Desk. Setting your PC on an
antique roll top desk may look classy, but ergonomic workspaces are
really more about function than form, says Potter. "Most desks
aren't really made for keyboarding," she says,
"because their height forces you to work 'uphill,'
keeping your forearms raised and bending your wrists at a severe
right angle to get at the keyboard. You really don't want to be
bending your wrists when you type for long periods of
time."
If purchasing a new desk is out of the question, Potter suggests
raising your seat and using a footrest so your wrists are at a
straight angle, or bringing the keyboard down to comfortable level
by attaching a sliding keyboard tray to the desk. Another ergonomic
alternative is to move your keyboard to a typewriter stand with a
pullout or folding leaf. "If you set that up in front of a
standard desk," says Potter, "you'll have a good
height for your keyboard as well as keeps your monitor at eye
level."
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Keyboard. All keyboards are
not created equal, especially when it comes to ergonomic design,
says Jon Biggs, director of marketing for computer input device
designer Kinesis Corp.
"The design of the typical flat 104-key keyboard-the kind that
comes with most PCs these days-really doesn't take into account
the physical needs of the average user," says Biggs. "If
you're going to be typing for extended periods, you really want
a board that conforms to the physiology of a human hand as well as
to your body instead of one that forces you into awkward and
painful positions."
There are a wide variety of adjustable keyboards on the market
today, including "tent-structured" boards that reduce
wrist flexion, expandable boards that can be adjusted for the
user's shoulder width, and contoured boards that minimize wrist
extension. The most expensive boards, which can cost as much as
$300, incorporate all these features.
Chair. Again, function is far
more important than form when choosing an ergonomic chair for your
home office. They may not be pretty, but a basic ergonomic chair
will give you both upper and lower back support as well as the
ability to adjust its height.
Potter tells clients who use their computer mouse for long
periods to look for chairs with height-adjustable armrests. Resting
your elbow on it will keep the strain off your shoulders and allow
your hand to be at a right angle to the mouse, which should be
positioned next to the keyboard.
Skimping on a new ergonomic chair (which can cost anywhere from
$400 to $1000) isn't advisable, says Potter, but in a pinch,
you can improve the back support of your old chair with add-on
cushions. Says Potter, "Just be careful you don't get
something so large that it literally ends up shoving you off the
seat."
Monitor. Eyestrain may not
be as painful or debilitating as CTS, but it can reduce your
efficiency just the same. If your monitor screen is obscured by
sunlight, you can either spend $10 to $50 on a glare screen, or you
can simply move the monitor, says Potter.
"Your monitor should be at a right angle to the window, not
directly in front because your eyes will have to struggle to adjust
between the light from the window and the light coming from the
monitor," advises Potter. "You also don't want it
directly [behind] you because the light will wash out the monitor
image, forcing you to squint and making your eyes work harder. I
really try to discourage people from tilting the monitor down to
avoid glare, which forces your head and neck into a very awkward
position. You want to be sure the top of the monitor is aligned
with your eyesight when you're sitting down at about an
arm's length away from the screen."
Potter believes that eye muscles need to have exercise and
change the same way arm and back muscles do. She suggests that
heavy computer users take their eyes off the screen and look away
at a great distance at least once an hour to allow their eye
muscles to flex and relax.
Reflections from room lighting can also contribute to eyestrain.
Potter's solution is "uplighting," that is, replacing
standard ceiling-mounted lights with fixtures that focus light
upwards. If this isn't possible, you can always purchase and
install inexpensive light shields or hoods on your monitors.
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