Most of us end up sitting for prolonged periods at work. In present-day work scenarios, with deadlines and pressures hovering around, it is unavoidable, too. However, if you maintain appropriate workplace ergonomics, you can prevent the negative impacts of prolonged sitting.
Initially, ergonomic issues at your workstation may appear as minor discomfort, stiffness, or fatigue in the muscles and joints. Neglecting these factors could lead to more severe conditions such as cervical spondylitis, upper trapezius strain, or supraspinatus tendonitis (shoulder pain in athletes), which, over time, can disrupt the rhythm of your daily life.
According to Bharati Jajoo, founder and chief of Body Dynamics, ergonomics is the way of adjusting the environment to the requirements of your body.
“By customizing your seating environment to your body’s requirements, you can reduce the stress your body may experience from extended sitting, the pressure exerted on the spine, muscle strain, decreased circulation, and discomfort in different body parts,” says Jajoo, Bengaluru-based ergonomics consultant.
Here are some of the most important desk necessities or tools to support a healthy ergonomic environment.
Choose an ergonomic chair at the workplace
Whether you work from home or the office, the sitting posture can majorly impact the body. Jajoo explains several factors that should be considered when selecting a chair.
“The chair height should be adjustable and have a comfortable depth [length from the front edge of the seat to the backrest]. It should not be too long or too short,” says Jajoo. “The seat pan should support most of your thighs. There should be a small gap [2-3 fingers space] between your calf muscle and the seat’s edge. The chair should have lumbar support that fits the curve of your lower back, supporting your spine’s natural shape. The backrest should be tall enough to reach the upper border of your shoulder blades, and ideally, it should support your mid-back, too. The armrests should be adjustable in height to keep your shoulders relaxed and not elevated towards your ears, promoting a comfortable position for your arms.”
Ensuring that the chair offers sufficient mobility options to support various active sitting postures is also crucial. It should support both upright and reclined positions.
Opt for an external keyboard and mouse
The objective of keeping a separate keyboard and mouse is to encourage an upright posture. It maintains the spine’s natural S-shaped curvature. This is lost when working on a laptop, resulting in a C-shaped posture that affects ergonomics in the workplace.
“When using a separate mouse and keyboard, the screen can be positioned at eye level, roughly one arm away from you, ensuring optimal viewing comfort and reducing strain on the neck and eyes,” explains Jajoo.
“Furthermore, you should position the screen to ensure you can see about one-third without bending your head. The keyboard should be positioned in such a way that the shoulders remain relaxed while typing, the elbows are at a 90-100-degree angle, and the wrists straight,” adds Jajoo.
You can maintain the correct upright, S-shaped posture of the spine with such a setup. It is only possible with the use of an external keyboard and mouse.
A laptop stand can help with workplace ergonomics
A laptop stand will enable you to raise your laptop to eye level. However, always use the stand with a separate keyboard and mouse.
“Most people believe that it helps maintain your neck alignment, it may. However, it does not help your hands or shoulders. While using a stand is beneficial for your neck and eye alignment, using an external keyboard and mouse will help to maintain the natural curvature of the spine,” says Jajoo.
