ergonomics for writers

8/9/2019 Ergonomics for Writers

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Flexible Body, Flexible Pen

2The Write Word

I never knew so young a body with so old a head.

— Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice

http://www.tombentley.com/



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Easy Ergonomics for the Wily WriterChapter 1 – Introduction

NoPain,

All Gain






4The Write Word

No Pain, All Gain

Inroducion

Jus hink: no only do you have o worry abou seeing bad oupees on overpaid

acors, he hrea o alien invasion and wheher eaing chocolae induces psychosis

or cosmic awareness, now you have o worry abou wheher using your compuer is

going o send you o he surgeon’s oce. No only are he durned hings exaspera

ingly complicaed o learn and use, bu hey’re gunning or us as well.

Relax—o an exen, i’s less a mater o being argeed, bu raher o puting yoursel

in he line o re. Under cerain circumsances, using your compuer indeed can

resul in eyesrain, wris srain, back srain and a medley o oher maladies. Bad

design o equipmen and inappropriae or even harmul workspaces are a major

source o physical ailmens or compuer users.

However, i’s no always he inrinsically vicious naure o your compuer ha

causes hese condiions. Par o he problem—and a xable par a ha—may be

your approach o or neglecul pracice in compuer use ha brings ha huru

hammer down. Your behavior has a cenral inuence in wheher your compuingis body-riendly or body-righening. Comorable compuing begins wih paying

atenion.

Noe: ricky guy ha I am, I’ve aimed his ebook a wriers, being one mysel, bu

really, is advice is nice or any occupaion ha requires los o keyboard klaterin

wheher you’re sending ou sonnes or spreadshees. For you wriers ha sill work

in longhand, I’ll be puting ou he “What Does Tat Say? Easy Eye Exercises to Read

Your Own Writing ” ebook nex.

Atenion!

Tis book is a primer on prevenion: prevening as many o hose compuing siu-

aions ha provoke bodily disress and chronic pain as possible. We’ll look a how

you se up, si and survive a your compuer, and how o mainain he bes pracices





Easy Ergonomics for the Wily WriterChapter 1 – No Pain, All Gain






6The Write Word

same moions, perormed over and over. Your body’s muscles, nerves and linking

issues don’ recover well rom consan, repeiive moion, such as carrying a ray

o ood, liing heavy objecs above your head—or yping a a compuer while

saring a is screen.

Refresh he Mind—he Body Will Follow You need o consciously monior your ime a your compuer, and inersperse he

daa-inensive acions wih pauses and alernae movemens, such as sreches. ake

your hands away rom he keys, raise your arms above your head, ex your ngers

and wriss, sand up and genly arch your back, ge up and look ou he window—

here are many ways o remove yoursel rom he yranny o he machine, and hey

ake bu a momen. You can even ge soware ha will nag you abou break-aking

i you’re he resisan ype.

Expers recommend aking a sand-up-and-srech break every 20–30 minues

You migh worry (or your boss migh) ha your produciviy may sufer, bu i’s

acually he opposie: hose brie momens are rereshing or boh mind and body

and le you recoup your ocus so ha you can ake on your work challenges anew

Don’ discoun he simple power o brie res—i can be a liesaver.

Tere are a bundle o condiions and disabiliies associaed wih un-ergonomic

compuer use, many o which all under he caegory o Repeiive Sress/srain

Injuries (RSI) or Work-Relaed Musculoskeleal Disorders (WMSD) diagnoses

For compuer users, hese condiions (such as endoniis and carpal unnel syn-

drome) are provoked by various compuing habis ha can have long-erm, painu

repercussions. Happily, i hese condiions haven’ reached a chronic sage, some o

hem can be arresed or reversed simply by alering your compuing pracices.

Don’ Squawk a Your Doc

A srong noe o cauion (and again, somehing ha bears repeaing): i you areexperiencing consisen or inermiten pain—wheher you believe i’s associaed

wih compuer use or no—see your personal physician. I don’ proess o dispense

proessional medical advice (excep or whiskey recommendaions), and his

chaper should no be aken as such. Te inormaion you’ll read here is a diges

o curren houghs on RSI and associaed condiions, wih some echniques ha

can ward of is onse. Don’ atemp o use hese exercises and inormaion as a

subsiue or seeing your docor—I wouldn’.





