Optimize your performance and prevent computer-related injuries with Healthy Computing Email Tips. Each week we provide hints to help you stay healthier while working. For a free ergonomic assessment of your SFSU workstation by an Ergonomic Safety Program coach call 338-1449. For more information see: http://www.sfsu.edu/~ergo/index.html
While using your laptop at home or at work, are you looking down to see the screen or do you lift your hands and arms in order to type? Are you tired from struggling to adapt to the laptop ergonomics? Stop laptopitis and increase your comfort when you GIVE YOUR LAPTOP A RAISE.
>How to Give Your Laptop a Raise
Optimize laptop ergonomic factors by observing how you are adapting to your laptop. Is your laptop sitting on a desk or table that is too high so that you are forced to lift your arms and hands in order to type? Or, is the keyboard at the correct height, but you are forced to look down to see the screen?
To minimize laptopitis, use an external keyboard and mouse placed at the appropriate height so that when typing your upper arms hang at your sides, your elbows bend at about 90 degrees with your lower arms and wrists parallel to the floor. Raise the laptop with a support so that the top of the screen is at eyebrow level.
While working, remember to interrupt the static low muscle tension by taking many large movement breaks.
Copyright 2002 Erik Peper, Ph.D. and Katherine Hughes Gibney