By Rick Broida
(November 11, 2005)

If you're like us, you probably spend more time in front of your PC than you do sleeping. You've also likely experienced eyestrain, wrist ailments, headaches, or other painful problems at one time or another. That's because there's a right way and a wrong way to position yourself for long stints in front of the computer. We're going to show you the right way to sit in your chair, maneuver your mouse, and gaze at your screen. We'll even provide some tips for proper laptop use.

Build an ergonomic home office

Before you get started with this project, we recommend that you have the following:

Build an ergonomic home office

By now you're probably familiar with the age-old advice about proper seating posture for computing in comfort: feet flat on the floor, forearms at a 90-degree angle, head up, back straight. So why is it we're always leaning, craning, bending, or slouching? Mostly, it's the body's natural reaction to being in the same position for long periods of time. The solution: a good chair and regular stretch breaks.

A good chair can be costly, but if you're lucky, you may be able to find one for less than $200 at your local office-supply store. Just make sure all its critical parts are adjustable. You should be able to raise and lower the seat, tilt it, and slide it forward and back. If the chair has armrests, you should be able to raise and lower them, or push them out of the way so that you're not resting your forearms on them as you type. The back should adjust up and down and tilt forward at the bottom for lumbar support. If you can't find these adjustments in an under-$200 chair, models such as the $500 Mirra from Herman Miller and the $799 Freedom from Humanscale are worthy, albeit expensive, alternatives.

Once you pick a seat, adjust it so that your feet are flat on the floor. If you have short legs or a high workstation, try getting a footrest such as the Fellowes Adjustable Footrest. Make sure you have two to four fingers' worth of space between your calves and the front edge of the seat, and that the lumbar support is snug against your lower back. Finally, tilt the seat so that it slopes slightly downward.

To help make regular stretch breaks part of your daily routine, consider installing a program such as Stretch Break. It issues regular reminders and even teaches you some helpful exercises you can do at your desk.

Build an ergonomic home office

Proper monitor placement and adjustment can help relieve headaches, sore neck muscles, and eyestrain. For starters, your display should sit directly in front of you, not off to one side. Your eyes should be level with the top two inches. When you're staring at a screen all day, your eyes are open too wide, causing dryness; looking down slightly lets you lower your lids. If the monitor's height isn't adjustable, stack a few books under it or get a monitor stand. Some choices include the Allsop Metal Art Monitor Stand Plus or the Targus PA235U Universal Monitor Stand. With the display at the right height, tilt it upward slightly so that you're not craning to see the bottom of the screen.

Finally, position the monitor at arm's length (approximately 20 inches) from your head. If you have a particularly large screen, move it a little farther away. You want to achieve a comfortable viewing distance that doesn't leave you leaning forward.

Build an ergonomic home office

The close proximity of your monitor to a window can also cause eyestrain as your eyes try to focus on two kinds of light. If you can't move the monitor, place it perpendicular to the window, draw the blinds, or attach an antiglare screen.

Glare from indoor lighting is also your eyes' enemy. Try to keep ambient light at a level equal to the brightness of your monitor. If dimming overhead lights makes it hard to read papers on your desk, consider placing a lamp behind or adjacent to your display. Though an ordinary desk lamp with a full-spectrum or "soft light" bulb will do, an ergonomic unit such as the Ergo Works True Color Task Lamp may be even better. Just be sure to avoid pointing the light at your screen.

Finally, if you're still using a CRT, consider switching to an LCD. Not only do LCDs produce less glare than CRTs, they're flicker-free because their screens aren't constantly refreshing the image. If you can't afford to switch, make sure your CRT's refresh rate is set to 85Hz or faster, even if you have to reduce the resolution. If you're ready to upgrade, consider an LCD with a DVI connector for its sharper image.

Remember the 20/20/20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look away from your screen at an object roughly 20 feet away, and keep your eyes there for at least 20 seconds. The Stretch Break program mentioned in step 1 can help you remember to perform this exercise.

Build an ergonomic home office

Cumulative trauma disorders such as carpal-tunnel syndrome may not make headlines, but they're still a threat if you use your keyboard heavily. Type with your elbows at your sides, shoulders relaxed, and wrists straight. The keyboard should be directly in front of you and at a height that keeps your forearms parallel to the floor. Some experts now recommend arm angles greater than 90 degrees for added comfort.

If you're still experiencing pain, consider an ergonomic keyboard such as the Kinesis Maxim, which you can adjust to split and rise in the middle, keeping your wrists in a more natural, less stressful position. The SafeType takes this one step further, with split halves that stand vertically. It may look strange, but it promises to eliminate all forms of keyboard-related stress.

Heavy mousing can also cause wrist strain. Keep the mouse at the same height as your keyboard and within easy reach; you shouldn't have to stretch more than a few inches for it. If you're still in pain, look for an ergonomically friendly rodent that requires more thumb than index-finger use or consider a trackball model, which you won't have to move around. Another alternative is a vertically oriented mouse such as the 3M Ergonomic Mouse. Lefties may want to consider the Evoluent VerticalMouse 2, which comes in a left-handed version. The company says the handshake-like grip is preferable to the traditional "twisted-arm" grip.

Most desks stand uncomfortably high for keyboard use, which is why most have keyboard trays. If yours doesn't, consider attaching one. Otherwise, you'll need to raise your chair height and get a footrest if your legs dangle. Remember to readjust your monitor height, as well.

Build an ergonomic home office

If your notebook serves duty on your desktop, adding a few simple accessories can make it more ergonomically friendly. A simple stand such as the Kensington Laptop Desktop USB 2.0 helps raise the screen to eye level. This height-adjustable tilt/swivel stand also provides a four-port USB hub. For even more desktop features, consider the company's Notebook Expansion Dock with Stand, which includes 5.1 audio, Ethernet, parallel, serial, and USB ports.

To complete the notebook-as-desktop experience, augment it with your favorite ergonomic keyboard and mouse.