Easy Ergonomics for the Wily Writer

Summary Su: Basic Ofce SeupBelow you’ll see ino provided on posiioning your chair, monior, keyboard and

mouse. Besides ha, examine he oher peripherals in your oce wih an eye o

opimum use. Te equipmen ha you use mos oen, such as your phone, should

be closes a hand, and no require you o srech or reach in awkward ways.

On he subjec o phones, i’s worh your while o inves in a good speakerphone

or even a headse, i your work requires a lo o elephone use. Clapping your phone

o your ear by clamping i beween your head and neck while you’re keyboarding is

an open inviaion or a neck ache or backache. Good speakerphones and headses

(Blueooh can ake he bie ou o wired consrains) le you reely ype or roam

around your oce o ge relevan maerials wihou consrain.

O course, since one o he bes ways o avoid compuing-relaed maladies is o noengage in prolonged, unwavering asks, i does make sense, or various reasons, o

have some iems (your priner, ax machine (sill go one?), paper supplies) posi

ioned so you mus ge up ou o your chair o reach and use hem. Pauses, even

shor ones, are very helpul in prevening RSI.

Tere’s a hunk o’ links a he end o his doc ha will merrily send you along o sies

wih comprehensive ino on ergonomics undamenal, plus links caegorized or

chairs, moniors, keyboards and mice. Dive in (bu dive saely).

Chapter 1 – No Pain, All Gain






8The Write Word

Symptoms, then, are in reality nothing but a

cry from suffering organs.

— Jean-Martin Charcot





Easy Ergonomics for the Wily WriterChapter 2 – Getting the Chair

Getting theChair






10The Write Word

(Or, Deliver Me rom Devilish

Compuing Furniure and Devices)Here we’ll review how he objecs in your compuing world can be orure insru-

mens or complian slaves o your compuing demands, never o saboage your

body hrough heir use. (And in regards o obaining he correc urnishings or

your compuing seup, mos urniure and large oce supply sores oday are well

aware o he booming home-oce marke, and will be very happy o show you

merchandise o every sripe o sui your needs.)

Sitin’ Prety We’ll begin wih where you park your person in ron o your machine: your chair

(Yes’m, here are many lapop loungers ou here who are chuckling rom heir

couches, bu we’ll sar wih he old sandards.) Your hriy sel migh say ha i’s

ne o use one o your spare dining-room chairs—or even a sool, God orbid!—a

your compuer, bu your sensible sel will have o inervene.

You jus can’ expec o use any old (or any new) chair a your compuer wihouconsidering is suiabiliy or he ask. Good compuer chairs don’ have o be diz

zyingly expensive, bu hey do require a number o adjusable eaures, and you

aren’ going o nd a decen one—excep used—or much less han $100. And

ruly good ones can be several imes ha much.

Ta said, you cerainly don’ have o spend $500 or your chair, hough some o he

nice Herman Miller and oher designer chairs can go or considerably more han

ha. Le’s go over wha basics o look or in a compuer chair.

Wheels Wheels le you roll (counry-songwriers: you can seal ha line copyrigh-ree)and

i’s good o have movemen opions. I’s bes o ge a chair ha uses casers, wheels

ha are mouned in a swiveling rame, or your chair. Chairs wih ve-poin (ve

armed) casers are more sable han our-poin, and seem more common. You’ll

nd ha puting one o hose plasic mas on he oor around your compuer wil

Geting he Chair

Your hriy sel migh say ha i’s

ine o use one o your spare dining-room chairs—or even a sool, God orbid!—a your

compuer, bu your sensible sel will have o inervene.





Easy Ergonomics for the Wily Writermake your movemens back and orh

in ron and o he side o your machine

much easier and less srained han hose

wih a wheelless chair, or a wheeled chair

wihou he ma. Te spike-less ones pro-

ec hardwood oors and he spiked le

you swing your bad sel on he carpe.

(By he way, whoever invened hose

spiked plasic mas, wih heir eager

plasic needles, was a bi o a sadis. I’s

a dauning chore o ge hem posiioned

jus righ under desks wihou jabbing

hem ino your hands or legs. Make sure

hey’re jus where you wan hem when you le go.)

