Time for an ergonomic keyboard? – Tips for a healthier affiliate lifestyle.

A few months ago Adsmarket welcomed Dalit BenTovim, an Ergonomic Consultant at ergo4u Ltd to our headquarters in Tel Aviv.  She gave a great lecture on proper ergonomics in the workplace (ergonomics simply defined: proper body positioning to avoid strain and injury), and then visited each Adsmarketeer individually and corrected any ergonomic problems we had.

I invited Dalit to share her expertise in ergonomic positioning with us for our readers who, without a doubt, are as sedentary as we are, optimizing traffic, running campaigns, and being busy affiliate marketers!

Each week Dalit will share a short “ergonomic tip” with you, which we hope will help you with any discomfort you are having, and make you a more successful online marketer!

Here is her full length post:

Are you in the business of affiliate marketing or online advertising, or work at an affiliate network, and suffer from migraines, shoulder pains, herniated discs, or eye strain?   These are just some of the symptoms of what can easily be considered as the Millennium’s syndrome – “Computer pains”.

If these symptoms sound painfully familiar, take heart.  There is no need to rush to the medicine cabinet, make an appointment with the family doctor or even see your physical therapist!

Sometimes even minor adjustments to your workstation can do wonders – eradicate your pain and save you money.

So here’s a Complete Guide to Ergonomics, which may help you chair-bound moneymakers feel better and therefore, be more productive!

1. Elevated computer screen – Working online, whether in online advertising, affiliate marketing, or whatever, and sitting for hours in front of an elevated computer screen puts a lot of strain on the neck vertebrae – an effort that causes ongoing pain. The neck is a sensitive area and neck pain can radiate to other body parts such as shoulders, elbows, hands and wrists. Lessening the pressure on neck muscles may also resolve apparently unconnected body aches.

   Solution: The computer screen should be placed at eye level and lower to allow the neck vertebrae to be in neutral posture and rest.

2. Lateral posture – In my work assisting companies like Adsmarket, I see computer screens located not straight in front of the user but sideways, often due to the need to communicate with clients face to face, or in order to make room on a crowded desk. Working in a lateral posture for long periods of time, sometimes for many hours, puts an enormous amount of strain and pressure on the neck vertebrae. This can cause headaches, migraines and pain in other parts of the body. Angled screens and lateral postures put a constant load of strain on the spine and cause the body to be organized unnaturally with every part turned in a different direction.

   Solution: The best solution for such a situation is placing the computer screen directly in front of the user whenever possible, moving it aside when the user has to serve clients. This can be achieved by using a          multi-directional arm that allows for shifting the screen easily from one position to the other when necessary.

3. Screen distance – too close or too far – a small work area, sight problems, or a smallish desk may result in a computer screen placed too close to the user, causing eye damage and headaches.  On the other hand, placing the screen too far away strains the eyes and causes fatigue, irritability and anxiety.

   Solution: the computer screen should be positioned at a distance of 3 times the screen diagonal, or more simply, sitting at a straight-arm distance from the center of the screen.

4. Prolonged Sitting – Prolonged sitting when working can cause physical degeneration as well as a variety of back, shoulders and neck problems. Sitting for long stretches of time without movement compresses the vertebrae, which in turn exert pressure on the nerves. The muscles surrounding the vertebrae suffer from degeneration and blood flow is also impaired.

   Solution: It is recommended to change posture occasionally, stand up and stretch out at least once every half an hour, and incorporate into your working hours some sort of physical activity that is compatible with    working in front of a computer. The most recommended exercises are strengthening the abdomen and back muscles and performing back rotations.

5. The Correct Sitting Posture Myth– there is a myth that you should sit with your upper body straight up at 90 degrees toward the feet. This is a serious mistake. Actually it’s much better to sit with a 100 to 110 degrees angle – some sort of leaning back or reclining. The reason for that is that when you sit at 90 degrees, your entire upper body weight is exerted directly on your lower back vertebrae. Reclining at 100 to 110 degrees decreases significantly the pressure on the vertebrae.

   Solution: Recline!And the best solution of all:

6. Physical awareness – the most effective tool in preventing ergonomic damages is the development of physical awareness. Developing such awareness under professional guidance can help you purchase cost effective equipment suited to your needs, and may improve your productivity, and prevent health issues.

Gil and Dalit Ben Tovim are renowned ergonomic consultants and trainers who serve Fortune 500 companies as well as smaller corporations and organizations. They are the official Google Israel ergonomic consultants and they work with other global corporations including; NDC of Newscorp and Johnson & Johnson. The team has also partnered with hi-tech companies such as ECI, Aladdin and Nice and government institutions.

For more information about Dalit Ben Tovim, contact her at DalitATergo4u.com,  and please visit the ergo4u website. Make sure you check out the Ergocloud, an ergonomic forearm support by ergo4u Ltd.

