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In This Issue
How to Feel Stronger and Healthier This Year
New "Lunch and Learn" Seminar
Product Review: 3M Laptop Stand
Featured Stretch: Chest Pull
Frequently Asked Question: Crossing Your Legs
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Anderson Ergonomics Consulting Inc. is a full-service Ergonomics consulting company based in Calgary, Canada and has been in operation since 1993.
 
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New Year, New You!

How to Feel Stronger and Healthier This Year
 
man pain in neckWritten By Sebrina Fystro &
Shona Anderson
   
Are your muscles stiff or sore at the end of the work day?  Do you see your Chiropractor or Massage Therapist more than your best friend?  Have you had an ergonomic assessment before, yet you still feel uncomfortable?  Has someone other than your MOTHER told you that you could improve your posture?  We all know we could be better in this area.
 
Relaxed strong muscles will enable you to resist muscle injury due to working at a computer.  Stretching and strengthening are important solutions. A Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) is an injury to the muscles and nerves that is typically caused by repetitive movements and sustained awkward postures.
 
There are many risk factors for repetitive strain injury.  It is important to understand these in order to take preventive measures.
 
Some risk factors associated with Repetitive Strain Injury are:
 
1)    Sitting in one place for long periods of time is a risk factor because it slows your blood circulation and decreases your body's ability to remove waste products produced by your muscles (ie. lactic acid and carbon dioxide).  A poor sitting posture will compound this problem and can even impede circulation in some areas of your body.
 
2)    Repetitive Movements such as typing on a keyboard or using a mouse fatigues your muscles.  Working with a keyboard or mouse for extended periods of time without taking a break does not allow your muscles enough time to recover from the exertion and overtime may lead to muscle weakness.
 
3)    Static Awkward Postures such as staring at your monitor in a slouched position without moving can also result in an injury.  If you slouch, your chin is probably sticking out and your shoulders are probably shrugged and rounded forward, resulting in muscle strain to the upper body from your neck all the way to your fingertips and down your back.
 
Having an ergonomic assessment should be your first step in preventing a repetitive strain injury as it will ensure that your workstation is set up for your body.  But even if your workstation is set up well, your muscles may get tight and sore.
 
Stretching helps to combat a number of risk factors associated with repetitive strain injury (see the Featured Stretch below).  For instance, stopping to stretch allows your body to take a break from the dreaded slouched  posture.  Stretching also increases your circulation which allows for more oxygen and nutrients to reach your muscles and it increases your body's ability to remove waste products produced by your muscles.
 
Strengthening is something most of us don't think of when we think of working at a computer all day.  But it is is an equally beneficial way to maintain good health.  Sitting all day causes our muscles to get TIGHT and WEAK, especially if we slouch!  The muscles most at risk are our upper back muscles. The tight chest muscles contribute to weak upper back muscles and our shoulders move into a permanent forward "hunch".  Performing some  easy exercises, with an elastic tubing in your own office, a few times per week, will help combat this risk factor. 
  1.  Exercise: Shoulder Blade Squeezes
Hold one end of a piece of elastic tubing in each hand, with your arms straight out in front of you and your hands shoulder width apart (NB: if you don't have tubing, this exercise can be done with light weights in your hands or without any weight).  The tubing should be taut between your hands.  Squeeze your shoulder blades together as if you are tring to pinch a pencil between them; at the same time, pull your hands apart.  You will only stretch the tubing approximately 5-6", but should feel the muscles around your shoulder blades working.  Do 10-15 exercises.
(Anderson Ergonomics has a new Lunch and Learn seminar (see below) that can teach you how to do this easily and effectively.)
 
It is important to note that although stretching and strengthening can help to combat repetitive strain injuries, they are most effective if you've had an ergonomic assessment and your workstation is set up properly.
New "Lunch and Learn" Seminar:
"Stretch and Strengthen Your Way to a More Comfortable Day"
 
strengtheningAnderson Ergonomics Consulting is very excited to introduce a NEW seminar that will improve your comfort and posture at work.
 
