Set Up Your Office FOR SUCCESS IN
2019 BY KYM SIDDONS
WWW.KYMSIDDONSPHYSIO.COM.AU
Ergonomic Tips to take strain off your body while you work Every year I see hundreds of people who are suffering unnecessarily from the strain that’s on their body while they’re working away at their desks… Let’s explore some steps to give your workstation a mini-makeover and ensure yours is setup to take as much strain as possible off your muscles, ligaments and joints. You might be surprised at how some simple adjustments can make a huge difference to your wellbeing while you work! When you sit at your desk it’s important that your setup follows good ergonomic principles so you minimize the strain on your body, improve your posture and maximize your productivity. Ergonomics sounds like a ‘scary’ concept, but it just refers to the process of arranging workplaces (or products and systems) so that they fit the people who use them. So, let’s go through some simple steps for arranging your workspace to best suit you!
Step 1 Your Chair It’s really important to sit in a proper office-type chair as it
See if your chair has another lever to recline the backrest?
needs to be adjustable, at least in height, to suit you.
If it does, recline your backrest by about 10 or 20 degrees
Sitting at your desk with your hands on your keyboard,
so you’re encouraged to lean back on it during the day…
adjust the height of your chair so that your elbows are at
Yep, it’s supposed to be for resting your back muscles!
desk height (or just below) when you type. If you have arms on your chair, make sure they are low Now, wiggle your bottom right back in your chair and see if
enough to go under your desk, so you can come in nice and
your feet are flat on the floor. If not, you’ll need to use a
close to type/ write. You also need to be able to get up
footrest so that your knees and hips are supported properly
without being hemmed in by the arms on your chair. If either
(bent at about 90 degrees). If you don’t have a footrest, try
of these factors apply, remove the arms.
using some reams of paper, thick books or a low box (like a shoebox).
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