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Comments

1. January 12, 2010 at 11:47 am

   admin says

   Thank you Dalit for your terrific guest post! I certainly think about your recommendations every time I sit at my desk now, and I didn’t know that sitting at an incline was so important! I am sure desk-bound affiliate marketers everywhere are thanking you!

2. January 12, 2010 at 12:55 pm

   PaidOnlineSurveys says

   found your site today and really liked it.. i bookmarked it and will be back to check it out some more later ..

3. January 13, 2010 at 7:20 am

   Dalit says

   Thanks for the compliments.
   I’m happy it was useful to you and hopefully to many others.
   A lot of more ergonomic tips on the way so, sit right, smile and enjoy your day ergonomically…..

4. January 13, 2010 at 7:40 am

   Heather in BC says

   I’m so glad to hear I’m sitting correctly! I have my feet up, am leaning back slightly with my laptop on my knees. I also have to change positions and get up regularly to let the dog in and out

   Great information & very well written post – thanks for sharing.
   Heather in BC´s last blog ..New XShot at Affiliate Summit West 2010 Las Vegas Blogger Lounge

5. January 14, 2010 at 5:39 am

   ConnieFoggles says

   I really needed to read this. I have Fibro and arthritis and am always trying to do the correct things while I’m working so that I have less pain.

6. January 14, 2010 at 3:38 pm

   dalit says

   Hi Heather in BC,

   Good to hear there are a few saints among the computer users.
   Keep up with your ergo routine……. Check my weekly ergo tip ……and your changes to stay healthy will raise significantly
   Dalit

7. January 14, 2010 at 3:42 pm

   dalit says

   Hi ConnieFoggles,

   If you are struggling with computer pains I can recommend you’ll check the ergocloud a new forearm support that I’m one of its innovators, it can help you a lot. http://www.ergocloud.com

   Dalit
   dalit´s last blog ..contact

8. January 14, 2010 at 5:13 pm

   Tweets that mention Time for an ergonomic keyboard? | The Adsmarket Blog -- Topsy.com says

   [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by ConnieFoggles, Adsmarket.com, ProfitMart, Luke Wilhelm, Adsmarket.com and others. Adsmarket.com said: Affiliate Ergonomics – great tips for computer addicts at The Adsmarket Blog http://bit.ly/6G8P3R [...]

9. January 16, 2010 at 5:44 am

   Christine says

   My ‘work’ setup is SO not ergonomic. I’m either sitting in an uncomfortable chair with my wrist bent and my back hunched or sitting on the couch with my laptop. This may be why my back and neck are such a mess after a couple hours!
   Christine´s last blog ..Being Smart Doesn’t Equal A Good Teacher

10. January 16, 2010 at 6:19 am

    uberVU - social comments says

    Social comments and analytics for this post…

    This post was mentioned on Twitter by adsmarket: RT @AMIndustrynews: Affiliate Ergonomics – great tips for computer addicts at The Adsmarket Blog http://bit.ly/6G8P3R…

11. January 16, 2010 at 7:54 pm

    Cindi @ Moomette's Magnificents says

    Thanks for the helpful tips.

    My brother is in design and spends all day on his computer. Recently he’s been experiencing pain, and his doctor recommended that ergonomics consultants visit his office to recommend changes. His workplaces will be implementing those recommendations for him and hopefully he’ll find some relief.
    Cindi @ Moomette’s Magnificents´s last blog ..Switching from Blogger to Wordpress: What You Need to Know

12. January 17, 2010 at 9:21 am

    WP Themes says

    Good fill someone in on and this fill someone in on helped me alot in my college assignement. Thank you as your information.

13. January 17, 2010 at 10:22 pm

    Online Roulette says

    Great idea, thanks for this tip!

14. February 2, 2010 at 11:27 pm

    Robert Shumake says

    I don’t usually reply to posts but I will in this case, great info…I will add a backlink and bookmark your site. Keep up the good work!

    -Robert Shumake Fifth Third

15. February 5, 2010 at 2:31 am

    bandsxbands says

    My friend and I were recently discussing about the ubiquitousness of technology in our daily lives. Reading this post makes me think back to that debate we had, and just how inseparable from electronics we have all become.

    I don’t mean this in a bad way, of course! Societal concerns aside… I just hope that as technology further advances, the possibility of transferring our brains onto a digital medium becomes a true reality. It’s a fantasy that I dream about every once in a while.

    (Posted on Nintendo DS running [url=http://does-the-r4-r4i-work-with-the-new-ds.onsugar.com/Does-R4i-R4-actually-work-7232282]R4[/url] DS QDos)

16. February 5, 2010 at 9:55 am

    eixaldaSnowxie says

    well hey there guys, i’ve been looking all over the internet for a GOOD black hat SEO forum.. I was looking for some suggestions
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