Ergonomics 101: Neutral Reach Zone, Part II

If you missed Part I of our Ergonomics 101 post on the Neutral Reach Zone, check it out here.

How ergonomic accessories can make your neutral reach zone even more effective

Setting up you reach zone as we've outlined will definitely enhance your working comfort. However by adding some useful accessories it's possible to make your working comfort even better. 6G Keyboard System by HumanscaleOf course, adding a sit-stand adjustable desk brings ergonomics to a whole new level. If you're not ready for that quite yet, these tools will be a big help.

Let's take a look at the possibilities.

When you place your keyboard on your desk, even in what seems an ideal position it doesn't usually let you keep your wrists and hands in line. This is where a keyboard platform can really help. A good quality articulated keyboard platform attaches to the underside of the front of your desk. You pull it out when you need it and push it under the desk when you don't. However another key benefit of quality platforms is the ability to angle them backwards, what’s called “negative tilt.” What this does is to allow you too keep your hands and wrists straight helping to minimize unnatural angles which can cause repetitive strain injury.

Generally speaking keyboard platforms usually have a built in mouse tray which can be moved into the ideal working position. Some of the mousing platforms are more adjustable than others. In my experience having the mousing platform rotate and move up and down is a real bonus. So this takes care of your keyboard and mouse.

M2 Monitor Arm by HumanscaleAnother great accessory is a monitor arm which simply fixes to the rear of your desk. Its articulated arm makes it simple to move your screen to precisely the position and angle you need for perfect viewing. Of course, having the monitor up off of the desk makes room for other things you need to keep close at hand. If you want to share your screen content with a colleague it's as easy as swiveling the screen to a position where they can view it comfortably. And when you don't need your screen and you want to free up some desk space for other tasks, you can just push it out of the way.
Element by Humanscale
Lastly a task light can be very helpful in illuminating your work area. A good task light is highly adjustable and its LED light source helps to eliminate glare. It can be especially useful for reading paperwork as this requires about five times more light than needed for reading from a screen. For an example of a a stylish new LED task lamp, check out our Equo video review.

Adding these sorts of simple ergonomic accessories can really help to improve your working comfort.

Let's recap on the points we've covered.

Summary

• Setting up your neutral reach zone is vital for keeping muscles healthy
• You need to assess what key tools and equipment must be in you reach zone
• It's still important to move as your work, setting things up properly eliminates unhealthy stretches  
• Ergonomic accessories can significantly improve your work area

What next?

Just like driving someone else's car you wouldn't be happy without adjusting your driving position first. Nor should you approach your workstation without getting your neutral reach zone properly set up.  

And of course as we mention above, adding key ergonomic accessories can really help to improve working comfort and efficiency. Here's where you can find out more about keyboard platforms with inbuilt mouse trays. You can read all about monitor arms by following this link. Lastly here's where to find more about LED task lights.

Neutral Reach Zone: Ergonomics 101

Why Office Workers Need to Heed The Neutral Reach Zone

Your car is in the shop and you need to borrow a friend's. It shouldn't be too complicated, but there’s a snag: your friend insists you don't alter anything. Your friend is a completely different build from you, and suddenly it's not so easy. You find yourself struggling to reach critical controls like the steering wheel and indicators. You have to stretch your neck to see in the rear view mirror.

Who can drive like that?

Yet this is exactly how many people approach their office work area. Instead of having things comfortably to hand they stretch and strain to reach basic equipment. All this places the body in awkward postures and causes unnecessary muscle strain. By applying some common sense ideas and having your neutral reach zone correctly configured, these problems can be avoided.

What is the neutral reach zone?

The neutral reach zone is simply the area of your desk which is easily reached without having to stretch to access frequently used tools. Simple enough, right? Generally speaking this is the area within an arc of about 18 to 24 inches of where you are sitting. It should have all your frequently used stuff within it. Beyond this area is where you should place less frequently used items.

So why does all this matter?  

Why is the neutral reach zone important?

Think of this area as your own personal cockpit. It's the hub of where all you work is performed. So if there is a key piece of equipment that is outside this area you're going to waste time reaching for it throughout the day. More importantly, you’re going to be placing unnecessary strain on your muscles as you keep stretching for it.

