Ergonomics: The Art of Comfortable Design

Table of Contents

Why is ergonomics important?

So one question you may have is why is ergonomics important? Is it really necessary to go the extra mile and make sure you have the proper posture while you work?

Well it is, in fact. I mean, we want to as much precaution as necessary to take care of our body. Although there does not seem to be any immediate consequences to poor posture and discomfort in the workplace, overtime the negatives stack up to a point where symptoms like carpal tunnel, RSI, and even arthritis arise. You can also mess up the the posture of your spine, as well as the change the lengths of various tendons in your body so that when you stand up, you find yourself unable to stand up straight.

If you ever sat in front of a computer for long periods of time, you might have felt a little strained from sitting down. Almost as if sitting down was fatiguing. Well sitting down actually is hard! That’s because many workspaces work against the design of the human body and bio mechanics, causing strains in various different parts of the body. With many people transitioning more of their time and their life to digital technology, there is a growing awareness that the human body isn’t meant to sit at a computer. That’s where ergonomics comes in.

Ergonomics is the science of designing tools & work spaces that promotes a person’s work efficiency by taking into account the bio mechanics of the human body. So instead of having the person adjust to using a particular tool, ergonomics adjusts the tool to fit the bio mechanics of the human being.

Here is a list of ergonomic articles that will help you eliminate pain & discomfort from using the computer & other similar situations:

Finding the Right Ergonomic Gear

Do you need help finding ergonomic solutions to your working environment, for the preservation your health? Well, down below you will find Ergonomic articles that address specific ergonomic problems.

The best keyboard for Carpal Tunnel, Arthritis, Tendonitis, & RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury)

In this article, I present to you one of the most efficient keyboard in terms of how compatible it is to human bio mechanics. It’s called the Kinesis Advantage, which is a keyboard that curves or contours the natural shape of the human arms, hands, and fingers. It is a great keyboard that speeds up typing speed, because there are not more stress or strain bottlenecks that slow you down as you type. The contour of the keycaps fits the curved shape of the fingers, allowing for natural touch typing and further boosting a typists typing speed. Further, the keycaps are separated into two wells, allowing you space between your arms and further lowering the stain a typists experiences while typing. Overall, I highly suggest getting the Kinesis Advantage Contoured keyboard if you type for a living or for extended periods of time.

Mouses & Alternatives for Carpal Tunnel, Arthritis, Tendonitis, RSI & Sore Wrists

In this article, I write about the various different ergonomic mouse options that a person has to improve their usage of the mouse without putting excessive strain to their wrist, fingers, and forearm. I also cover alternatives to a regular mouse that can be used to control the computer mouse cursor in an ergonomic fashion. Each different mouse and mouse alternative are better for specific functions and situations, so I suggest that you carefully look over the options to make a decision on what type of mouse is best for your hand. Examples of ergonomic mouses & mouse alternatives that I cover include gaming mouses, angled or vertical mouses, trackballs, trackpads, and even drawing tablets.

Why Standing Desks Improve Posture, Fitness, Flexibility, Pelvic Tilt & Brain Function

One of the options to make your workspace or office more ergonomic is by using standing desks. Standing desks, when used in moderation, is an awesome way to improve spinal posture and and anterior pelvic tilt. Anterior pelvic tilt is caused by prolonged sitting, so using a standing desk is a good way to prevent the pelvic tilt from ruining your posture. Standing desks also improve flexibility, since some of your tendons are constantly shortened or lengthened to adapt to a sitting posture. Furthermore, standing desk don’t put as much weight and pressure on your lower back as sitting, since the weight is properly distributed down both of your legs while you stand. You can read the article to find out more on the many benefits of a standing desk over a regular sitting desk.

How to Design a Healthy, Ergonomic, & Efficient WorkSpace

This article covers many important issues and specifically equipment concerning the improvement of workspace ergonomics. The web page covers the proper form & posture needed in order to keep the back straight and away from slouching. It covers tips to keeping your body flexible while sitting stationary for long periods of time. The article also briefly covers the types of keyboards, mouses, and chairs to look for better ergonomics. It covers the function of wrist rests for reducing wrist strain. The article also covers how to improve a phenomena called turtling and eye strain.

Best Chairs for Back Pain, Posture, Lumbar Support, Herniated Disc & Anterior Pelvic Tilt

For your workspace, it is very important to invest into a comfortable chair. That’s because many of us spend a huge chunk of our life sitting in a chair- especially at the office. So why not spend some money on a good ergonomic chair, right? Because otherwise cheap chairs can lead to back problems and even spinal injuries in the long run. Cheap chairs aren’t adequately adjustable, don’t provide proper back & lumbar support, and promote bad posture. But how do you know what is a good chair, and what is a bad one in terms of ergonomics? This article is geared to helping you know the specific features that makes a chair ergonomic, or not.