A Cornell University study discovered that being cold at work drastically impacts your productivity. Cold fingers cause people to make more than twice as many errors while typing, and decreased their typing rate almost in half.  While you may not have control over the thermostat, try these tips to keep warm and boost your productivity.

Get Moving! When you sit for too long, your circulation slows down and your fingers and toes are the first thing to feel the cold. Every few minutes wiggle your fingers and toes to increase the blood flow. Better yet, make it a habit to take short, frequent walks throughout the day, even if it is just around the office and back.

Limit your caffeine! While it is tempting to sip hot coffee all day, caffeine actually constricts blood vessels limit the warming blood flow to your fingers. Try switching to herbal teas or decaf coffee for most of the day.

Wear comfortable shoes, or keep an extra pair at the office. Tight shoes can cut off circulation to your toes, making your feet colder, faster.

Try a warming tool. There are several great heating devices that run on less electricity than light bulb and don’t present the fire hazards of a space heater.

• Heated keyboard – This warming keyboard (which can easily be turned off in the summer) keeps your fingers warm without resorting to typing with gloves on. Warm fingers means less errors, faster typing and happier workers.
• Heated footrest – The heated foot rest is easily portable to any location and can be used as a foot rest or a radiant panel. Try this fast, easy way to enjoy warm feet at work.
• Mouse hand warmer pouch – If you use a mouse frequently and for long stretches of time, you know how quickly your mousing hand gets cold. Your mouse fits right inside this pouch, or pocket, to cover your hand and keep it warm whenever you are using your mouse.

If you struggle keeping warm at work, don’t just suffer; these tips can help. And there are great products available, such as the heated keyboard or the heated footrest, that keep you warm and help you recover the productivity that was lost in the cold.

Filed under: Category Uncategorized | Tags: heated foot rest,heated keyboard,heated mouse pad by christy
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Filed under: Category Uncategorized | Tags: document holder,ergonomic chair,ergonomic tips,monitor lift,sound machine,work station design,work station set-up,wrist rest by emily
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Sitting all day at work can be really hard on your body, especially your back.   By the end of the day, your back can be achey and sore, and by the end of the week, you may struggle to even stretch it too much.  It may seem that there is little you can do about too much sitting if you have a desk job.  Other than taking breaks, standing up to stretch regularly, and returning phone calls while standing, what can you do?

Many computer workers in offices, at home, and even on job sites are enjoying the benefits of an adjustable height ergonomic desk. An ergonomic desk is made to fit your and your body comfortably and to house all your essential items within close reach so there’s less strain for you.  An adjustable height desk takes ergonomics up another notch by allowing you to raise or lower the work surface, which allows for quick changes of position.  Keep reading to see some of the benefits of these ergonomic desks:

Comfort

Sitting at a computer all day puts enormous pressure on your back and shoulders.  While standing up for breaks and phone calls is a good start, it’s ideal if you can maintain a standing position for longer periods of time. A recent study with adjustable height desks at Cornell University reports that most people reported reduced muscle strain when they switched between sitting and standing while at work.  As an added bonus, if you suffer from pain in your neck and shoulders, the flexibility to both sit and stand at your computer can significantly decrease your muscle strain at work

Productivity

As the afternoon wears on, you may find your concentration decreasing. Standing up and taking a break improves circulation and increases productivity. Imagine how productive you would be if you continued to work while standing up! A study at USC discovered that just standing up can increase brain function by 5% to 20%. An adjustable height ergonomic desk allows you to stand at your desk while maintaining good, ergonomic posture at your computer.

Health

Rotating between sitting and standing while at work can help provide for better overall health. Medical research has shown that, in general, standing at your job is healthier than sitting. At the University of Missouri a recent study found that standing up can also have a significant impact on weight loss and calorie burning. It may be time to try standing up for part of your work day!

Collaboration

An additional plus to an adjustable height desk is that the standing position makes co-worker collaboration more feasible.  One of the more awkward work moments is having someone bend over your see to see your screen as you work together, or you having to bend over someone else’s, especially for sustained work time.  An alternative is to both stand to collaborate and enjoy the benefits of standing together.

