Ergonomic Home Office Guide

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“Good posture not only changes your overall appearance, it changes your physiology.”

– Dr. Scott A. Mills

“Sitting is the new smoking disease” [1] Research shows some fundamentally negative effects are rooted from sitting for long periods of time.  

• Increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, musculoskeletal pain  
• Sitting is a risk factor for death
• Mortality rate is increased by 15% for people who sit over 8 hours per day and 40% for people who sit over 11 hours per day

Ergonomic User Checklist

Find out if your current workstation is ergonomic safe for you.  Checklist for seated workstation. 

	Correct	Incorrect
Eyes	The top line of your screen should be at or below eye level.   Your monitor should be placed at an angle 10-20 degrees. Place your monitor about 20 inches in front of you or at arm’s length.  Place your monitor and desk perpendicular to the window.   Minimize the glare from lighting sources.	Straining in upward or downward direction with neck.
Wrist	Keyboard with negative slope angle of 15 degrees (downward direction) in neutral wrist position.  Vertical mouse that mimics a handshake.	Keyboard with positive slope angle (upward direction) with bent wrist position Traditional keyboard with flexed wrists. Experience discomfort in fingers and /or wrist while at desk.  Unconsciously grip or hold tension in your fingers?  Horizontal mouse with extended wrist position.
Elbows	90-120 degree bend in arms. Elbows comfortable at your sides.	Elbows behind or in front of your torso.
Forearms	Roughly parallel to the floor	Sloped in upward or downward direction.
Torso or Spine	If your keyboard has a number pad, maure sure centering it based on the letters rather the whole keyboard.  The letter B should be in front of your navel.	Slouching posture  Leaning on your elbows or into your chair for support
Hips	90-120 degree bend in hips	Overarching in low back with an exaggerated anterior pelvic tilt forward
Knees	Neutral standing position	Too high compared to hip joints
Feet	Flat on floor or surface	Feet floating in space or tucked into chair rest
Shoulders	Relaxed and stacked over pelvis	Rounded forward Uneven shoulder height
Back	Upright and neutral, if necessary lumbar support pillow	Rounded forward spinal position or arching your low back
Legs	Thighs are parallel to floor	Legs criss crossed at knees or ankles leading to uneven weight in sit bones

 

Does your seated workstation look like this?  If not, we have more blogs specific about setting up an ergonomic friendly office workstation related to keyboards, chairs, mats, electric vs. manual standing desk converters, bicycling vs. treadmill desk options and more. 

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Checklist for standing workstation

	Correct	Incorrect
Eyes	The top line of your screen should be at or below eye level.   Your monitor should be placed at an angle 10-20 degrees. Place your monitor about 20 inches in front of you or at arm’s length.  Place your monitor and desk perpendicular to the window.   Minimize the glare from lighting sources.	Straining in upward or downward direction with neck.
Wrist	Keyboard with negative slope angle of 15 degrees (downward direction) in neutral wrist position.  Vertical mouse that mimics a handshake.	Keyboard with positive slope angle (upward direction) with bent wrist position Traditional keyboard with flexed wrists. Experience discomfort in fingers and /or wrist while at desk.  Unconsciously grip or hold tension in your fingers?  Horizontal mouse with extended wrist position.
Elbows	90-120 degree bend in arms. Elbows comfortable at your sides.	Elbows behind or in front of your torso.
Forearms	Roughly parallel to the floor	Sloped in upward or downward direction.
Torso or Spine	If your keyboard has a number pad, maure sure centering it based on the letters rather the whole keyboard.  The letter B should be in front of your navel.	Slouching posture  Leaning on your elbows or into your chair for support
Hips	Pelvis in neutral position	Overarching in low back with an exaggerated anterior pelvic tilt forward
Knees	Neutral standing position	Locking out knee joints
Feet	Flat on floor or surface	Uneven weight on standing feet
Shoulders	Relaxed and stacked over pelvis	Rounded forward Uneven shoulder height
Back	Upright and neutral, if necessary lumbar support pillow	Rounded forward spinal position or arching your low back
Legs	Neutral position with head, shoulders, knees and hips stacked with gravity line	Uneven weight on both standing legs

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Does your standing desk workstation look like like?  If not, we have more blogs specific about setting up an ergonomic friendly office workstation related to keyboards, chairs, mats, electric vs. manual standing desk converters, bicycling vs. treadmill desk options and more. 

Ergonomic Friendly Setup

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Professor Alan Hedge has published several research papers analyzing the health impact on individuals using sit-stand ergonomic workstations and the rate of productivity.  He found that low impact movement and transitioning from sitting to standing positions (3.6 times per day) throughout the workday lead to an average of 62% decrease in musculoskeletal complaints. [1] The overall feedback from employees on sit-stand was very positive.  The study participants were asked to rate the level of discomfort in their regular seated workstation position in their feet, legs, knees, thighs, buttocks, hands, wrist, lower arms/elbows, lower back middle back, upper back, shoulders, neck and eyes.  The same participants were asked to rate the level of discomfort post sit-stand workstation after 3 months of use.  Each region of the body showed decreased discomfort levels post sit-stand workstation over 3 months of time, plus, reduced mid-morning and early afternoon to end of day discomfort complaints. [1] The takeaway message from Professor Hedge is sit-stand workstations can be beneficial for your overall health and wellbeing.  [1, 8]

Health Benefits _{[2, 3, 4, 9]}

• Improved mood
• Depression relief 
• Decreased stroke risk by 20% with 30 minutes of walking per day
• Lowering blood pressure 
• Improved sleep habits 
• Varied work posture 
• Reduced upper body discomfort
• Reduced foot swelling 
• Increased productivity taking fewer and shorter breaks
• Enhanced workforce performance
• Improved musculoskeletal conditions (i.e. back pain)
• Decreased back pain 
• Increased circulation and blood flow

If you found this blog post helpful please share with your friends, family, co-workers and neighbors.

We have additional blog post specific to pilates, pre/post natal, bone building for osteoporosis/osteopenia, mindful meditation, restorative yoga therapy, partner and endurance training.  We believe in treating the whole person with a holistic approach and blend our knowledge and training of movement, nutrition, massage therapy and traditional chinese medicine.  

We love teaching mindful movement and are here to support you in your journey. We offer customized online remote training from anywhere in the world. Contact us today to get started and learn to move with less pain and greater ease. We look forward to partnering with you and answering your movement questions and/or concerns.   

Assumption of the Risk: By attempting any of the exercises, you do so at your own risk.  We make no representations, guarantees or warranties that the information or exercises on this blog are appropriate for you or will result in improvements of your medical condition or function.  

Not medical advice or physical therapy.  This content is intended to provide information and instructions on general exercises that may help increase strength, mobility, and function for specific areas of the body.  It is not intended to be a substitute for obtaining a medical diagnosis or medical or physical therapy advice from a qualified licensed provider.  You should seek medical advice from a qualified physician or physical therapist before trying any of the exercises or self-treatment suggestions on this blog, particularly if your pain is from a traumatic injury or event. 

References