SwivelI’s prety rare o nd a wheeled chair wih casers ha doesn’ swivel, bu here

are some. Don’ ge one o hose. You need o be able o swing reely o he sides

or easy range o moion.

Heigh AdjusmenTe chair needs a heigh adjusmen, so ha you can pu yoursel in an opimum

(we’ll ge o ha) posiion in ron o your keyboard, desk and monior. Even

hough you can make adjusmens o hose hings, i’s much easier o ge properly

posiioned wih a chair’s heigh adjuser.

Lumbar Adjusmen

Backs are ricky, as mos humans, docors and HMOs know. Chairs ha allow orhe adjusmen o heir conac wih and pressure on he low back (lumbar) area

can make or vas improvemens in compuer ergonomics. You wan o preserve

he healhy lumbar curve ha mainains a sraigh spine.

Sea il AdjusmenHaving he abiliy o il he chair’s sea higher or lower can help o ne-une

your comor.

Chapter 2 – Getting the Chair

Backs are ricky, asmos humans, doc-

ors and HMOsknow.






12The Write Word

Sea DephTe sea pan should be long enough so ha you ge suppor no simply a your

butocks bu hrough some lengh o your leg as well. (Te pan should reach o

jus a ew inches rom your knees.) You wan o have your hips slighly lower

han your knees, wih your ee a on he oor, or else elevaed on an ergonomic

cushion. I’s easier o do ha wih a sea wih increased deph. (And naurally,

you’ll wan he sea’s cushioning o be comorable, bu also rm and suppor-ive.)

Armress Armres heigh should be adjused o a posiion where he shoulders and neck

eel he mos relaxed when he arms are resing on he armress. Don’ ype wih

your arms suppored by he armress i ha causes your arms and wriss o be

iled, urned or oherwise direced ou o heir neural posiion over he key-

board.

Add-onsTere are a number o add-on producs ha can enhance your seaed ergonom-

ics. Various ypes o lumbar cushions are available ha can be added o oce

chairs o keep your back aligned.

Foo cushions or ooress can ake

he pressure of your legs and also

help i you are shor and have ahigh desk. Paper sands ha keep

hard-copy documens close o

your monior (and are someimes

atached o he monior isel) in

easy view are also very helpul in

promoing posiive posure. Some

o he oce-supply sore links in

his secion sell such iems.

In he Cabird SeaIdeally, you should be siting uprigh in your chair (see diagram), acing your

monior sraigh-on, wih your ee a on he oor (or elevaed on a proper

cushion), wih your shoulders back, your head sraigh and your neck “neural.”

And did we menion ha you’re supposed o be relaxed while you’re doing his?

(Noice ha we’ve drawn an old-school aback monior here, jus so you don’

have o squin.) And don’ worry, we’re no going o ask you o do any push-ups.





Easy Ergonomics for the Wily WriterChapter 2 – Monitoring the Situation

Monitoringthe Situation






14The Write Word

Monioring he Siuaion

Moniors

Moniors or Mind and Body I you’re going o be gazing a your monior or more han a ew minues a day, i

pays o ge a decen one (which essenially means ha you’ll pay o ge a decen

one). By decen, I mean one ha is brigh and crisp, wih adjusable resoluions

and comprehensive—and comprehensible—display conrols. oday’s moniors

are beter han hose o a ew years’ back, and like compuers hemselves, have

come down in price.

Fla-panel displays—LCD and LED—have nally moved down rom he pricing

sraosphere, and now-cosly OLED displays, wih heir even more remarkable

hinness (and brighness and conras) will ollow sui. Compared o he old CRs

a panels are vasly ligher, hinner, more power-ecien, and emi ar less hea and

radiaion han CRs. And hey have reduced icker, so hey’re easier on he eyes

Some o hem will even le you pivo beween landscape and porrai mode—wil

i be spreadshees or a leter o he edior oday? Teir a design les you remove

hem rom heir bases and moun hem on ariculaed arms or direcly on your wall,

your oor or your door. Bu i you decide o buy, say, a nice 30-incher and don’

like i, mail i o me; I’ll pay a leas hal o he shipping.

