Is It Time to Throw away your Laptop?
read time: 3 minutes and 3 seconds
-The answer to this is NO, but if you want to throw it out then by all means go for it! (And by throw it out I really mean bringing it to your local electronics store to recycle or donate it accordingly). I personally only use a laptop for work, with that being said, many of you reading this right now can think of a time when you were using your laptop while not with the most ideal body position. A laptop needs to follow similar rules to desk ergonomics. If you haven’t done so already I suggest you go check out Article 1 for Proper Desk Ergonomics.
Here are a few suggestions for you to better your posture while using your laptop:
- The height of your laptop screen should be similar with that of a monitor (the top of your monitor should be at eye level while sitting with a tall straight back). Doing this ultimately elevates your laptop keyboard compromising your posture. Not doing so really pulls your neck downwards to see the screen.
My suggestion is to get a laptop stand and a Bluetooth keyboard so you can raise your laptop making the screen in an ideal position to your posture while keeping in regards all the other desk ergonomics. A minimal cost can decrease your pain and discomfort substantially. Prices for laptop stands can range but the one I use costs under 60 bucks with shipping and it seconds as a stand-up desk. That’s right, you read that correctly stand up desk but for now let’s focus on the sitting at your desk and we will discuss stand up desks in another article.
- Your laptop should not be directly on your lap. There’s a lot of EMF’s and a lot of sensitive parts down there.
- Don’t even get me started on using your laptop in bed. It shouldn’t be there and you know that, period
Even if you only use your computer for a short time during the day, not using it correctly can cause a lot of pain and discomfort and aggravate your symptoms. Think about this, if you’ve ever felt any form of discomfort at work then you’re most likely not sitting properly. On the other side of this proverbial coin just because you’ve never experienced pain doesn’t mean you won’t in the future.
For example: you’re playing a sport and fall awkwardly on your shoulder or back, or you’ve just spent an extra long time shoveling your driveway (some of you know what I’m talking about). If you’re not sitting ergonomically (at the office, at home etc.) your discomforts can linger for a longer than a normal period of time and who wants that? One of my first questions to any new client is, “how often are you on your computer?” Think about that for a second…
Not doing this correctly can have a serious impact on your day to day life!
Here’s a quick reference for proper desk ergonomics. For a more detailed description and other useful tips on how to sit in the best position at your workstation I suggest you go read Article 1. The next article will be the answer to the question I receive the most as an Athletic therapist: Should I be Icing or Heating?
10 Steps
- Tall straight back
- Relaxed shoulders, with arms by your side
- Forearm angle 90 degrees
- Mouse pad located next to keyboard
- Top of monitor at eye level
- Distance of monitor 22 to 28 inches away
- Feet flat on ground
- Thighs slightly below hips and knees in line with ankles
- 1-3 inches should extend past your seat so that the back of your legs don’t touch your chair
- Butt cheeks 50/50 on your seat (you should also incorporate this while you drive. Just imagine what your hips look like if you’re not doing this.
If you have any questions or comments please feel free to ask
info@theposturepost.com
Time for one positive change today!
