Basic Computer Ergonomics

Office ergonomics involve many different variables. Obviously, posture and body positions are major factors. Others include hydration and sleeping habits. Following these simple protocols directly improved my workstation ergonomics. Anything that improves someone’s efficiency in their work environment can be classified under the term ergonomics. Some of these habits take place while we are physically in our work environment. Some of these can take place while we are not in our work environment. All of them directly improved my sitting posture, as well as my general overall health.

Basic Computer Ergonomics

The first thing I did was replace my very old monitor with a newer, larger monitor. This reduced my eye strain in a big way. That change obviously won’t apply to everyone, but it made a huge improvement for me because my monitor was very small and outdated.

I also made sure to wipe dust from the new computer screen often. This dust would add up and have much more negative effect on my eye strain then I had realized. I also made sure that my computer screen was about 2 to 3 feet from my face. Finally, I made sure that the top of the screen was eye level. This greatly reduced my chronic neck pain. I had tried multiple body positions where the top of the screen was both lower and higher than eye level. Nowadays, making sure the top of the screen is right at eye level makes for ideal workstation ergonomics in my case.

Side note: Nothing in this article is professional medical advice. I write about my experience and what habits worked best to improve my posture and office ergonomics. Be the best advocate possible for your own healthcare. Do your research, make good decisions, and get professional medical advice from a doctor when necessary.

That covers the changes I made to my computer ergonomics for my monitor, and keyboard is up next on the agenda. I’d previously had issues with office chairs that didn’t raise up high enough for me. The first thing I did was make sure the office chairs I used would raise high enough so that my elbows were slightly above the desk, or at least even with the top of the desk. This would allow my biceps and elbows to comfortably support my forearms resting on the desk. When the office chairs were too low for me, it would cause me to over-activate my bicep muscles and elbow tendons for long periods of time.

Notice the 2 photos that demonstrate examples of what I talked about in the previous paragraph. The photo (above) of the man in the purple shirt shows how the incorrect height of office chairs can create the wrong height of his elbows in relation to his desk.

The other photo (below) shows 2 different men with both of their office chairs at correct heights. Their chair heights allow their bicep muscles and elbow tendons to comfortably support their forearms onto their desks, without lifting their hands to place them on their keyboards.

If I had to chose between these 2 body positions as far as the chair goes, I would say the man on the left is in a better position because he has his feet flat on the floor. I used to sit like the man on the right, resting the weight of my legs on my toes, without my feet flat on the floor. Surprisingly, this caused a lot of unnecessary muscle activation and repetitive strain in my legs. My quad muscles would overextend. My hamstrings and calves would become compressed and too tight. This would cause muscles throughout my leg to become deactivated and dysfunctional.

The monitor and keyboard are obviously very important physical components of office and computer ergonomics. I would like to mention that all 3 of the above men would greatly benefit from using an external monitor. This would reduce their eye strain from looking at their small computer screen. It would also relieve neck pain that is caused by looking down at their computer screen at too much of an angle. As I mentioned in the beginning of this article, my eye strain and neck pain decreased when I aligned the top of the screen to my eye level.

Although their elbow heights are correct, both men in the second picture would also benefit greatly from an external keyboard. Laptop keyboards are very thick and high off of the desk because they contain many hardware components. When I worked on a laptop without an external keyboard, this caused me to experience carpel tunnel syndrome. A common misconception of carpel tunnel syndrome is people think it is caused by the act of typing.

It was actually caused, in my case, by lifting my hands with wrist muscles and holding them up on the laptop keyboard for long periods of time. Once I started using a flat, external keyboard, my carpel tunnel syndrome pain disappeared almost immediately. I also began using a very flat external mouse. Once you start using an external keyboard, you don’t want to have to continue using the mousepad on the laptop. That wouldn’t make for efficient office ergonomics at all.