Moniors ha now accompany he purchase o many compuer sysems are now

oen 19 inches (he screen’s diagonal measure) or larger in size, an eye-welcoming

change ha is an ergonomic boon. No only does he larger screen size aford more

resoluion opions, bu i can preven endless scrolling and mousework o see on

screen documens and web pages in heir enirey. Nineeen-inch moniors can eel

absoluely luxurious aer a 17-incher. Geting somehing like a 27-inch iMac can

make you eel like you’re a successul bank robber. Ta’s visual real esae!

oday’s moniors are all mulisync, which means ha you can adjus he reso-

luion—he size and space beween he pixels ha produce wha’s seen on your

Geing somehing like a 27-inch iMac

can make you eel like you’re a suc-cessul bank robber.Tha’s visual real esae!





Easy Ergonomics for the Wily WriterChapter 2 – Monitoring the Situationscreen—o sui your needs. Boh Macinosh and Windows soware have mehods

buil ino heir operaing sysems or adjusing he display resoluion, and or adjus-

ing he size o ype onscreen. Search in heir online help sysems under “display” and

check ou he “Adjusing Screen ex Size” secion below. Also, mos o he soware

ha deals wih ype in any signican way (e.g., word processors and page-layou

programs) have conrols or ex-size adjusmens or boh operaing sysems.

However, he curren prevalence o LCD or LED moniors does change some

resoluion issues. Indeed, you can change resoluion setings or many such screens

however, mos LCD/LED screens have a “swee spo” or resoluion, a naive seting

ha when alered can cause ariacs or disorion, depending on screen qualiy,

reresh raes and oher issues. Oen you’ll wan o change oher setings, such as

he ex size adjusmens explained below, raher han adjus he naive resoluion

o your a-panel screen.

Ideally, your monior should be beween 20–28 inches away rom your body; he

op o he monior’s screen should be near eye level. I should always be direcly

in ron o you. You need o be in a room ha doesn’ produce direc glare on he

monior’s screen (oen caused

by overhead lighing), which

can cause eyesrain. I migh be

necessary o use a glare ler i

you can’ posiion he display oavoid i. See he diagram or an

illusraion o proper monior

placemen.

Adjusing Screen ex SizeOne o he mos exible—and conusing—hings abou oday’s compuers is ha

hey le you adjus he size o ex on your screen in a number o diferen ways.

I helps o know abou he diferen ways, and how each one can be useul—orconusing.

The Default Setting

Boh Windows and Macinosh compuers le you se a deaul on ype and on

size or ex displayed on he screen. Tis is probably he bes place o sar i you

nd he deaul ex is hard or you o read. Experimen wih he ex-size setings in

your mos-used soware o produce onscreen ex ha’s readable wihou squining

or leaning in o he machine.

You need o be in aroom ha doesn’

produce direc glareon he monior’s screen (ofencaused by overheadlighing), which

can cause eyesrain.






16The Write Word

For Windows (and I’ll jus

preend here everyone in he

world is using XP, even hough

Windows 7 is already rolicking

in he wild while Visa dies is

britle deah), righ-click on he

deskop o open a litle menu.From his menu, selec Proper-

ies. Tis will open he Display

Properies dialog box. Once his

box is open, you can nd places

o adjus ex size under boh he

Appearance and Setings abs.

Under he Appearance ab, youcan adjus he display on and size or menus, messages and jus abou everyhing

else. Tere are a number o pre-dened “schemes” wih diferen-sized ex ha you

can ry, or you can make your own scheme by adjusing each o he opions one-by-

one. You can smooh on edges using selecions under he Efecs... buton.

Under he Setings ab, you can adjus he Screen Resoluion—he number o dos

displayed on he screen—which afecs he size o he ex. Also, i you click on he

Advanced buton, you can make some more overall adjusmens. Tese adjusmens

vary depending on he ype o graphics card you have, so ake a look and see.

One cavea here: I you make your ex a lo larger han

he deaul size, many programs and dialog boxes will

look misaligned, and some ex may even be cu of. You

may have o ake some ime and ry diferen schemes

and oher adjusmens o adjus he deaul ex so i’s

easy o read.