Continual movement while working in the office is absolutely vital for a healthy body. What we're trying to avoid here is making unhealthy stretches and contortions to get to the key stuff we need. Over the course of a day, a week, or a decade these unhealthy movements and positions add up.

How do you set up your neutral reach zone?
 
Setting up your own personal neutral zone is largely a case of common sense. Begin by observing how you work during the day. What tasks do you do and what tools or equipment do you use to do them?

This will probably include things like:

• Keyboard
• Mouse
• Monitor
• Phone
• Pen and paper
• Multiple coffee cups, if you work at Ergo Depot

Whatever it is you use frequently during the day needs to be part of your neutral zone.

Once you know the items you can then set about placing them conveniently on your desk. So the first thing would be to get your office chair adjusted to the right height and in a comfortable working position.

Next set up your monitor so that your eyes are level with the top of the screen. Making sure you can read the screen's content easily without craning your neck, typically about an arm's length away.

From there place your keyboard so you can type with your wrists straight. Position your mouse so it's close at hand and you can use it without having to move your arm too far to reach it.

Once you have these things correctly positioned, place any remaining items conveniently to hand.

If you get things properly set up it will ensure you are making good use of your neutral working zone.

What if it were possible to make things even better?

We'll be back tomorrow with more information on specific tools that can make a big difference.

LED Task Lighting Introduction

More and more often we’re talking to people who want to make the switch to LED task lighting from their tired desk lamp. Whether it’s for the minimal environment impact, the incredibly stylish options, or minimizing glare on your computer screen LED lighting has become increasingly popular.

Koncept offers contemporary, powerful LED task lighting. The Equo LED desk lamp has accumulated include Best of Year 2011 Interior Design award, Japan Institute of Design 2011 Good Design award, amongst others. It’s one of our favorites, and a great introduction to the many options in LED task lighting.

For more on the Koncept Equo click here, and to see our full selection of LED task lighting click here.

Ergonomic Link Roundup: Wednesday June 13th

We are fortunate enough to truly love what we do. Part of that passion means following what people are talking about around the web in terms of ergonomics, adjustable-height desks, and other healthy working topics. Below are links to some of the things we're thinking about this week:

• Hemingway at workCongratulations to our new friend Muvman! The new sit-stand chair took home the Buildings Magazine Office Seating Innovation award in Chicago at NeoCon this week. Muvman sit-stand chair has already won a dozen design awards, check them out here. The design team behind the popular Swopper chair has once again put out a compelling, active sitting option to encourage movement Muvment.

• Our friends over at Lifehacker have come up with some strategies for surviving a work day on very little or no sleep. One of their ideas is to work standing up. Standing helps fight fatigue, plus it's nearly impossible to fall asleep on your feet.

• One of our favorite bloggers, Jason Kottke, takes a look at Ernest Hemingway's standing desk. Aspiring writers, take note!

• Forbes joins the chorus of cries against sitting all day. While the article does have some good information in terms of the health risks of sitting, some of the solutions aren't exactly what we'd suggest based on our experience with clients. We definitely can't argue with the general idea though: Sitting at Work can be Deadly.

• The Atlantic struck the same note in their piece on the health risks of sitting too much based on a different recent study:

Its most striking finding was that people who sat more than 11 hours a day had a 40% higher risk of dying in the next three years than people who sat less than four hours a day. This was after adjusting for factors such as age, weight, physical activity and general health status, all of which affect the death risk. It also found a clear dose-response effect: the more people sat, the higher their risk of death.

The health risks of sitting too much are certainly real and concerning, but we choose to use adjustable-height desks because it really does feel better at the end of the day. Standing desks are becoming more and more popular with office worker, but the ability to vary your position throughout the day makes the biggest difference in our productivity and energy.

Muvman Video Review

As we mentioned last week, we're thrilled to get to know Aeris' Muvman sit-stand chair. Stay tuned for our full review, but for now check out this video review comparing the Swopper with Muvman.

If you are a fan of the Swopper but are looking for something taller for your adjustable-height desk, the Muvman sit-stand chair is a great option.