With an adjustable height ergonomic desk, one swift move can raise your monitor, keyboard and, in some designs, even your work surface to the perfect standing height.  Standing up for part of your work day can help decrease pain in your back and shoulders and provide better comfort and increased productivity. Try upgrading to an ergonomic desk to enjoy the benefits of being able a sit or stand while working on your computer.

Filed under: Category Uncategorized | Tags: adjustable height desk,back pain,ergonomic desk by emily
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Last time, I posted some tips for reducing pain and injury in your wrists, primarily at work.  As a reminder Carpal Tunnel Syndrome {CTS} is when you feel pain in your hand and/or wrist which can extend into the forearm and shoulder.  This pain is caused by the compression of the median nerve in the wrist.Interestingly, after that post, I read an article about Carpal Tunnel pain for pregnant women {Your Pregnancy, Week by Week.}. Being pregnant myself and also obviously interested in ergonomics, I was intrigued to find that pregnant women has 1 in 4 chance of suffering from the typical Carpal Tunnel Syndrome symptoms during pregnancy: numbness, tingling or burning of the inner half of one or both hands, with a numb or useless feeling in fingers.  Usually, both hands are subject to the pain.  The thought is that water retention and swelling in the same areas contribute to the high rate of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome during pregnancy.

Fortunately, treatment is rarely required, as these symptoms should subside after delivery when the body quits retaining water and swelling.  However, pain is pain, and a pregnant woman has enough to deal with without adding CTS to the list.  Thus, here is a reminder of what to do to alleviate hand and wrist pain while still using your computer and cell phone.  I will highlight that wearing a wrist splint is even more important to note for pregnant women- we have the nasty habit of sleeping in strange positions, so protecting the vulnerable wrist is even more essential than ever.

• 

  Don't worry- it's just for night-time use!

  Correct your posture.  You may not realize that there is proper and improper hand and wrist positioning.  Essentially, DON’T bend or cock your wrists.  DO everything you can to avoid cocking or bending of your wrists.  If you feel pain as you are typing, texting, or mousing, stop what you are doing and re-position yourself.

• Try ergonomic products.  In particular, an ergonomic keyboard is designed to better your hands, while an ergonomic mouse makes mousing more natural and less straining for your wrists.  Regardless of what keyboard and mouse you’re using, be sure to keep them side-by-side and on the same surface to reduce movement and therefore injury.  So, lastly, a keyboard tray will store both and at a lower spot so your arms, wrists, and hands can work more comfortably.
• Wear a wrist splint. If you’re already experiencing wrist pain, one of the trouble spots is night time.  So often, we flex our wrists and sleep with them in quite odd positions, never even aware of it.  Thus, wearing a wrist splint at night time can protect you from doing more harm.

Using an ergonomic keyboard and ergonomic mouse at work and wearing a wrist splint at night can greatly reduce wrist pain and injury as you finish out your pregnancy.

Filed under: Category Uncategorized | Tags: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome,CTS,pregnancy,wrist pain,wrist splint by emily
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Wrist Pain & Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Wrist pain and actual injury is quite serious these days.  It’s not just athletes and musicians who are at risk either.  Now that we all spend huge chunks of our days typing, texting, and mousing, we are all at risk.  Before you write off wrist injury as an unlikely malady for you, please understand that anyone can come by it, and the more you type, mouse, or text, the more likely you are to actually experience problems with your wrists and hands.

To being, the main problem is the sensitive Carpal Tunnel area.  The median nerve, a main nerve running from the forearm to the hand, courses through the carpal tunnel along with tendons from the forearm. The tunnel is comprised of bones and a band of strong connective tissue. In carpal tunnel syndrome, the tendons become inflamed and compress the median nerve in the tunnel leading to the symptoms.  This condition is usually caused by improper posture and use of the wrists and hands, which is common for computer users.