Next, I’ll talk about another major issue I used to have from the poor body positions I worked in. Sitting in office chairs would often make my lower back painful, tight, and dysfunctional. The first thing I did to correct this was sit farther back in my chair, so that my back was supported by the back rest of the office chair. This may feel awkward at times, probably because a lot of office chairs don’t include enough lumbar support. If this was the case, I would either use a pillow behind my lower back, or I would buy some type of lumbar support cushion that is made to use with office chairs. The lower back should be curved naturally, but also supported.

“Sit up straight” is actually not good advice for office ergonomics. The spine is not straight. It’s naturally curved. “Sitting up straight” could easily overextend the spine. With that said, better advice would be, “Sit with a natural S curve in your spine”. See the below examples of the spine’s natural curvature from 3 different angles.

In the picture below, notice how the user is suffering from lower back pain. Also, notice how she isn’t sitting with her back against the back rest of her office chair. This is a common issue I used to face often. Once I started sitting with my back against the back rest, it relieved a lot of the tension in my back. The office chairs sometimes provided enough lumbar support for me. However, if I ever felt like I needed more, I would either put pillow or a lumbar support that was designed for office chairs behind my lower back.

Despite the back pain the user is suffering in the above photo, there are a few things about her work environment setup that I really like. Her computer screen is large and it is about 2 feet from her face. This will help reduce the risk of eye strain. The top of the screen is right at eye level. This will help keep her neck at a comfortable angle. Her keyboard and mouse are close to the edge of her desk. This will reduce overstraining to reach them. My keyboard and mouse used to drift away from the edge of my desk, which caused me to overextend my arms and shoulders. Finally, her external keyboard is very flat. Once I switched to a flat external keyboard like this one, it made my carpel tunnel syndrome pain go away almost immediately.

This article has covered basic computer ergonomics relating to posture. Keep in mind, sitting at a computer is not the only enemy we face when it comes to workstation ergonomics. The bigger enemy is working in the same position for long periods of time everyday. The repetitive strain from being in that same position is what increases our pain and decreases our work efficiency. This is why it’s important to work in different body positions throughout the day. I’m lucky to be working at home mostly, so I change my body positions often. They include standing at a stand desk, sitting on a stool at a stand desk, working in a slightly reclined position, and traditionally sitting at a computer desk.

Computer Ergonomics – How Often Should You Stand Up From Your Desk

Regardless of what position I’m working in, I will get up every 20 minutes or so. I get in some kind of movement, even if it is as simple as walking around my desk in a small area that is about 20 feet big. In my opinion, it’s not the intensity of the movement, it’s the consistency of how often I get up from my desk and move. Those of us who work in home offices are lucky, but this can also be done in a business office. To read more on this healthy work environment habit, check out my article titled How Often Should You Stand Up From Your Desk.

Healthy Office Ergonomics to Practice Away From the Work Environment

There are other variables of office ergonomics that take place while we aren’t physically at work. Remember, ergonomics is the study of people’s efficiency in their work environment. This is not limited to our actions while we are physically working. Office ergonomics can be directly related to actions we practice away from our work environment. For example, hydration habits and sleeping habits have a direct effect on how well we can hold our posture in a healthy position. At the same time, the quality of our sleep the night before work also contributes directly to our mental clarity and the efficiency of our workday. To read more on these office ergonomics factors, check out my articles titled How Much Water Do I Need To Drink Per Day and How To Sleep For Better Posture.

If this article was helpful, check out my book titled “45 Ways to Improve Computer Posture.” It’s available in both digital and paperback versions.  

>>> Click here to pick up your copy

This book explains how to improve your posture through different variables of health and wellness. These include sitting posture, standing posture, sleep, hydration, and breathing. Poor posture is not just how we sit at a computer. The health habits we practice, 24 hours a day, are directly related to how good (or bad) our computer posture is.

Go to SittingPosture.com/book to learn more.

Take care,

Todd Bowen

P.S. You can sign up for my free computer posture newsletter here.