for your work place, contact one of our offices and or fill out our contact form here to request an appointment for a consultation.
Have a great week!
-this article by chiropractor Dr. Casey McGuire of our McHenry, IL location
