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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