For Macinosh (under OS X), while you’re in he Finder,

click on View under he main menu and selec Show View

Opions. Te drop-down menu under ex Size will le

you selec a deaul on size or menus, headings, liss

andoher screen on views; icon-size setings can also be

se here. For on smoohing, open Sysem Preerences






18The Write Word

Look o he Eas, Look o he WesConsisency is one o hose virues ha doesn’ always ranslae in he compuer

world, a leas regarding ergonomics. Te advice o no remain in a xed posiion

when compuing goes or your eyes as well. Don’ remain saring wih a xed gaze

a your monior or long lenghs o ime. Look away a leas every 15–20 minues

or so o give your eyes a res. Some expers recommend looking away every 5–10

minues. Look of a a disance, i possible, o le he muscles and lenses o your

eyes srech and conrac. Blink, breahe and relax.

Handheld Neck-CricksOh, I almos orgo: I haven’ menioned all o he hand-held devices, like

Blackberrys, Kindles (and he amazemens o e-ink), and now Apple’s iPad ha

people squin a all day. Te bigges ergonomic advice I have or hose is his: i

you are reading hose while you are driving, i’s no jus your eyes ha are headedor he dumpser.






20The Write Word

Te Key o Kind Keyboards

Keyboards

All keyboards areno alike—and o-

en he hings ha make one personlike a keyboard pro-duce keyboard con-emp in anoher.





Easy Ergonomics for the Wily WriterChapter 3 – The Key to Kind Keyboards

Newer lapops o-en have keyboards

ha rival heir desk-op cousins, or youcan use an exernal keyboard on your lapop, which is my

choice.






22The Write Word

Te mos popular alernaive keyboard layou is called he Dvorak keyboard layou

I was designed o minimize nger moion, and i’s one o he oldes alernae key-

board layous. Bu “mos popular” in he world o alernae keyboard layous doesn’

mean much—i’s sill so non-sandard ha ew people use i.

I you decide o experimen wih an alernae keyboard layou, be sure you know wha

you’re doing (or counsel wih someone ha does) beore using any key-rearranging

soware. Such soware could cause unoreseen problems and incompaibiliies

wih your avorie programs.

Te Keys oKeying

Here are a ew keyboardundamenals ha you

should pracice or any

periods o exended yp-

ing.

1. Your arms should ex-

end rom your elbows

a approximaely a 100-degree angle above he keys (your desk/chair should

be high enough o make his a naural posiion)

2. Don’ srech your arms orward a grea disance o ype. You should be able

o comorably exend your arms rom your siting posiion o your keyboard

wihou reaching.

3. Keep your arms close o your sides when yping.

4. Don’ res your wriss on wrispads while yping. You should jus use hem o

remind you o keep your hands and wriss sraigh (neural) above he keyboard

when acively yping.

5. Don’ hi he keys wih hard, sharp srokes. A moderae sroke should suce6. Keep uprigh, wihou craning your neck orward, slumping or hunching your

shoulders

7. See he diagram above or visual keyboarding ips






Lisen Up, Compuer Why boher wih ha pedesrian business o yping when you can jus ell your

compuer wha o do? Voice-recogniion soware (and hardware) has come a

long way, hough i’s no quie o he poin where i’s a ull-ime subsiue or a

keyboard. Even he consumer-level soware (such as Dragon Naurally Speaking

IBM’s ViaVoice and Lernou and Hauspie’s Voice Xpress) has progressed o hedegree ha you can use voice commands o undamenally conrol many popular

applicaions, including oce suies and browsers.

I is necessary o “rain” he soware o your voice paterns and inecions by

speaking airly long passages o provided ex, and correcions oen have o be

inpu by he keyboard, bu hey all work moderaely well, and are sure o improve

in he uure. You do need a microphone-equipped PC wih a decen sound card

and a moderaely powerul processor, all o which are prety common wih oday’smachines.

Many o he major manuacurers (such as Microso) produce keyboard alerna

ives; do an online search or hem (ry “ergonomic keyboards”), as well as or

keyboard-mapping soware. Programs such as QuicKeys or ypeI4Me can be

used o program your compuer o auomae asks ha oherwise would ake a lo

o keyboarding and mousing.

Chapter 3 – The Key to Kind Keyboards






24The Write Word

Body: A thing of shreds and patches, borrowed

unequally from good and bad ancestors and amisfit from the start.

— Ralph Waldo Emerson





Easy Ergonomics for the Wily WriterChapter 4 – Make Mice Nice

Make

Mice

Nice!