Tips to Avoid & Relieve Wrist Pain

To avoid or relieve pain in this area, there are several things you can {and should!} do:

• Correct your posture.  You may not realize that there is proper and improper hand and wrist positioning.  Essentially, DON’T bend or cock your wrists.  DO everything you can to avoid cocking or bending of your wrists.  If you feel pain as you are typing, texting, or mousing, stop what you are doing and re-position yourself.
• Try ergonomic products.  In particular, an ergonomic keyboard is designed to better your hands, while an ergonomic mouse makes mousing more natural and less straining for your wrists.  Regardless of what keyboard and mouse you’re using, be sure to keep them side-by-side and on the same surface to reduce movement and therefore injury.  So, lastly, a keyboard tray will store both and at a lower spot so your arms, wrists, and hands can work more comfortably.
• Wear a wrist splint. If you’re already experiencing wrist pain, one of the trouble spots is night time.  So often, we flex our wrists and sleep with them in quite odd positions, never even aware of it.  Thus, wearing a wrist splint at night time can protect you from doing more harm.

Using an ergonomic keyboard and ergonomic mouse at work and wearing a wrist splint at night can greatly reduce wrist pain and injury.

Filed under: Category Uncategorized | Tags: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome,ergonomic keyboard,ergonomic mouse,keyboard tray,wrist pain,wrist splint by emily
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Filed under: Category Uncategorized | Tags: ergonomic chair,keyboard tray,neutral posture by emily
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Many people spend hours each day sitting at a desk, and most office workers complain that at some point they are uncomfortable or even in pain as a result of their workspace and habits. Here are some easy tips for creating a more comfortable, ergonomic workstation.

• Upgrade your chair. You chair is the foundation of good posture and pain-free sitting. A good ergonomic chair will actually encourage you to maintain good posture for long periods of time. But even if you can replace your chair, you should still adjust any chair you use to fit you properly. Begin by adjusting the height until your feet rest firmly on the floor. Next, raise or lower the backrest to best fit the contours of your spine. If you still don’t have enough cushion for your lower back, add portable lumbar support.  Finally, make sure your arm rests are low enough that your arms can move freely at the elbow as you type.

• Move your keyboard. Add an adjustable keyboard tray to your desk to provide fast, easy adjustment of your keyboard. This is probably the most important adjustment you can make to any work space. Proper keyboard placement relieves tension in the neck and shoulders and protects your hands a wrists from pain and injury. While typing, your keyboard should be only an inch or two above your lap, just below the height of your elbows. It should also be sloping slightly downward, away from your body. When adjusted correctly, your arms and hands should feel relaxed and you should be able to easily reach the top keys without stretching or reaching.

• Upgrade your keyboard. Did you know that poor typing posture actually wastes time, not to mention the aches and pains it causes?  Ergonomic keyboards are specially designed to support good hand position and make typing more comfortable and efficient. Consider trying a mini keyboard with a compact design that decreases the effort of each keystroke. When looking at a new keyboard, try several different designs to fine one that fits, and give yourself a few weeks to determining if it is really the best keyboard for you.

With these tips, you can design your own ergonomic workspace. Taking the time to customize your ergonomic chair and adding ergonomic tools, such as a keyboard tray, can help you create a more productive and comfortable work experience.

Filed under: Category Uncategorized | Tags: back support,comfort,ergonomic chair,ergonomic keyboard,ergonomic workstation,keyboard tray,lumbar support,mini keyboard,productivity by christy
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Filed under: Category Uncategorized | Tags: ergonomic chair,tips for choosing an ergonomic chair by emily
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The shoulder is the most flexible joint in the body, but it is also highly susceptible to injury. Pain and injury are frequently caused by repetitive motion and poor posture. Too often, computer users unconsciously sit in awkward positions instead of maintaining a natural, relaxed sitting position. This quickly leads to soreness and pain. Here are some tips for finding fast relief from pain and eliminating the cause of pain so that it doesn’t return.

