Home
>
Personal Technology
>
Ergonomics and Healthy Computing - Positioning Your Body For Maximum Comfort At Your Computer

Ergonomics and Healthy Computing - Positioning Your Body For Maximum Comfort At Your Computer

Do you remember the old saw about how computers would change our lives for the better? We'd have more time to ourselves and lead healthier, happier lives. The truth is computers do make processing information lightening fast. It's just that today, we have so much more information to process and so many more distractions that the computer, via the Internet, has brought into our lives.

The bottom line? Today we spend more time operating a computer (for fun and for profit) than on any other single pastime save for maybe sleeping. And if you're a heavy computer user like me, even sleep takes a back seat to computer use every now and then.

There are health hazards to continual computer use. Personally I've suffered from back and shoulder pain, eye strain and numbness in my fingers. I've even had to deal with stiff joints and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. None of this was any fun.

But I did learn a few things important enough to pass along to you today. Here are some things you can do right now to reduce or eliminate stress on our body while operating your computer.

The Concept of Neutral Body Positioning

Consider a comfortable working posture with a natural alignment of all your joints from head to toe. This method of neutral positioning helps you reduce the stress and strain on your muscles, tendons, and skeletal system thus reducing the risks of developing a musculoskeletal disorder (MSD).

Some Quick Tips - Body Posture

Your hands, wrists, and forearms should all be in a row, straight, and almost parallel to the floor.

Your head and torso should be in-line with your head slightly bent forward, facing forward, and balanced.

Your shoulders should be at ease with your upper arms hanging normally at the sides of your body.

Your elbows should be close to your body and bent between 90 and 110 degrees.

Your feet should be either supported by a footrest or should be relaxing on the floor.

While leaning back or sitting in a vertical position, make sure your lower back is fully supported.

Your hips and thighs should be supported by a well-padded seat.

Your knees and hips should be at almost the same height as your feet and slightly forward.

More Tips - Your Work Environment

Readjust your chair and backrest at regular intervals.

Periodically stretch your fingers, hands, arms, and torso.

Your keyboard, monitor, and your posture should be on a straight line to avoid any positional discomforts.

Always adjust your chair so you're looking down at the screen, never up.

Your desktop should be at a convenient height with enough space for your equipment and the day's work.

Your chair should give good back support and allow for height adjustment.

Your keyboard and the mouse mat should have a good wrist-rest.

A document holder placed at the height of your monitor will eliminate neck strain.

Roger Williams is a Web designer and copywriter who spends endless hours on his computer. He has learned through much research how to eliminate the physical stress of heavy computer use.

If you want more health tips for computer users, visit http://www.meandmymouse.com/hc

express cleaning service Arlington Heights ..

In The News:

The ClickFix campaign disguises malware as legitimate Windows updates, using steganography to hide shellcode in PNG files and bypass security detection systems.

Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University designed a 21-foot dome that combines aquaculture and hydroponics to create a self-sustaining urban food system.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

ChatGPT data breach exposes personal info of users through partner Mixpanel. OpenAI confirms names, emails compromised in security incident.

Android rolls out Emergency Live Video for 911 calls, letting dispatchers see real-time scenes during emergencies. Great for holiday travel safety.

Malicious Chrome and Edge extensions collected browsing history, keystrokes and personal data from millions of users before Google and Microsoft removed them.

Google's new Call Reason feature lets Android users mark calls as urgent before dialing, displaying an urgent label to recipients using Phone by Google app.

Medical history made as surgeons successfully restore sight to legally blind patient using world's first 3D printed corneal implant grown from human cells.

Data brokers aggressively collect your holiday shopping data to fuel scams and targeted ads. Learn how to delete your digital profile before 2025 starts.

Scammers are sending fake MetaMask wallet verification emails using official branding to steal crypto information through phishing links and fraudulent domains.

Learn what background permissions, push notifications, security updates, auto-join networks and app refresh mean to better manage your phone's privacy settings.

Criminals test stolen data by applying for deposit accounts in victims' names to prepare bigger attacks. Learn why banks won't share fraud details.

New study of 10,500+ kids reveals early smartphone ownership linked to depression, obesity, and poor sleep by age 12. Earlier phones mean higher risks.

A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.

AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.

A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.

New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.

Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.

Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.

Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.

Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.

Xpeng's humanoid robot moves so realistically that crowds believed it was fake, marking a major advancement in robotics technology ahead of 2026 commercial launch.

Researchers discover phishing scam using invisible characters to evade email security, with protection tips including password managers and two-factor authentication.

Ergonomics and Healthy Computing - Positioning Your Body For Maximum Comfort At Your Computer

Personal Technology