When standing at a desk, your elbows should be bent 90 degrees, and the desk should be set up to the height of your forearms. Since your forearms are on the desk, you can rest your shoulders.
Your elbows should be at or just above the level of the desk. It’s easier to keep your wrists straight this way. Often, you have to raise your chair higher than usual to do this. If you can’t lower your desk top and need your chair to be higher, you’ll need a footrest to make your feet higher. This makes it possible for your legs to stay flat while you sit in a good position.
Keep your elbows and upper arms close to your body to take pressure off your arms and shoulders. This is a great tip for your posture in general: always keep your shoulders open and not hunched.
Once the keyboard is in place, adjust the height of your chair so that your knees and elbows form a 90-degree angle (see diagram). Do your armrests move up and down, or should everyone have a chair whose height can be changed? I highly recommend a chair with armrests that can be moved up and down, left and right, and forward and backward. Why do you want to make so many changes? Because your elbows shouldn’t be on the armrests while you type. When you type, your elbows and arms should be supported by your shoulders, not by your forearms. If you use an armrest while you type, your forearm muscles, which lose strength faster than your shoulder muscles, are isolated. You should move the armrests away from your body, to the left or right, so that your arms can hang freely while you type. Investing in a good chair that can be adjusted will go a long way toward reducing the risk of RSI.
You should be able to type with your arms at your sides, bent elbows, and straight wrists while standing up straight.
Make sure that your wrists, forearms, and elbows are all well supported. Take a moment to adjust your office chair so that it matches the 90-degree angle you worked so hard to get. All of this movement has one main goal: it keeps your muscles from getting sore as you go through your inbox, give presentations, and chat on Slack with your coworkers.
Where do you put your elbows when you type?
When you type, keep your elbows close to your sides and at a comfortable height. Keyboards and keyboard trays often have wrist supports that can help you keep your wrists in a neutral, almost straight position.
At my desk, where should my arms be?
Set the armrests so that they are just below elbow height and let your arms and shoulders hang loose. When you’re sitting at your desk, the top of it should be at or just below elbow height. Your shoulders should be back, and your hands should rest on the front of the desk.
When using a mouse, should the elbow be on the desk?
If you have bigger and stronger muscles, use your whole arm and shoulder to move the mouse. Your upper arm should be close to your side and pressed in. You should bend your elbow 90 degrees.
Should my elbows be up when I type?
Only lean back in the chair when you’re not typing. Body mechanics can help with pain. When you type with your arms or wrists on rests, most of the work must be done by the muscles in your forearms. Use stronger shoulder and arm muscles instead of letting the hands “float” over the keys.
What is the best way to sit at a desk to work?
Change the height of your chair so that your thighs are parallel to the floor and your feet are flat on the floor or on a footrest. Adjust the armrests so that your shoulders can relax and your arms can rest comfortably on them.
What is the best way to sit when using a computer desk?
Your feet should be flat on the ground, and your knees should be level with or just below your hips. Straighten up and put your hips as far back as you can in the chair. The back of the chair should be leaned back 100 to 110 degrees. Make sure the keyboard is right in front of you and close by.
Is it better to sit at a desk higher or lower?
Raise your chair to help you get up from sitting. A lower seat will often put stress on these joints, which could lead to pain. A good seat height is one that lets you put both feet on the floor and bend your knees and hips to a 90° angle.
Should armrests go under the desk?
Armrests should be at least 2–3 cm above the table so that wrist problems like Carpal Tunnel Syndrome don’t happen. So, if you’re sitting at a desk with well-adjusted armrests, the desk should be at the right height to be under your elbows.
How do you know if the height of your desk is too high?
If your desk is too high for you, you might raise your arms, shrug your shoulders, stretch your arms out in front of you to use the keyboard or mouse, or rest your forearms on the table’s edge.
How should you sit at work to keep your elbows from hurting?
Let your shoulder muscles loosen up. Don’t let your shoulders hang over your ears when you work. Let yourself chill out. Muscle tension in the shoulders can spread to the arms.
What does mouse arm syndrome mean?
“Mouse Arm Syndrome” usually affects the hand, wrist, and shoulder of people who work at a desk and use the mouse and computer over and over again. Mouse Arm Syndrome is a group of symptoms that may include pain in the hand, wrist, elbow, and shoulder.
What is the most comfortable way to type?
Keep your neck and back straight and your feet flat on the ground. Your wrists should be neutral and straight, and your elbows should be open, making an angle between 90 and 110 degrees. Your eyes should be level with the top line of your screen as you raise your head.