The majority of office workers suffer from neck or back (or both) pain at some point. Those who are typing often suffer from sore wrists and fingers too. If you are an office worker, you might feel doomed to have these problems sooner or later. However, they are avoidable by implementing adequate office ergonomics like a proper desk.
Several factors help to prevent the above ailments while working:
- Correct desk and chair heights;
- Proper equipment spacing;
- Correct sitting posture.
However, the desk is the most crucial factor to have a healthy posture during your working hours. Therefore, we will focus on this piece of furniture in this article. We will briefly discuss the other factors too. Like this, you can have a better idea of how to remain healthy even if you work many hours in an office.
Your ideal working desk
Ideally, you should use a desk with adjustable height, as the so-called Progressive desk. Adjusting the height of the tabletop is critical to achieving an ergonomic posture while sitting. If the tabletop is too low, you can put some blocks or sturdy objects under the desk legs. However, this solution is impractical and not aesthetic. By using an adjustable desk, you can easily set the tabletop to an adequate height.
Likewise, if the tabletop is too high, a regular desk will force you to raise your chair. Although this is an acceptable solution, an adjustable desk can give you extra benefits. For example, if you use an electric adjustable desk, you can move the tabletop up and down with the push of a button. What’s more, you can adjust the height of the tabletop such that you can stand to work.
Medical research has demonstrated that switching between sitting and standing postures at work is highly beneficial for your health. Experts recommend switching between these postures several times in a workday. Hence, without a desk that allows adjusting the tabletop height in a few seconds, you could not comply with this health requirement.
Another important characteristic to consider is the size of your desk. The working area must be big enough to work comfortably. There must be enough space for your computer, printer, notebooks, and other things you use daily at work. You should ensure that the desk leaves enough room for your knees and feet under it. To make your desk more ergonomic, refrain from storing things under it.
Other factors to consider for a proper and healthy posture at work
As mentioned, your desk is the key to a healthy posture while working in an office. Most health problems develop from many hours of sitting incorrectly. So, you also have to pay attention to other components of your workspace.
Office chair
Your office chair is critical to achieving a healthy work posture. It has to be a chair designed for office work and not a regular chair. Office chairs support your spinal curve, preventing your back from getting unnecessarily stressed. The correct height of the chair should allow you to rest your feet flat on the floor, with your thighs parallel to the floor. Your arms should rest on the armrests in a relaxed manner.
Keyboard, mouse, and other office items
Your keyboard and mouse must be on the same surface. When you type or use the mouse, your wrists should be straight. Simultaneously, your upper arms must remain close to your body. Keep other office items you routinely use (stapler, notebooks, etc.) within reaching distance. You should not stretch your body to reach objects while you sit. Instead, stand up and get the object you need. When you speak on the phone and type at the same time, use a headset or the phone speaker.
How you choose the correct desk
You now know that a standing desk is the best option for your health. So, you probably want the best standing desk you can get. First of all, you should choose an electric desk. This type of desk is equipped with electric motors that provide the force to lift or drop the tabletop. They are the most practical adjustable desks since all you need to do is push a button to mode the desktop up and down.
Other important factors to consider are lifting capacity, speed, noise, and programmability. The lifting capacity refers to the power of the desk’s motors to lift the tabletop including the load on it. You must ensure that your desk has the power to lift your computer and accessories, books, notebooks, and other items you use. The speed to adjust the tabletop height can or cannot be critical. In most cases, adjusting the height of your desk will take a few seconds only.
Likewise, you should choose a quiet adjustable desk if noise is an issue. Finally, a programmable desk will allow you to store the optimal heights for your sitting and standing postures, which you can retrieve more easily.
Hayley Mann is a technology enthusiast specializing in automation methods of ergonomics devices. Her engineering background helps her to create interesting articles on technical topics, making them understandable for all readers.
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