26The Write Word

Make Mice Nice

Mice

Well , no need oorder ra poison;

you do have manyopions in he mous-ing world. And youdon’ necessarily haveo replace your ex-

ising mouse o sayhand-healhy.






28The Write Word

A healthy body is a guest chamber for the soul;

a sick body is a prison.

— Francis Bacon





Easy Ergonomics for the Wily WriterChapter 5 – Ergonomic Exercises

Easy Livin’

Through

Ergonomic

Exercises






30The Write Word

Te Exercises—Makin’ Your Moves

Here are a number o exercises ha can be grea RSI-reducers. Doing several ses

and combinaions o hese exercises akes jus a ew minues; hey are a good

way o sar your compuing day, and a good way o end i as well. (And i your

ime in ron o he screen is paricularly demanding, you can do one or wo

a your desk hroughou he day as well.) You can ge much more inormaion

online a htp://ergonomics.ucla.edu.Tere are a number o companies ha sell sreching or ormal yoga exercises geared

oward people who si a heir desks and/or work a a compuer. Te exercises le

you ocus on he hands, arms, spine, neck and oher bodily areas ormened by

long sreches in he chair. Search or “yoga soware” or “sreching soware” or

he like.

WARNING!! Te exercises below are presened or inormaional purposes only

I you have any movemen-relaed pain or physical problems, see a docor beore

doing any exercises. Don’ srain or make sharp, quick movemens while doing any

o hese exercises—and remember o breahe.

Easy Livin’ TroughErgonomic Exercises






Te Elevaor

Link your ngers ogeher, palmsup. Bring your arms sraigh up

over your head and hold or 10

seconds. Repea 3 imes.

Te Sidewinder

Li your arms above your head, wih your hands holding he el-

bows o he opposie arms. Bend

rom he hips o each side, hold-

ing 10 seconds on each. Repea

2 imes.

Carrier Landing While sanding agains a wall

wih your ee shoulder-widh

apar and your low back pressed

agains he wall, bring your arms

up and down slowly in an arc over

your head. Keep your elbows in

conac wih he wall. Repea 5

imes.

College uiionBring your arms slowly up over

your head; hold or a momen and

bring hem slowly down. Repea

3 imes.






32The Write Word

Te Si and Roae While siting in a chair, reach across

your body and grab he back o hechair. Pull genly o srech your

back and hold or 5 seconds. Repea

5 imes or each side.

I’m a Bad Boy While in a corner (or in an open

doorway), place your orearmson opposie sides o he corner,

wih your ee one in ron o he

oher. Lean genly in unil you eel

a srech in your ches and hold or

10 seconds. Repea 3 imes.

You Have he Righ oRemain Silen

Link your ingers behind your

head and pull your shoulder

blades ogeher and hold or 5

seconds. Repea 3 imes.

Te Rubberneck urn your chin oward one shoul-

der and hold or 5 seconds, hen

repea or he oher shoulder.

Repea 3 imes.






Head and ShoulderDraw he op o your head genly

oward one shoulder and hold or

10 seconds. Do boh sides. Repea

3 imes.

El Bow Hold one arm above he elbow

and push i genly up owards

he oher shoulder. Hold or 10

seconds; do boh sides wice.

Airheadil your head sideways in one di-

recion while you pull he opposing

arm rom behind your back in he

same direcion o he il. Hold or

10 seconds; do boh sides.

Te Handou Wih your ngers linked, exend

your arms wih your palms acing

ou. Hold or 10 seconds. Repea

3 imes.

Nohing Up My SleeveExend and sraighen your n-

gers and hold or 10 seconds.

hen bend your ingers a he

knuckles and hold or 10 seconds.

Relax and repea boh 3 imes.






34The Write Word

Sop in he Name of RSI

Exend your wriss wih your n-

gers up, arms ou in ron and hold

or 10 seconds. Ten bend your

wriss wih he ngers downward

and hold or 10 seconds. Repea

boh 2 imes.

Assume he PosiionLink your ingers behind your

back. urn your elbows inward

while sraighening your arms.

Hold 10 seconds. Repea 2

imes.

Proecing Yoursel Summary

Firs o all, i you are experiencing consisen or inermiten pain—wheher you

believe i’s associaed wih compuer use or no—see your personal physician.

