I f you work in an office, you’re what I call a computer athlete. You pound away at the keyboard all day... then go home and roam the Internet.
Constant typing and awkward mouse or trackball postures leave you vulnerable to injury. This can be happening even if you aren’t feeling pain now.
You may ignore the aches, twinges and tingling in forearms or hands that lead to tendinitis, carpal tunnel syndrome and other cumulative trauma disorders.
IMPORTANT NEW HABITS
Take short breaks as often as possible.
Example: While waiting for a document to print or a Web page to load, rest your hands in your lap. Relax your shoulders.
Alternate activities to break up periods of typing and mousing.
Examples: Between keyboard sessions, return phone calls... hold meetings... read a magazine.
Move frequently. Stretch hands, arms and neck every 20 minutes. Stand up and move at least once an hour.
Also: Roll shoulders back... open arms up to the sides as if preparing to give a hug... rotate wrists.
Helpful: Drink lots of water, which forces frequent bathroom breaks.
PROPER POSTURE
Desk height. Keyboard and mouse should be positioned so your upper arm is perpendicular to the floor and your forearm makes an angle slightly more than 90°.
Keyboard position. Tilt the keyboard so that the space bar is higher than the function keys. Buy a pullout keyboard tray with adjustable height and angle and a mouse platform.
Favorite: Humanscale, 212-725-4749... www.humanscale.com. Cost: $310.
Monitor height. The area of the screen on which you usually focus should be at eye level or one inch below.
If you are tall: Raise desk height by placing boards or tiles beneath the feet of the desk. Raise the monitor height by placing books underneath.
If you are short: If you can’t sit with your back against the back of your chair and feet flat on the floor, use a footrest and slide a pillow behind you. Or buy a chair fitted for a shorter person.
Favorite for footrests: Alimed, which makes several different models. 800-225-2610. Cost: $34.99 and up.