This seminar has been designed to complement our "Ergonomics for the Desk Bound" seminar.  It is a highly engaging and interactive seminar that will be immediately useful to all participants.  Employees learn how to effectively reduce muscle pain associated with poor posture and working at a computer.  It provides them with tools (ie. stretches and resistance exercises) they can use to target tight and/or weak muscles.

 

This seminar is taught as a 1.5 hour presentation (Lunch and Learn style) in your boardroom or meeting room.  Click here for more information or to book a seminar.

Product Review
3M laptop riserProduct Review: 3M Laptop Stand LX600MB

There are many laptop stands on the market.  Someone would use this product if they were using their laptop on their desk surface as their monitor screen (as a primary or a secondary screen), with a separately attached keyboard and mouse and they found the laptop screen to be too low for them; remembering that the top of the screen should be level with seated eye height (unless bifocal lenses are worn).

This particular product adjusts easily and with a larger height range than many other laptop stands we've seen.  With the ability to lie flat or angle upwards, the laptop screen can adjust in a height range of 6.5" off the desk surface, with that height depending on the laptop size.  A 15" laptop monitor was able to adjust between 14.5" and 21" off the desk surface with this stand, enabling the user to adjust the screen height within a good range for their vision, especially if needing to match the height of an LCD screen (if they are using 2 screens).  However, it does not come cheap.  The list price on this product seems to be approximately $150, however, we saw it listed on the internet on various sites on sale for approximately $70.  This is more expensive than many others.

Featured Stretch: Chest Pull
 
pec stretch

This stretch is for your benefit to increase your flexibility and comfort.  You may feel tension and tightness while performing this stretch, but you should not feel pain.  If you feel pain, back off the stretch a little until is feels more comfortable.  If you have a current injury or feel uncomfortable doing this stretch, please check with your caregiver prior to continuing this exercise to ensure it is appropriate for you. 

 

Instruction:  Bring arms out to the side, keeping elbows at shoulder height.  Make sure to keep your shoulder blades down (don't shrug).  Squeeze shoulder blades together and hold 30 seconds.  Relax and repeat. 

 

This is an extremely beneficial stretch for those of us who sit in front of a computer, as many of us are guilty of sitting in a slouched position at some point during the day.  When we slouch, our shoulders tend to roll forward, shortening and tightening our chest muscles.  Regularly stretching our chest muscles keeps them loose and allows them to return to their natural length which, in turn, assists in allowing us to maintain a better overall posture and prevent possible repetitive strain injuries from occurring.

 

Request a copy of our Stretching Guide for Office Workers for a series of excellent stretches to do in your office. 
Frequently Asked Questions: Is it Ok to Cross Your Legs While Working at a Computer?
 
We are often asked whether it is ok to cross your legs when working at a computer.  The answer is both "No and "Yes". 
 
CONS:
Because one of your legs is not generally a lot longer than the other, crossing your legs requires you to raise one hip higher than the other, placing stress on your pelvis and lower back.  Pressure is also placed on the back of your top knee as it rests against the bottom knee, which cuts off circulation and blood flow.  Finally, crossing your legs raises the height of your knee, thus your keyboard and mouse height have to be higher to accommodate for this.  This will place stress on your shoulder and/or arm muscles while you work on the computer.  If you feel that the only way you can comfortably sit in your chair is to cross your legs, it may be that your chair is too high for you.  Lower your chair a bit so you have solid weight through both heels when your feet are flat on the floor and see if that makes a difference.
 
PROS:
Having said all of that, it is very good to change your sitting posture throughout the day, so crossing your legs is ok for short periods of time.  Remember to change the leg that you cross on top, to avoid the risk factors mentioned above. 
 
A better way to cross your legs would be to place your top knee out to the side and cross that ankle over your bottom knee.  This will enable you to keep your pelvis more level and will stretch out your gluteal and hip muscles at the same time.  See the Hip and Gluteal Stretch in our Anderson Ergonomics Consulting Stretching Guide for Office Workers, Stretch #15.