Nex, ake a careul look a yoursel—do you have any o hese sympoms:

1. Sore wriss, ngers or elbows

2. Sif or sore shoulders, back or neck

3. Eyesrain

Look closely (and honesly) a your posure:

• Areyousiingupstraight?Isyourposture“correct”?Ordoyouslouch,twist

and slump?

Look a your workspace:

• Does your chair give you he suppor you need o si up sraigh bu

comorably?





Easy Ergonomics for the Wily WriterChapter 5 – Ergonomic Exercises • Isitadjustableinenoughways?

• Areyourarmsandwristsattheproperangleabovethekeyboard?

• Isyourmonior a he righ heigh?

Look a your equipmen:

• Isyourkeyboard comorable?

• Isyourmonitorcrispandclear? • Isyourmouse comorable o use?

Look a your soul:

• Oops,wrongbook!

Proecing Yoursel Acion Shee

Here is a shor lis o hings o do and remember o lessen your discomor while

compuing and help avoid pain and injury:

1. Wach your posure!

2. Se up your workspace so ha you can comorably si in he righ posiion

and posure.

3. I your chair, keyboard, mouse or monior are causing you problems, look ino

he alernaives (moving hem, rearranging hem or replacing hem).

4. Consider adjusing he deaul ex size or your compuer screen.

5. Remember o look away rom he screen a leas every 15 minues, preerablymore oen.

6. Remember o ake sand-up-and-srech breaks every 20–30 minues.

7. Consider doing some sreching exercises on a regular basis.

8. Explore a number o he links below o diferen sies ha give more inorma

ion on ergonomics, healh, exercise and replacemen compuing producs.

Feel good, wrie well, ea your oameal.






36The Write Word

Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if

green vegetables smelled as good as bacon.

— Doug Larson

(You’ll just have to indulge me here.)






Links,Hot

to Go!






38The Write Word

General Ergonomics LinksHere are some sies ha provide specic advice abou good ergonomic pracices, as

well as some general healh sies wih varying amouns o inormaion on eyesrain,

back srain, RSI and relaed ergonomic healh inormaion. Obviously, hese are

jus a ew insances; search he web (bu ype properly, or I’ll nag you) or he vas

reposiory o ergonomic ino. O course, ry o be discerning abou he inorma-

ion’s source.

Say healhy, say happy.

htp://ergonomics.ucla.edu/ – UCLA’s ergonomics program

htp://www.ergosci.com/aq.hml– Ergonomic resources and produc guide

htp://www.pc.ibm.com/ww/healhycompuing/–IBM’s ergonomics ino

htp://www.hes.org – Human Facors & Ergonomics Sociey page

htp://www.ergoweb.com – Many ergonomic links and resources

htp://www.ergobuyer.com – All hings ergonomic: broad lis o ino/producs

htp://www.iaq.com – yping Injury FAQ

htp://www.sreching.com– Sreching books/exercise producs

htp://www.ergosoreonline.com/ – Wide variey o ergnomic producs

htp://www.webmd.com– Large online medical inormaion sie

Chair and Furniure LinksHere are some links or online sources o oce chairs and ancillary producs.

htp://ergonomic-chairs.ne/ – Chair-selecion overview; helpul links

htp://www.kinesis-ergo.com/– Chairs, keyboards, mice and oher producs

htp://www.oceorganix.com– Range o ergonomic oce producs/resources

htp://www.hegenrycollecion.com/– Deep chair selecionhtp://www.globaloaloce.com– Large oce producs sie/ergonomic chairs

