At a time where more people are working from home than ever before, you may notice your body being forced into uncomfortable positions staring at a computer for hours at a time. Many people are unaware of how important their desk setup can be. By spending 8 hours a day at a computer, a poorly positioned chair or computer screen can mean the difference between having a fun activitiy filled weekend or coming to therapy for chronic aches and pains. A proper ergonomic setup can help to alleviate some of these pains you may be experiencing. Whether you work at a seated desk or standing desk there are certain angles and heights that should be maintined for an ideal setup.
Starting from the top, the top of the computer screen should be elevated to your eye level with the screen tilted back roughly 10-20 degrees and 20-30 inches from your face. Your keyboard should ideally place your elbows bend to 90 degrees. For seated desks, your chair should be placed high enough to keep the hips and knees both bent to 90 degrees as well. Attached is a picture giving a visual representation of this same information.
Unfortunately, not all desks are designed to be perfectly customizable, however, adding a foot rest to lift your feet or adding boxes to elevate your screen can help to adjust your desk for a more optimal setup.
Clearly, this is a minimalist guide to improving your ergonomically sound desk but may serve as a simple place to start.