Finding Immediate Relief

• Rest and Stretch: Give your muscles a break. Stand up and walk around at least every hour. During your break, stretch the sore muscle area to relieve any building tension. Here are some effective shoulder stretches recommended by National Institute of Health.
• Apply Heat: Hot compresses increase blood flow to the area and help relax tense, sore muscles. You can use this treatment for about 20 minutes at a time, as frequently as once an hour.  Don’t apply heat if there is any swelling in the area.
• Medication: Anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen, or pain relievers such as acetaminophen can bring fast relief. Discuss this option with your doctor or pharmacist.

Implementing Long-term Solutions

1. Restore Good Posture: The foundation of good posture is a well-fitted ergonomic chair. Make sure you chair is adjusted to maximize full-body upport. First lower the height until your feet sit firmly on the ground. Second, adjust the back rest to best fit your spine. You can also add  a rolled towel or portable lumbar support to improve the lower back cushion. Third, recline your chair slightly to help you relax your back muscles. Finally, lower your armrests to allow free arm movement.

2.       Adjust Your Work Space: A significant contributor to shoulder pain is the improper height and placement of your keyboard and mouse. Try using a keyboard tray to move your keyboard one to two inches above your lap, just below your elbow height. A slight angle away from your body will help you relax your hands as well.

3.       Upgrade Your keyboard. Ergonomic keyboards are specially designed to encourage good hand and wrist posture, relaxing your arms and shoulders and making your typing more comfortable and efficient. When looking for a new keyboard, try several different designs to find one that fits your hands and typing style.

It is easy to strain your shoulders with poor posture and repetitive movements. A good ergonomic chair allows you to maintain good sitting posture. An adjustable keyboard tray and a monitor stand can help arrange your workspace for pain free typing. Improving your posture and work habits can prevent shoulder pain.

Filed under: Category Business, Health | Tags: ergonomic chair,ergonomic keyboard,keyboard tray,pain,shoulder pain by christy
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Work-induced stress often results in physical aches and pain. What is often overlooked, however, is that physical stress and strain can add to our stressed state of mind, making matters worse. If you often come home from with headaches, back pain or more, it may be time to look at you physical comfort and evaluate your ergonomics at work.

What is Ergonomics?

Ergonomics is the science of finding ways to best support our bodies during repetitive motions and to complete our tasks with less stress and strain.  These simple ergonomic practices and powerful tools can help you find ways to improve your comfort and your health at work.

• Keep frequently used items, such as your phone or stapler, close to you. Don’t stretch or strain to grab the same item over and over.
• You should never hold  your phone receiver between your shoulder and ear.  A headset or a speaker phone will leave your hands free and keep you from straining your neck.
• Find better body support while sitting. A good ergonomic chair that supports your entire body greatly reduces the stress on your neck, back and shoulders.  While looking for a new chair, evaluate the support quality of the seating, the back support, the armrests, and any other adjustments available to make sure you find the best chair for your work environment.
• While typing, form a straight, flat line with your arms, hands and wrists. This helps to avoid repetitive stress health issues.  An easy-to-use keyboard tray allows for quick adjustments of keyboard and mouse placement in order to minimize strain.
• Using an ergonomic keyboard and an ergonomic mouse will also help you avoid stress.  Ergonomic keyboards support good posture for your hands and wrists, reducing agitation or trauma to the nerves and tendons in your sensitive carpal tunnel area in your wrist.  Carpal tunnel syndrome can normally be avoided by using an ergonomically designed keyboard and mouse, along with good typing habits.

The switch to ergonomic products, such as a well-supporting ergonomic chair or a specially-designed ergonomic keyboard, can greatly reduce work-induced stress, discomfort and pain.  These tips can encourage better habits to reduce pain and stress and help you enjoy better comfort at work.

Filed under: Category Business, Health | Tags: carpal tunnel,Carpal Tunnel Syndrome,comfort,ergonomic chair,ergonomic keyboard,ergonomic mouse,ergonomic tips,keyboard tray by christy
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