htp://www.hermanmiller.com–High-qualiy oce chairs and urniure

htp://www.lizell.com – High-qualiy worksaion urniure and accessories

htp://www.levenger.com – High-qualiy worksaion urniure and accessories

htp://www.ocedepo.com – Large oce producs sie, wih chairs


http://ergonomics.ucla.edu/

http://www.ergosci.com/faq.html

http://www.pc.ibm.com/ww/healthycomputing/

http://www.hfes.org/

http://www.ergoweb.com/

http://www.ergobuyer.com/

http://www.tifaq.com/

http://www.stretching.com/

http://www.ergostoreonline.com/

http://www.webmd.com/

http://ergonomic-chairs.net/

http://www.kinesis-ergo.com/

http://www.officeorganix.com/

http://www.thegentrycollection.com/

http://www.globaltotaloffice.com/

http://www.hermanmiller.com/

http://www.lizell.com/

http://www.levenger.com/

http://www.officedepot.com/

http://www.officedepot.com/

http://www.levenger.com/

http://www.lizell.com/

http://www.hermanmiller.com/

http://www.globaltotaloffice.com/

http://www.thegentrycollection.com/

http://www.officeorganix.com/


http://ergonomic-chairs.net/

http://www.webmd.com/

http://www.ergostoreonline.com/

http://www.stretching.com/

http://www.tifaq.com/

http://www.ergobuyer.com/

http://www.ergoweb.com/

http://www.hfes.org/

http://www.pc.ibm.com/ww/healthycomputing/

http://www.ergosci.com/faq.html

http://ergonomics.ucla.edu/





Monior Linkshtp://www.ergodesign.com – Broad supply o ergonomic worksaion producs

some or moniors

htp://www.oce-ergo.com/ – General ergonomics sie, wih ineresing advice

on placemen o he monior lower han commonly advised, wih reerences, plus

lighing/disance advicehtp://www.cne.com – Los o monior reviews a his major echnology sie

h p : / / w w w. s a m s u n g .c o m / u s / c o n s um e r / o i c e / m o n i or s / i n d e x

idx?pageype=ype – Major monior manuacurer

htp://www.eizo.com/index.hm– Major monior manuacurer

hp://www.viewsonic.com/home-oice/deskop-moniors/ – Major monior

manuacurer

htp://www.misubishi-presenaions.com/producs/lcd_showroom.hml –

Major monior manuacurer

htp://www.dell.com – Major monior manuacurer

htp://www.lge.com/us/compuer-producs/moniors/index.jsp– Major moni

or manuacurer

Keyboard and Mouse Linkshtp://www.kinesis-ergo.com– Ergonomic keyboards and more

htp://www.ergopro.com – Keyboards and oher ergonomic supplies

htp://www.adesso.us/ – PC and Mac keyboards and oher inpu devices

htp://www.macally.com/EN/Produc/inpukeymouse.asp – Keyboards, mice

htp://www.logiech.com– Keyboards, mice and oher compuer peripherals

htp://www.inogrip.com– One-hand keyboards, mice and more

htp://www.goldouch.com/ – Ergonomic keyboards and mice

htp://www.oomouse.com/– No-hands mouse: A mouse or your ee!

htp://www.wacom.com – Wriing ables and mouse alernaives

htp://www.kensingon.com– Various mice, rackballs, keyboards

htp://www.cirque.com – GlidePoin ouchpads

htp://www.mouserak.com – Ergonomic and specialy mice

htp://www.nuance.com/naurallyspeaking/producs/ediions/preerred.asp–

Voice-acivaion soware


http://www.ergodesign.com/

http://www.office-ergo.com/

http://www.cnet.com/

http://www.samsung.com/us/consumer/office/monitors/index.idx?pagetype=type


http://www.eizo.com/index.htm

http://www.mitsubishi-presentations.com/products/lcd_showroom.html

http://www.dell.com/

http://www.lge.com/us/computer-products/monitors/index.jsp


http://www.ergopro.com/

http://www.adesso.us/

http://www.macally.com/EN/Product/inputkeymouse.asp

http://www.logitech.com/

http://www.goldtouch.com/

http://www.footmouse.com/

http://www.wacom.com/

http://www.kensington.com/

http://www.cirque.com/

http://www.mousetrak.com/

http://www.nuance.com/naturallyspeaking/products/editions/preferred.asp

http://www.nuance.com/naturallyspeaking/products/editions/preferred.asp

http://www.mousetrak.com/

http://www.cirque.com/

http://www.kensington.com/

http://www.wacom.com/

http://www.footmouse.com/

http://www.goldtouch.com/

http://www.logitech.com/

http://www.macally.com/EN/Product/inputkeymouse.asp

http://www.adesso.us/

http://www.ergopro.com/


http://www.lge.com/us/computer-products/monitors/index.jsp

http://www.dell.com/

http://www.mitsubishi-presentations.com/products/lcd_showroom.html

http://www.eizo.com/index.htm



http://www.cnet.com/

http://www.office-ergo.com/

http://www.ergodesign.com/


ergonomics for writers

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