Did you know you can dramatically improve your keyboarding output if you only slightly improve your office ergonomics and posture?
Posture can affect how quickly and even how accurately you touch type, and using the principles of ergonomics to give your posture a few tweaks can enable you to touch type in a way that increases your productivity while decreasing risk to your health.
Be Aware of Bad Posture
People with office-bound jobs need to be aware of back pain and any other physical pain caused in their hands, their feet, and in their neck and back. A poorly-designed office chair, a too-short desk, or a badly lit screen that forces you to hunch over your desk are all possible causes of body pain.
Being aware of your posture when working, walking, and standing will ensure you always sit upright and avoid posture that affects your health and compromises your touch typing efficiency.
Get to Know Your Ergonomics
Whether sitting in a chair at the office or standing waiting for your coffee at the counter, your body has to be aligned. Take a moment to visualize yourself sitting at your office chair. Starting at your head and going to the bottom of your spine, you should see a straight vertical line.
If you’re hunching your shoulders or leaning to one side, then your posture is disturbed, which will increase the chances of triggering back, wrist, and shoulder pain.
To improve posture, consider adopting these health-promoting, ergonomic habits:
– Don’t sit for prolonged periods of time. Move around at regular intervals.
– Avoid sitting with your legs crossed.
– Don’t lean to one side or lean on your arm when sitting.
– Remove direct light that is causing glare on your computer screen.
– Ensure your monitor is at eye level. Use books or other props to put the screen higher, or a pillow to make yourself taller.
– Sit in ergonomically-designed office chairs and use props that support good posture and take the pressure off of your spine and back.
– Try sitting on a balance ball; it’s another way to ensure better posture.
– Give footrests a try as well – they can take some of the strain off of your back when sitting for long periods of time. They’re also helpful if your feet don’t reach the floor.
– Keep your arms open at a 90 degrees angle, and make sure your feet are in that position also. Extending your arms in front of you, or crossing your feet underneath you, disrupts the alignment of your spine.
Get Regular Exercise
Exercise keeps your body strong and your muscles fit. This can alleviate back pain, and any other pain caused due to prolonged sitting, or sitting in the wrong position.
Restorative exercise can also help you improve your posture. Physical activities that boost your core strength and balance include yoga and pilates.
Overall, choose an active lifestyle to ensure your body and muscles are healthy and strong, and that you minimize the health hazards associated with sitting. This not only will ensure you’re healthy, but will also help you make the most of your typing efficiency.
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