Ergonomic Importance

Humans, (as far as this human is concerned), were not designed to sit at a desk all day, squinting from the glare of overhead fluorescent lighting, hunched over a tiny laptop, staring numbingly into a computer screen. No, not at all. Our bodies are instinctual machines with the primitive desire to be in constant motion; exercising, stretching, harvesting food, socializing, moving. We like to migrate. Travel. Explore. Yearnings which, more often than not, are suppressed by the confines of the work environment. Yet, it seems as if over the eons, we have adapted to our ever-changing surroundings and slowly, yet surely, have evolved into the Office Hominoid.

Indeed, the neck rolls, the adjusting of the squishy chair, the back cracking, the overhead stretch, the frequent walks to the water cooler, yes - these techniques all help "work out the kinks." But they do not solve the core issue of discomfort as a result of sitting at a desk for hours on end: poor posture.

For almost two years - TWO naïve years - I sat hunched over a work laptop, bewildered why my neck and back called out to me almost every night with a dull ache. Maybe I'd go for a run and the strain would subside, but it always seemed to reappear at the end of each Monday's work day. Until finally, I had a "Eureka!" moment, did a little research, and realized that I drastically needed to reevaluate my sitting posture.

In a nutshell, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, the official proper-posture check-list reads as follows:

• Hands, wrists, and forearms are straight, in-line and roughly parallel to the floor.
  
• Head is level, or bent slightly forward, forward facing, and balanced. Generally it is in-line with the torso.
  
• Shoulders are relaxed and upper arms hang normally at the side of the body.
  
• Elbows stay in close to the body and are bent between 90 and 120 degrees.
  
• Feet are fully supported by the floor or a footrest may be used if the desk height is not adjustable.
  
• Back is fully supported with appropriate lumbar support when sitting vertical or leaning back slightly.
  
• Thighs and hips are supported by a well-padded seat and generally parallel to the floor.
  
• Knees are about the same height as the hips with the feet slightly forward.

A holiday wish-list, (followed by one very grateful visit from a sympathetic Santa Claus), resulted in a Printed Thought product rave: the laptop stand! It's an affordable and effective solution for combating neck and back strain. My innovative new laptop stand set-up in the office was such a success, this is the one Santa brought me for personal in-apartment use. What a guy (p.s. thank you, Mom and Dad!).

Here you have it: The Printed Thought Blogging Station! The desk in my room has officially metamorphosed into a gorgeous and ergonomically-correct sanctuary of computer creativity. My muscle aches have virtually disappeared. All it took was proper posture. True, I still need to remind myself at times to sit correctly in my chair, but the screen viewing angle, seat position, and keyboard set-up make a world of difference. The mStand by Rain Design, Inc. cradles a MacBook Pro flawlessly, while almost becoming an extension of the computer's silhouette in itself. An external keyboard and wireless mouse complete the healthy and worth-while transformation.