Sunday, April 10, 2011

Health Tips # 10 - Posture tips for Software Professionals

Here are some tips for maintaining good posture and avoid injuries - specially for the Software Professionals:

1) Stop using the computer whenever you start to notice pain or fatigue.

2) Watch your posture. Don't hunch your head and neck forward. Keep your back straight, your feet flat on the floor, and your arms parallel to the floor.

3) Take regular breaks. One option is to install software that reminds you to take breaks.

4) Hold your wrists straight, neither resting on a pad, nor bent upwards, downwards, or sideways. Installing a keyboard platform that can be adjusted up or down, as well as tilted forward or back, will help you keep you wrists straight.

5) Get plenty of sleep and do YOGA, PRANAYAMA, OR AEROBIC EXERCISES to keep in shape.

6) Learn a technique such as progressive muscle relaxation to keep neck and shoulder muscles relaxed.

7) Use proper lighting to reduce eyestrain and avoid glare. When using a computer for long periods, you should reduce room lighting to about half that used in most offices. Close blinds or curtains to lessen glare from external light.

8) Place the monitor directly in front of you, not off to one side, about 20 to 26 inches away from you.

9) Adjust brightness of the computer screen to obtain optimal contrast between background and characters on the screen

10) When transcribing printed or written pages, put the document on a lighted copy stand next to the monitor.

11) Take 10 to 15 minute breaks every hour. In addition, every five to 10 minutes, look away from the computer screen and focus on a distant object for five to 10 seconds.

12) If your eyes tend to dry out in the frequently bone-dry environment of the modern office building, use artificial tears or eye drops. Dry eyes may also be exacerbated by the decreased blinking that accompanies staring at a computer.

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