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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Water Cooler: Tips for an ergonomic desk set-up

Sitting with poor posture for a few minutes isn’t too big of a deal. But do it eight hours a day, five days a week and you will soon notice the effects.

Our bodies are not meant to sit for eight hours a day, and poorly designed or arranged desk setups will only exacerbate the negative effects of sedentary work. Headaches and migraines may increase in frequency and severity if the neck is not held in a neutral position throughout the day. Finger, hand, wrist and forearm pain can result from repetitive mouse and keyboard use. Lower back pain can arise from a lack of lumbar support, as well as tight hip flexors that lose flexibility and shorten with prolonged sitting.

Here are a few adjustments to make to your desk setup that will help reduce aches and pain and promote healthy posture while sitting.

Adjust your chair

Raise your chair high enough that you can rest your hands on the desk and have a 90 -degree bend in your elbow. Now evaluate how that impacts the position of your knees and feet. Your feet should be able to rest on the ground with your knees at a 90 -degree angle. If it is less than a 90 -degree angle, the desk may be too short for you. If you can’t touch the ground, add a footrest or stool. If you don’t have access to a foot rest, you can use a ream or two of paper, or some large and sturdy books (that you don’t mind damaging).

Your chair may also have an adjustment for seat depth. When you sit in the chair, you should have about 2 to 4 inches of space between the edge of the seat and the back of the knee while maintaining back support. Without that space, you could cut off circulation at the knees.

If you don’t have access to an adjustable office chair, supplement the chair with seat padding and lumbar support. You can do this with cushions and backrests made for this purpose, or simply use pillows and folded blankets and towels.

Position the monitors

Assume your seated desk position and reach out your arm. Your monitor should be right at the end of your fingertips. If it is too far, you may have a hard time seeing text on the screen and unintentionally lean forward. If it is too close, you may experience additional eye strain.

Adjust the height of the monitor so the top of the monitor sits at eye level. You can use risers or again, reams of paper and old books can also come in handy. If you use a laptop, use a laptop riser to bring it to the proper height, then work on it with an external keyboard and mouse. If you use multiple monitors with equal use throughout the day, make sure you are centered between them. If you have multiple monitors, but do most of your work on one, center yourself in front of the one you use most.

Add the peripherals

Anything that you use with your computer, a mouse and keyboard for most, should be positioned where you can use it without much strain. Put the mouse and keyboard where your hands naturally fall on the desk and you don’t have to crank your wrist or shoulder into awkward positions to use them. You never want to feel as if you have to scrunch or reach for your peripherals. Consider wrist supports if needed. Vertical mice will position your wrist in a neutral position (thumbs up) instead of in the twisted (thumbs inward) position that horizontal mice require.