Filed under: Productivity, Tips and tricks
Macworld on healthy computing
Most people know that the right ergonomic setup is important to maintain not only good productivity but good health. Far too many otherwise healthy and intelligent people, including Mac pundit and New York Times columnist David Pogue, succumb to painful, sometimes even debilitating, RSI or back pain caused by flawed work environments. Lucky for those of us who don't have the time to do a full re-configuration of our computing areas, Macworld has a two succinct and informative articles on small but important things you can do to improve the ergonomics of your desk. The first article touches on methods for improving over-all physical ergonomics such as screen and keyboard positioning and best practices for how to set up your chair. Once your big picture is all comfy and healthy, it's time to look at the software tools such as TextExpander which can help reduce the amount of repetitive actions one takes in their daily computer usage.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
icerabbit said 9:25AM on 10-11-2006
I highly disagree on their monitor hight recommendation.
A monitor should ideally be centered at eye level, so all you have to do is look straight ahead, not down which causes you to tilt your head.
How many cm/inches up differs from person to person, desk to desk, and depends on how tall you are and your chair position. I can testify to the fact that raised monitors are a major improvement against neck strain. Both at home and certainly in the work place.
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Augie De Blieck Jr. said 10:01AM on 10-11-2006
The one glaring omission in the magazine, to me, is the lack of a Wacom tablet recommendation. The mouse used to give me wrist pains after just a few minutes of use. When I switched to the tablet, I was able to work for hours on end without any pain in my arm. It just feels so much more natural.
Some people have a hard time grasping the fundamental concepts of how to use it, but once you do you'll never go back.
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Jon Reid said 12:14PM on 10-11-2006
The reason monitors are lowered is to encourage you to tilt your eyes, not your head. Our eyes focus on closer objects with less strain when they are looking down.
Try this simple experiment: Hold a pen at around mouth level. Bring it as close to your eyes as you can focus. Maintaining that distance from your eyes, raise the pen and see what happens.
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Sam said 8:53PM on 10-11-2006
This posture stuff is claptrap. I've practically lived on computers for the past 18 years of my life, and my vision, wrists, and back are completely fine. The best position for using a computer is the most comfortable one you can find. I prefer soft, high-back executive swivel chairs, but your mileage may vary. Those idiotic kneeling chairs and "sit straight up" advice only improve your health by minimizing the amount of time you actually spend working. I sometimes have to work 16-20 hours straight when deadlines loom and if I was sitting like Dolly Parton in "9 to 5", I'd drop dead after 12 (plus I lack the counterweights that Dolly comes with).
Stress injuries occur when you perform repetitive movements while your body is tense. There's no better way to be tense than sitting up straight and worrying about the angle of your forearms.
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