Ergonomic Tips (08/03)
Taking Breaks Is Important
by John R. Chait D.C., drchait@hotmail.com
Member of the Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc.The risk of problems associated with computer use de pends more on the amount of time that one spends keyboarding without taking a break in one single session than on the total number of keyboarding sessions. You can regulate your own computer usage and that of your children in the following ways. Just remember that breaks and exercises need to be combined with good computer set-up or posture for them to be of most help.
Eye Breaks: Looking at a computer screen for a while causes some changes in how the eyes work, causes you to blink less often, and exposes more of the eye surface to the air. Every 15 minutes you should briefly look away from the screen for a minute or two to a more distant scene, preferably something more that 20 feet away. This lets the muscles inside the eye relax. Also, blink your eyes rapidly for a few seconds. This refreshes the tear film and clears dust form the eye surface.
Micro-breaks: Most typing is done in bursts rather than continuously. Between these bursts of activity you should rest your hands in a relaxed, flat, straight posture.
Rest Breaks: Every 30 to 60 minutes you should take a brief rest break. During this break stand up, move around, and do something else. Go get a drink of water, soda, tea, coffee, or whatever. This allows you to rest and exercise different muscles and you’ll feel less tired.
Ergonomic Software: Working at a computer can be hypnotic, and often you don’t realize how long you’ve been working and how much you’ve been typing and using the mouse. Look for software that will run in the background and monitor how much you’ve been using the computer. It will prompt you to take a rest break at appropriate intervals, and it will suggest simple exercises. You can purchase this software or you can download simple versions that get the job done just as well.
Exercise Breaks: There are many quick stretching and gentle exercises that you can do to help relieve muscle fatigue. These should be done every 1-2 hours, depending on your needs.
Copyright 2003. This article is from the August 2003 issue of the Sarasota PC Monitor, the official monthly publication of the Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc., P.O. Box 15889, Sarasota, FL 34277-1889. Permission to reprint is granted only to other non-profit computer user groups, provided proper credit is given to the author and our publication. We would appreciate receiving a copy of the publication the reprint appears in, please send to above address, Attn: Editor. For further information about our group, email: admin@spcug.org/ Web: http://www.spcug.org/The Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc. has 1,100+ members and was established in 1982. We are members of the Assoc. of PC User Groups (APCUG), the Florida Assoc. of PC Users Groups, Inc., and we are members of the America Online Ambassador Program.
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