organising a work space and exercises at work

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ORGANISING A WORK SPACE

1. Rest your feet firmly on the floor or a footrest.

2. Distribute your weight evenly and use the entire seat and backrest to support your body.

3. Turn your chair to the side to help determine if your elbow height is near the height of your keyboard's home row.

4. Place the monitor directly in front of you (refer to the Papers and Books section). To determine a comfortable viewing distance, stretch your arm toward the monitor and notice the location of your knuckles. Place your monitor near that location. If needed, move the monitor closer or farther away, until you can clearly and comfortably see the displayed text .

5. Position your pointing device immediately to the side of your keyboard and close to the keyboard's front edge.

EXERCISES AT WORK

Eyes

To the sides: Focus both eyes to your sides, together. Do so to the left and right sides alternately five times each, without turning your neck or head.

Up and down: Similarly, do so to top and bottom five times each alternately. Ensure that your head and neck are steady and are not moving while you move your eyes.

Rotation: Now, rotate your eyes as to form a circle, both eyes focusing together at each point, five times in the clockwise direction and five times in the anticlockwise direction. This type of Ergonomic Exercise can be done at your own comfortable pace.

Neck:

To the sides: Breath in, turn your neck to your right side and bring back to the normal position while you breathe out. This is done five times each to both right and left sides alternately.

Up and down: Similarly, breathe in and tilt your neck up so as to look at the roof. Now, bent down so that your chin touches your body while you breathe out. This is done alternately up and down five times each at your own pace.

Rotation: Now, rotate your neck as to form a circle while you breath normally. While you rotate, your head should be bent down first taking it to one shoulder, then bending back, now touching the other shoulder, and then coming to the initial position.

Hands:

Wrist Rotation: Stretch both arms straight to the front with closed fists. Rotate both the fists together ten times in the clockwise direction and ten times in the anticlockwise direction. Do ensure that only your fists are rotating and the rest of your arms are stationery.

Elbow Rotation: Bendyour hands towards the front and hold your shoulders with your palms. Now, rotate your elbows ten times in the clockwise and ten times in the anticlockwise direction.

Whole hands, small circles: Stretch both hands to the sides holding your palms straight up perpendicular to the hands. Now, make small circles with both palms ten times in the clockwise and ten times in the anticlockwise direction.

Note that the smaller the circle, the better relaxation to your hands. This is an excellent Ergonomic Exercise for those who have to sit in front of the computer for very long hours.

Whole hands, big circles: Stretch your hands to the sides. Make big circles (as big as possible) with both the hands ten times in the clockwise and ten times in the anticlockwise direction. The number of times can be increased gradually as this becomes less strenuous.

Back:

Backward: Stand straight in the attention posture. Breath in while you bends back and come back to the normal position while you breathe out. While you bend back, try to bend as much as possible, but without straining your back. Try to do this ten times.

Forward: Stand straight in the attention posture. Raise both hands up while you breath in and come down to touch your toes without bending your knees while you breath out. You might not be able to do it with perfection in the initial days, but can improve gradually day by day.

Shoulders:

Use a large bath towel and grasp it at opposite corners. Sling it across the shoulder of tightness and bring both ends across to the opposite hip or waist. With the arm on that side pull gently downward and then release slowly.